The term “shock and awe” is used to describe a military strategy that quickly dominates the opponent with initial overwhelming force and firepower.

The so-called opponent was left behind and unable to respond effectively, and the onlookers were surprised and impressed.

Now, U.S. President Donald Trump has certainly left a deep shock in the first 100 days of his presidency, absolutely hammering to trade ties, alliances, and even his own administration, but it's hard to say that it's impressed anyone.

New tariffs have questioned the U.S.’s former optimistic inflation outlook, while hostile stances against traditional allies, such as Canada and the NATO alliance, have ragged.

On top of that, despite the Trump administration’s failure to reach a trade deal – despite his claim to have completed “200 deals” (interesting fact: there are only 195 countries in the world), China is still fascinating, but the war in Ukraine is still hit. The president was also forced to return to his “reciprocal tariffs.”

In other words, Trump may want his first 100 days to be historically significant - they may be, but for all the wrong reasons.

— Lim Hui Jie

Trump claims close to India's trade deal
Trump said on Tuesday that tariff negotiations with India were “going smoothly” and he believed the United States would reach a trade deal with the country. "I think we're going to have an agreement with India," Trump said in a brief speech to journalists outside the White House. "As you know, the Prime Minister was here three weeks ago, they wanted to reach an agreement." Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said his comments were made after the United States was "very close to India."

Trump sign orders to ease some automatic tariffs
Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday to soften some of the auto tariffs his administration imposed on his administration earlier this month as the auto industry struggles to deal with regulatory uncertainty and additional costs. The 25% tariff on imported vehicles entering the U.S. will continue, but the new measures aim to reduce the overall tariff levels of vehicle imports caused by separate taxes, such as the 25% tariff on steel and aluminum - "stacked" to each other.

Climbing softer tariff stance in the market
The White House said a major trade deal is about to be announced and the U.S. market is rising. Blue chip Boulevard Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.75%, while the S&P 500 rose 0.58%, ending at 5,560.83. Both indexes have been the sixth consecutive positive day, marking the longest winning streak since July and the S&P 500 since November. The Nasdaq comprehensive comprehensive rate increased by 0.55%. In Asia, markets are mixed together, with most indexes except for the active territory of Kospi.

Factory activity in China fell to nearly two-year lows in April
China's manufacturing activity surpassed its nearly two-year low and slipped into contraction territory in April As the trade war with the United States continues to escalate, it has damaged bilateral trade. The official Purchasing Managers index was at 49.0 on Wednesday at 49.0, below the 50-level threshold, the first expansion since January has begun to shrink.

Amazon fragments to show tariff fees after Trump complains about Bezos
Trump personally called Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to complain about a report that the online retail giant is considering showing U.S. tariff fees on its product list. Within hours of the call, Amazon publicly downplayed the scope of its plans and then announced it had been repealed.

Australia's first-quarter inflation rate is 4-year low
Australia Inflation rose 2.4% in the first quarter, maintaining a four-year low compared to the same period last year, higher than the Reuters poll's expectations for a 2.3% climb. The highest price increase in the quarter was housing, education, and food and non-alcoholic beverages, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

(PRO) Wednesday's key economic report shows how close the U.S. is to recession
A batch of high-risk economic reports expected to be presented on Wednesday showed that President Donald Trump charged high tariffs on U.S. trading partners in April, despite inflation eased.

Investors turn to emerging market debt after Trump tariffs hit our Treasury Department

Investors have been stacking up emerging market bonds due to “reciprocal” tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump.

According to the latest data provided by JPMorgan, local currency bonds in emerging markets fell 13 basis points between April 2 (Trump announced tariffs) and April 25. In contrast, the benchmark treasury output in the same period rose by more than 7 basis points.

Carol Lye, portfolio manager at Brandywine Global Investment Management, added that Mexico, Brazil and South Africa are some countries that have a greater demand for their bonds.

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