Trump Raises Global Tariff to 15% — Stocks Jolt, Crypto Largely Unmoved
US President Donald Trump announced an immediate increase in a global tariff from 10% to 15%, citing trade imbalances and protection for domestic industry. The move follows recent Supreme Court limits on emergency tariff powers under the IEEPA; the administration said it will issue legally permissible tariff measures in the coming months. UK business groups, including the British Chambers of Commerce, warned the hike could harm exporters and global growth and called for steady, transparent trade rules. Markets reacted with equity volatility, but crypto markets were relatively calm: Bitcoin (BTC) traded near $68,000 and Ether (ETH) was roughly unchanged at the time of reporting. The Total3 market-cap index (altcoins excluding BTC/ETH) slipped under 1% to about $713 billion. Analysts flagged recent outflows from major US crypto funds — roughly $316 million from Bitcoin funds and $123 million from Ethereum funds in the prior week — which likely contributed to recent weekly declines (approximately 2% for BTC and 5% for ETH). Despite short-term redemptions, crypto fund net inflows remain large year-to-date (total net assets about $85.3 billion). For traders: the announcement creates policy-driven uncertainty that may increase short-term volatility, but so far has produced only modest, immediate moves in crypto prices.
Neutral
The tariff increase is primarily a macro trade-policy event rather than a crypto-specific shock. Immediate market reaction was modest: BTC hovered near $68k and ETH was roughly unchanged, indicating limited direct price impact. However, the announcement raises policy risk and trade uncertainty, which can increase short-term volatility across risk assets, including crypto. Recent fund outflows from BTC and ETH funds contributed to small weekly declines, suggesting liquidity pressure can amplify any shock. In the short term, expect elevated volatility and possible directional moves tied to risk sentiment and fund flows. In the medium to long term, unless tariffs trigger a broader global economic slowdown or materially alter USD/liquidity conditions, the direct fundamental impact on Bitcoin and Ether prices should remain limited. Therefore the net price bias for BTC/ETH is neutral: no clear bullish or bearish driver specific to crypto, but a higher chance of short-term swings that active traders should monitor (fund flows, equity risk sentiment, and legal/policy updates).