United States stock futures fell on Sunday night (Monday AEDT) as investors awaited further details on President Donald Trump’s upcoming tariff measures, set to take effect on what he has dubbed “Liberation Day”.
By 9:25 am AEDT (10:25 pm GMT), futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq 100 dropped 0.5%, 0.6%, and 0.8%, respectively.
A series of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration is scheduled to take effect on Wednesday, including a 25% duty on “all cars that are not made in the United States”. Trump is also expected to unveil a plan for reciprocal tariffs, which could further escalate trade tensions.
ANZ analysts highlighted the significance of the upcoming decisions, stating: “This is going to be an important week for the U.S. On 1 April, the U.S. Trade Representative will submit a trade review to President Trump. The following day, Trump is set to announce his tariff decision on what he’s calling ‘Liberation Day’.
"What the scale and scope of tariffs are will also determine the response from trade partners.”
Reports also indicate that the European Union is preparing potential concessions in response to the expected tariff hikes, including reductions in duties, enhanced mutual investment with the U.S., and regulatory adjustments.
Beyond trade developments, investors are also preparing for a busy economic calendar this week. The highlight will be the March U.S. jobs report, set for release on Friday (Saturday AEDT). The data will offer crucial insights into the state of the labour market and could influence Federal Reserve policy expectations in the months ahead.
