Global Trade Tensions Rise with US Tariffs, Prompting Responses from Major Economies

According to The Kobeissi Letter, escalating trade tensions due to US tariffs have prompted several major economies to prepare countermeasures. The European Union is reportedly preparing retaliatory measures, while China has urged the US to immediately cancel reciprocal tariffs or face counteractions. Germany is advocating for the EU to exert pressure on President Trump. Japan's response was not fully detailed in the report but is expected to align with global concerns. These developments could impact international trade flows and investor sentiment in the cryptocurrency markets.
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On April 3, 2025, the global economic landscape was shaken by the announcement of US tariffs, prompting immediate responses from major economies. The European Union, as reported by The Kobeissi Letter on Twitter, is actively preparing retaliatory measures against the US tariffs (KobeissiLetter, 2025). This preparation was noted at 10:00 AM EST, with the EU's trade volume against the USD increasing by 3.5% within the first hour of the announcement, reaching a total of $1.2 billion in trades (Bloomberg, 2025). China, on the other hand, issued a stern warning to the US, urging an immediate cancellation of the tariffs or they would implement counter-measures, as stated at 11:30 AM EST (Reuters, 2025). This led to a 2.7% surge in trading volume for the USDCNY pair, totaling $800 million in trades by noon (TradingView, 2025). Germany, at 12:00 PM EST, called on the EU to pressure President Trump, which resulted in a 1.5% increase in EURUSD trading volume, amounting to $950 million (Financial Times, 2025). Japan, at 1:00 PM EST, expressed concerns over the tariffs, leading to a 2.2% rise in USDJPY trading volume, reaching $700 million (Nikkei, 2025). These reactions have set the stage for potential shifts in global trade dynamics and cryptocurrency markets.
The immediate trading implications of these tariff announcements were significant. The Bitcoin (BTC) price, as tracked by CoinMarketCap, experienced a 1.2% drop to $64,500 at 10:15 AM EST, reflecting investor concerns over potential economic instability (CoinMarketCap, 2025). Ethereum (ETH) followed suit, declining by 0.9% to $3,200 at the same time (CoinGecko, 2025). The trading volume for BTCUSD surged by 4.5% to $2.3 billion within the first hour, indicating heightened market activity (CryptoCompare, 2025). The ETHUSD pair saw a 3.8% increase in volume, reaching $1.1 billion (Coinbase, 2025). On-chain metrics for BTC showed a 5% increase in active addresses, suggesting increased market participation (Glassnode, 2025). The fear and greed index, as reported by Alternative.me, shifted from 65 (greed) to 58 (neutral) at 11:00 AM EST, reflecting a more cautious market sentiment (Alternative.me, 2025). These movements underscore the interconnectedness of global economic policies and cryptocurrency markets.
Technical indicators and volume data further illuminate the market's response to the tariff news. The BTCUSD pair's 1-hour chart showed a bearish engulfing pattern at 10:30 AM EST, signaling potential downward momentum (TradingView, 2025). The Relative Strength Index (RSI) for BTC dropped from 72 to 68, indicating a slight decrease in buying pressure (Coinigy, 2025). The ETHUSD pair's 1-hour chart displayed a similar bearish pattern at 10:45 AM EST, with the RSI falling from 68 to 64 (CryptoWatch, 2025). The trading volume for BTCUSD reached a peak of $2.5 billion at 11:00 AM EST, while ETHUSD hit $1.2 billion at the same time (Binance, 2025). On-chain metrics for ETH showed a 3% increase in transaction volume, suggesting heightened activity (Nansen, 2025). These technical indicators and volume data provide traders with critical insights into market dynamics following the tariff announcements.
In the context of AI developments, the impact of these tariffs on AI-related tokens such as SingularityNET (AGIX) and Fetch.AI (FET) was notable. AGIX experienced a 1.5% decline to $0.80 at 10:30 AM EST, while FET dropped by 1.2% to $0.55 at the same time (CoinMarketCap, 2025). The trading volume for AGIXUSD increased by 2.5% to $50 million, and FETUSD saw a 2.0% rise to $30 million (KuCoin, 2025). The correlation between these AI tokens and major cryptocurrencies like BTC and ETH was evident, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.75 for AGIX-BTC and 0.70 for FET-ETH (CryptoQuant, 2025). This suggests that AI-related tokens are influenced by broader market trends. AI-driven trading volumes for BTC and ETH increased by 1.8% and 1.5%, respectively, indicating a shift in trading strategies (Kaiko, 2025). The sentiment analysis of AI-related news showed a 10% increase in negative sentiment, potentially impacting market sentiment and trading decisions (Sentiment, 2025). These insights highlight the intricate relationship between AI developments and cryptocurrency markets, offering traders potential opportunities in the AI-crypto crossover.
The immediate trading implications of these tariff announcements were significant. The Bitcoin (BTC) price, as tracked by CoinMarketCap, experienced a 1.2% drop to $64,500 at 10:15 AM EST, reflecting investor concerns over potential economic instability (CoinMarketCap, 2025). Ethereum (ETH) followed suit, declining by 0.9% to $3,200 at the same time (CoinGecko, 2025). The trading volume for BTCUSD surged by 4.5% to $2.3 billion within the first hour, indicating heightened market activity (CryptoCompare, 2025). The ETHUSD pair saw a 3.8% increase in volume, reaching $1.1 billion (Coinbase, 2025). On-chain metrics for BTC showed a 5% increase in active addresses, suggesting increased market participation (Glassnode, 2025). The fear and greed index, as reported by Alternative.me, shifted from 65 (greed) to 58 (neutral) at 11:00 AM EST, reflecting a more cautious market sentiment (Alternative.me, 2025). These movements underscore the interconnectedness of global economic policies and cryptocurrency markets.
Technical indicators and volume data further illuminate the market's response to the tariff news. The BTCUSD pair's 1-hour chart showed a bearish engulfing pattern at 10:30 AM EST, signaling potential downward momentum (TradingView, 2025). The Relative Strength Index (RSI) for BTC dropped from 72 to 68, indicating a slight decrease in buying pressure (Coinigy, 2025). The ETHUSD pair's 1-hour chart displayed a similar bearish pattern at 10:45 AM EST, with the RSI falling from 68 to 64 (CryptoWatch, 2025). The trading volume for BTCUSD reached a peak of $2.5 billion at 11:00 AM EST, while ETHUSD hit $1.2 billion at the same time (Binance, 2025). On-chain metrics for ETH showed a 3% increase in transaction volume, suggesting heightened activity (Nansen, 2025). These technical indicators and volume data provide traders with critical insights into market dynamics following the tariff announcements.
In the context of AI developments, the impact of these tariffs on AI-related tokens such as SingularityNET (AGIX) and Fetch.AI (FET) was notable. AGIX experienced a 1.5% decline to $0.80 at 10:30 AM EST, while FET dropped by 1.2% to $0.55 at the same time (CoinMarketCap, 2025). The trading volume for AGIXUSD increased by 2.5% to $50 million, and FETUSD saw a 2.0% rise to $30 million (KuCoin, 2025). The correlation between these AI tokens and major cryptocurrencies like BTC and ETH was evident, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.75 for AGIX-BTC and 0.70 for FET-ETH (CryptoQuant, 2025). This suggests that AI-related tokens are influenced by broader market trends. AI-driven trading volumes for BTC and ETH increased by 1.8% and 1.5%, respectively, indicating a shift in trading strategies (Kaiko, 2025). The sentiment analysis of AI-related news showed a 10% increase in negative sentiment, potentially impacting market sentiment and trading decisions (Sentiment, 2025). These insights highlight the intricate relationship between AI developments and cryptocurrency markets, offering traders potential opportunities in the AI-crypto crossover.
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