Europe: Shares confirm correction in worst day since 2020 after China’s tariff response

[BENGALURU] European shares slumped on Friday (Apr 4), with the benchmark Stoxx 600 and Germany’s DAX confirming correction territory, as China’s retaliation to sweeping US tariffs intensified fears of a global recession triggered by the trade war.

China announced a slew of countermeasures against tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, including additional tariffs of 34 per cent on all US goods and curbs on export of some rare earths after the US slapped reciprocal levies on trading partners on Wednesday.

The pan-European Stoxx index closed 5.1 per cent lower, its biggest daily loss since the Covid-19-fuelled sell-off in 2020. The index fell nearly 12 per cent from its Mar 3 all-time closing high, confirming it was in correction territory. The index’s weekly loss of more than 8 per cent was also its worst in five years as investors shunned risk and sought safe-haven assets. Euro zone government bond yields dropped sharply.

Germany’s DAX and the euro zone blue-chip index also confirmed they were in a correction, dropping 5 per cent and 4.6 per cent, respectively.

A gauge of euro zone stock market volatility rose 8.68 points to 34.2, its biggest one-day spike in over two years.

“There’s only been a handful of times when risk aversion has gotten worse than it currently is,” said Benjamin Ford, strategist at Macro Hive. “One was during the great financial crisis, the other was during Covid-19.” The tit-for-tat tariffs between the world’s largest economies mark a sharp escalation in the global trade war that threatens to raise prices, upend supply chains and squeeze corporate profit margins. The response from other nations is now in focus. France’s industry minister called for a proportionate but firm response, and said Europe remained open to negotiating a solution.

“Europe might move a package to support their wider economy … Long-term, it really is going to come down to who retaliates (against the US) and who just looks to support their economy,” Ford said. Traders have ramped up bets on interest rate cuts from the European Central Bank (ECB) to shore up economic growth. Traders now see a chance of nearly 90 per cent of the ECB making a quarter-point rate cut later this month, along with two more reductions widely expected by year-end.

Among regional markets, stocks in Spain declined 5.8 per cent, France fell 4.3 per cent and Italy lost 6.5 per cent. The Bank of Italy cut its 2025 economic growth forecast for the country to 0.5 per cent from 0.7 per cent. All major European sectors were in the red, with European banks leading declines with an 8.4 per cent loss and closing their worst week in three years.

The luxury sector, which heavily relies on China, also faltered as France’s LVMH lost 2.4 per cent, while Gucci owner Kering dropped 3.8 per cent. Data on Friday showed German industrial orders stagnated in February and the January data was upwardly revised. Among stocks, Gerresheimer slumped 14.5 per cent after a report said KKR has abandoned a private equity consortium discussing a takeover of the German speciality packaging maker. REUTERS