Mercantilism For Dummies has taken your 401(k) hostage

Published



The White House waited until after the closing bell on the afternoon of April 2, “Liberation Day,” before President Donald Trump announced the details of his long-awaited tariff regime. For the sake of the nearly two-thirds of people who have money invested in the stock market, it’s probably good that the administration did.

In the immediate aftermath of Trump’s announcement that he would impose a universal 10% minimum tariff on all imports into the United States with no exceptions, S&P futures plummeted by more than 3% and Nasdaq futures by more than 5%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures fell by 2.5%, and gold prices, viewed as a hedge against the risk of the collapse of other equities, surged above a record of more than $3,200 per ounce.

Trusted reporting.Unlimited access.

Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis, and subscriber-only journalism.

Get Unlimited Access

Already a member? Log in

Cancel anytime.