Trump’s team offers mixed messaging on tariff negotiation, downplays market volatility

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on CNN or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: The Trump administration’s rollout of sweeping new tariffs—10% on all imports, with steeper rates for 60 countries—has triggered market turmoil, global protests, and mixed signals from top officials on whether negotiation is possible
• While President Trump signaled openness to talks, his advisors delivered sharply contrasting messages, describing the tariffs as a "reset" rather than a bargaining chip.

🔭 The context: The tariffs mark the most aggressive protectionist move of Trump’s second term, drawing parallels to his 2018 trade war but on a broader scale
• They arrive amid global economic fragility, with equity markets reacting sharply—posting their worst losses since early COVID-19 shocks
• Trump’s “Liberation Day” rhetoric echoes earlier nationalist economic themes, but this time the backlash includes both street protests and diplomatic rebukes from allies like Canada and trade partners like Vietnam and the EU

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Tariff shocks complicate efforts to build resilient, climate-aligned supply chains, particularly for clean energy technologies that rely on global cooperation
• Countries like Canada and the EU, which have prioritized green trade deals, now face added uncertainty
• If tariffs target key components like solar panels or electric vehicle parts, climate ambitions could stall under the weight of higher costs and fractured alliances
• Moreover, market instability can chill investment in renewable infrastructure

⏭️ What's next: Talks with nations like Israel, Vietnam, and India hint at potential carve-outs, but Trump officials remain vague on terms or timing
• The administration insists the tariffs are non-negotiable in the short term, though Trump himself has stated he’s “open to talking” if countries reduce trade deficits
• Treasury and Commerce officials underscore that “maximum leverage” is the goal—implying a drawn-out confrontation
• Meanwhile, Democrats are ramping up criticism, with some describing the president's golf outings during market meltdowns as politically tone-deaf, especially as fears of a recession mount

💬 One quote: “If you want to come and talk to us, don’t say you want to lower the tariffs... Stop manipulating currency, stop dumping stuff in.” — Peter Navarro, Trump trade advisor

📈 One stat: The Dow Jones Industrial Average posted its worst back-to-back losses since March 2020, and futures pointed to a sharp drop as markets reopened

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

Click for more news covering the latest on public governance