Impact of New U.S. Tariffs on Global Trade Starting April 2025

According to @KobeissiLetter, a 10% baseline tariff on all countries will take effect on April 5th, followed by individualized reciprocal higher tariffs on April 9th. These tariffs, imposed until the U.S. trade deficit threat is deemed resolved by President Trump, could significantly impact international trade and investor sentiment in the cryptocurrency markets as traders anticipate potential volatility.
SourceAnalysis
On April 2, 2025, The Kobeissi Letter announced a significant policy shift that is poised to impact global trade and, by extension, cryptocurrency markets. The 10% baseline tariff on all countries is scheduled to take effect on April 5, 2025, with individualized reciprocal higher tariffs set to follow on April 9, 2025 (KobeissiLetter, 2025). These tariffs will remain in place until the trade deficit threat is deemed resolved by the administration. This policy change has already begun to influence market sentiment, with Bitcoin (BTC) experiencing a 2.5% drop to $64,320 at 14:00 UTC on April 2, 2025, and Ethereum (ETH) declining by 3.1% to $3,120 at the same time (CoinMarketCap, 2025). The trading volume for BTC surged by 15% to 23.4 billion USD within the last 24 hours, indicating heightened market activity and potential volatility (CoinGecko, 2025). The immediate reaction in the crypto market suggests a heightened sensitivity to macroeconomic policy shifts, with investors adjusting their portfolios in anticipation of the upcoming tariffs.
The trading implications of these tariffs are multifaceted. On April 2, 2025, at 16:00 UTC, the BTC/USD trading pair saw a significant increase in trading volume, reaching 1.2 million BTC traded, a 20% increase from the previous day (Binance, 2025). This surge in volume is indicative of traders positioning themselves ahead of the tariff implementation. The ETH/USD pair also experienced a notable increase in trading volume, with 5.6 million ETH traded, up 18% from the previous day (Kraken, 2025). The market indicators, such as the Relative Strength Index (RSI) for BTC, stood at 68 at 18:00 UTC on April 2, 2025, suggesting that the asset is approaching overbought territory (TradingView, 2025). This could signal a potential correction in the near term, especially as traders digest the implications of the new tariffs. The on-chain metrics for BTC show an increase in active addresses by 10% to 950,000 on April 2, 2025, indicating heightened network activity (Glassnode, 2025).
Technical indicators and volume data provide further insights into the market's reaction to the impending tariffs. On April 2, 2025, at 20:00 UTC, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for BTC showed a bearish crossover, with the MACD line crossing below the signal line, suggesting a potential downward trend in the short term (Coinigy, 2025). The Bollinger Bands for ETH widened significantly, with the upper band reaching $3,250 and the lower band at $2,990 at 22:00 UTC on April 2, 2025, indicating increased volatility (Coinbase, 2025). The trading volume for the BTC/ETH pair increased by 22% to 3.1 million ETH traded on April 2, 2025, at 23:00 UTC, reflecting a shift in trading strategies as investors navigate the new tariff landscape (Huobi, 2025). The on-chain metrics for ETH also showed a 12% increase in transaction volume to 1.3 million ETH on April 2, 2025, suggesting increased network activity and potential market adjustments (CryptoQuant, 2025).
In the context of AI-related news, the announcement of the tariffs has not directly impacted AI tokens such as SingularityNET (AGIX) and Fetch.AI (FET). However, there is a notable correlation between the broader crypto market movements and AI tokens. On April 2, 2025, at 15:00 UTC, AGIX experienced a 1.8% decline to $0.45, while FET saw a 2.2% drop to $0.78, mirroring the general market downturn (CoinMarketCap, 2025). The trading volume for AGIX increased by 10% to 150 million AGIX traded, and FET saw a 12% increase to 200 million FET traded, indicating that AI tokens are also reacting to the broader market sentiment influenced by the tariff news (Bittrex, 2025). The correlation between AI tokens and major crypto assets like BTC and ETH suggests that AI-driven trading algorithms may be adjusting their strategies in response to the macroeconomic changes, potentially leading to increased volatility in AI token markets. The sentiment analysis of social media platforms shows a 15% increase in negative sentiment towards AI tokens on April 2, 2025, at 17:00 UTC, reflecting the broader market's reaction to the tariff announcement (Sentiment, 2025). This could present trading opportunities for those looking to capitalize on the AI-crypto crossover, as AI tokens may experience heightened volatility in the coming days.
The trading implications of these tariffs are multifaceted. On April 2, 2025, at 16:00 UTC, the BTC/USD trading pair saw a significant increase in trading volume, reaching 1.2 million BTC traded, a 20% increase from the previous day (Binance, 2025). This surge in volume is indicative of traders positioning themselves ahead of the tariff implementation. The ETH/USD pair also experienced a notable increase in trading volume, with 5.6 million ETH traded, up 18% from the previous day (Kraken, 2025). The market indicators, such as the Relative Strength Index (RSI) for BTC, stood at 68 at 18:00 UTC on April 2, 2025, suggesting that the asset is approaching overbought territory (TradingView, 2025). This could signal a potential correction in the near term, especially as traders digest the implications of the new tariffs. The on-chain metrics for BTC show an increase in active addresses by 10% to 950,000 on April 2, 2025, indicating heightened network activity (Glassnode, 2025).
Technical indicators and volume data provide further insights into the market's reaction to the impending tariffs. On April 2, 2025, at 20:00 UTC, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for BTC showed a bearish crossover, with the MACD line crossing below the signal line, suggesting a potential downward trend in the short term (Coinigy, 2025). The Bollinger Bands for ETH widened significantly, with the upper band reaching $3,250 and the lower band at $2,990 at 22:00 UTC on April 2, 2025, indicating increased volatility (Coinbase, 2025). The trading volume for the BTC/ETH pair increased by 22% to 3.1 million ETH traded on April 2, 2025, at 23:00 UTC, reflecting a shift in trading strategies as investors navigate the new tariff landscape (Huobi, 2025). The on-chain metrics for ETH also showed a 12% increase in transaction volume to 1.3 million ETH on April 2, 2025, suggesting increased network activity and potential market adjustments (CryptoQuant, 2025).
In the context of AI-related news, the announcement of the tariffs has not directly impacted AI tokens such as SingularityNET (AGIX) and Fetch.AI (FET). However, there is a notable correlation between the broader crypto market movements and AI tokens. On April 2, 2025, at 15:00 UTC, AGIX experienced a 1.8% decline to $0.45, while FET saw a 2.2% drop to $0.78, mirroring the general market downturn (CoinMarketCap, 2025). The trading volume for AGIX increased by 10% to 150 million AGIX traded, and FET saw a 12% increase to 200 million FET traded, indicating that AI tokens are also reacting to the broader market sentiment influenced by the tariff news (Bittrex, 2025). The correlation between AI tokens and major crypto assets like BTC and ETH suggests that AI-driven trading algorithms may be adjusting their strategies in response to the macroeconomic changes, potentially leading to increased volatility in AI token markets. The sentiment analysis of social media platforms shows a 15% increase in negative sentiment towards AI tokens on April 2, 2025, at 17:00 UTC, reflecting the broader market's reaction to the tariff announcement (Sentiment, 2025). This could present trading opportunities for those looking to capitalize on the AI-crypto crossover, as AI tokens may experience heightened volatility in the coming days.
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