CEOs break silence on Trump trade war

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Wall Street Journal or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: U.S. corporate leaders are beginning to publicly express concern over President Trump's newly imposed global tariffs, ending weeks of guarded silence
• As the trade war escalates, CEOs are warning of rising costs, supply chain disruptions, and broader economic fallout
• Initial private lobbying efforts are now shifting to more direct criticism, as companies seek clarity and relief from the administration’s trade strategy

🔭 The context: Following last week's imposition of 20% tariffs on EU goods and a baseline 10% on other trade partners, the global business community has been rattled
• Many executives initially relied on trade associations and backdoor diplomacy to influence policy, wary of retaliatory political responses
• However, with markets reacting sharply and supply risks intensifying, public pressure from business leaders is mounting

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The tariffs threaten to undermine clean energy supply chains and delay climate tech deployment
• Many sustainability-critical industries—such as EVs, wind turbines, and solar panel manufacturing—depend on international components
• Trade barriers could drive up costs and limit availability, especially if tensions restrict U.S.-EU cooperation on climate technologies and energy transition efforts

⏭️ What's next: CEOs are expected to step up coordinated advocacy efforts in Washington, pushing for exemptions, alternative mechanisms, or more targeted trade measures
• Industry groups may issue formal statements, and Congressional hearings on tariff impacts are likely in the coming weeks
• How the administration responds will shape both U.S. industrial strategy and the outlook for decarbonisation-aligned sectors amid global trade uncertainty

💬 One quote: “Executives have gone from silent to skeptical to outspoken—all in the span of a week,” – Corporate adviser familiar with White House trade briefings

📈 One stat: $18 trillion – estimated combined market value of U.S. companies potentially exposed to Trump’s new tariffs, according to Bloomberg projections

See here detailed sustainability performance of companies like General Electric, and Siemens Energy

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