The European Union will pause its first countermeasures against U.S. tariffs after President Donald Trump temporarily lowered the hefty duties he had just imposed on dozens of countries, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday.
U.S. stock index futures fell sharply on Wednesday after China announced more levies on U.S. goods, striking back against President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs that took effect earlier in the day.
World markets won a reprieve on Tuesday after three days of heavy selling that wiped trillions of dollars off the value of shares, as China vowed to "fight to the end" against additional U.S. tariffs imposed on Beijing.
The economy shed 33,000 jobs in March, the biggest loss since January 2022, while the unemployment rate ticked slightly higher, Statistics Canada said on Friday.
President Donald Trump's new tariffs sent shockwaves through markets on Thursday, with the U.S. dollar and American stocks among the hardest hit on fears a broadening trade war will spur recession in a fragile world economy.