Les Bourses européennes clôturent en forte chute

Le baril de West Texas Intermediate (WTI), principale variété américaine, est tombé sous les 60 dollars, une première depuis avril 2021. Dimanche soir, le WTI pour livraison en mai lâchait 3,31%, à 59,94 dollars, peu après la reprise de sa cotation.

The price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the main American variety, fell below $60, a first since April 2021. On Sunday evening, the WTI for delivery in May dropped by 3.31%, reaching $59.94 shortly after trading resumed.

The day ended as it began for European stock exchanges: in the red. The Paris market dropped by 4.78% at closing on Monday, April 7, at the same level as Frankfurt (4.13%) and London (4.64%). This general panic seems to be a consequence of the trade war declared by Donald Trump against the rest of the world. Follow our live updates.

### A Possible EU-USA Trade Deal?
The European Union has proposed total and reciprocal tariff exemptions for industrial products, including cars, to the United States, announced the President of the Commission. Ursula von der Leyen stated, «Europe is always ready to make a good deal with the United States,» during a press conference in Brussels. However, she also warned, «we are ready to respond with countermeasures and defend our interests» against Donald Trump’s trade offensive.

### Wall Street Reacts Differently
After initially dropping by around 3% at opening on Monday, the New York Stock Exchange had a more mixed performance following false information suggesting that the Trump administration might consider a pause on tariffs (which the White House denied). By 4:55 PM Paris time, the Dow Jones was down by 0.58% from the opening, the Nasdaq gained 0.82%, and the broader S&P 500 index rose by 0.26%.

### Trump Attempts to Calm Markets
Before the start of trading on Wall Street on Monday, the American president urged investors to believe in his policy of imposing drastic tariffs on the rest of the world: «Do not be weak! Do not be stupid!», he wrote on his Truth Social network. «Be strong, brave, and patient, and GREATNESS will follow.»

### Asian Markets also Plummet
The Tokyo Stock Exchange closed with nearly an 8% plunge, while Seoul ended the session with a 5.6% decline, in line with global markets panicked by the trade war initiated by the American president. Earlier, Sydney closed down by 4.2%. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange finished the session with a 13.22% drop, its largest decline since the Asian financial crisis of 1997. Taiwan’s stock exchange closed with a 9.7% drop, its biggest decline ever recorded. Finally, the Bombay Stock Exchange also fell by over 3% in early trading.

### Oil Prices Decline
Oil prices fell by 3% on Monday, reaching levels not seen in four years. The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) barrel, the main American variety, fell below $60, a first since April 2021. On Sunday evening, the WTI for delivery in May dropped by 3.31%, reaching $59.94 shortly after trading resumed. Please rewrite this sentence.

SOURCE