Global stocks fall as Trump adviser's departure heightens trade war fears

Global stocks and the dollar slumped on Wednesday after a key advocate for free trade in the White House resigned, fanning fears that President Donald Trump will proceed with tariffs and risk a trade war.

White House economic adviser Gary Cohn, seen as a bulwark against protectionist forces within the Trump administration, said on Tuesday he was leaving.

S&P 500 futures dropped more than 1 per cent and set the downbeat tone for Asia.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.3 per cent, while Japan’s Nikkei retreated 0.7 per cent.

Australian stocks fell 1.1 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped 0.4 per cent and China’s blue-chip CSI300 index was flat.

“If you’re looking for an excuse to sell, this is the kind of announcement that certainly causes short-term downward pressure,” said Rick Meckler, president of investment firm Liberty View Capital Management in New Jersey, regarding Cohn’s resignation.

“He (Cohn) came from Wall street and certainly large institutional investors felt he was very credible in his spot.”

South Korea’s KOSPI bucked the trend and edged up 0.2 per cent amid a perceived easing of regional tensions, following news on Tuesday that South Korea would hold its first summit with the North in more than a decade.

Cohn’s resignation, however, poured cold water on a recovery in risk appetite in wider markets that followed news of the Korean talks, reports Reuters.

In currency markets, the dollar fell as much as 0.6 per cent to 105.45 yen, near its 16-month low of 105.24 touched on Friday.

The dollar had risen to 106.470 on Tuesday amid speculation that Trump could be coaxed into watering down or holding off on the tariffs.

Against the Swiss franc, the dollar also shed 0.4 per cent to 0.9368 franc, while the euro edged up 0.1 per cent to $1.2420.

Against a basket of major currencies, the dollar dipped 0.2 per cent.

“The worst outcome for financial markets, in terms of potential to create volatility, would be a confirmation of rising trade friction and benign neglect of the dollar in the short term,” said analysts at ANZ.

The Canadian dollar and the Mexican peso retreated as Cohn’s departure was seen as raising risks Washington could walk out of NAFTA.

The Canadian dollar fell 0.4 per cent to C$1.2929 per dollar while the Mexican peso dropped 0.4 per cent to 18.82 to the dollar.

Commodities also fell on worries that trade frictions could slow global growth.

Brent crude futures surrendered the previous day’s gains to drop 0.8 per cent to $65.27 per barrel.

London Metal Exchange copper lost 0.3 per cent to $6,981.50 per tonne, paring a 1.4 per cent gain from the previous session.

Spot gold, on the other hand, stretched the previous day’s rally and touched $1,340.42 an ounce, highest since Feb 26.

Other perceived safe havens such government bonds also fared well. US Treasury debt prices rose and as a result the 10-year benchmark note yield declined about 2 basis points to 2.859 per cent.