Global stock markets opened sharply lower on Monday, as investors around the world reacted to President Donald Trump’s escalating tariff campaign. The downturn sent shockwaves through financial markets, with U.S. futures pointing to further instability and major losses across Asia.
In the U.S., Dow Jones futures fell roughly 1,200 points—down 3.33%—early Monday morning. Futures for the S&P 500 and NASDAQ were each down about 3.5%. If the S&P 500 drops 7% before 3:35 p.m. ET during trading hours, a market-wide circuit breaker will be triggered, pausing trading for 15 minutes.
Asia Suffers Heavy Losses
Asia bore the brunt of the global sell-off. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index plummeted 13.22%, marking its worst single-day performance since the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. Chinese tech giants including Alibaba and Baidu led the rout.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 plunged nearly 9% shortly after opening, prompting an automatic trading halt. The broader TOPIX index dropped 8%. Taiwan’s Taiex sank 9.7%, and Singapore’s STI lost more than 8%.
South Korea’s KOSPI index fell over 5.5%, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dropped more than 6% before rebounding slightly.
Market analysts cited growing fears of a global economic slowdown and uncertainty surrounding the long-term effects of Trump’s protectionist trade agenda. The widespread losses underscore heightened volatility and investor unease as geopolitical tensions weigh heavily on global growth expectations.
