Stocks in the U.S. opened higher Tuesday, reversing pre-market losses after a report in the Wall Street Journal signified that American and Chinese negotiators were preparing to delay the next round of tariffs, scheduled to go into effect Sunday. The Journal cited sources close to the matter on both sides of the table.
Dec. 15 is the date that U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports would increase and hit the consumer electronics industry especially hard. Chinese-made products like Bluetooth headphones, smart watches, and other smart devices have been spared, so far, in the 17-month trade war.
Scheduled tariffs have been delayed in the past as the two sides appeared to show progress in reaching a "phase one" deal, though it has yet to materialize. One of the largest impediments to the deal remains China's refusal to commit to buying more agricultural products and farming equipment from the U.S., according to the Journal. American farmers are considered by the White House to be a key bloc of support for President Trump's re-election.
News that the Dec. 15 deadline could be punted came as President Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appear to be on the verge of announcing a separate trade deal, known as UMSCA, which would involve just Mexico and Canada, replacing NAFTA. That deal could be announced as soon as this week ー raising the specter of House Democrats handing the president a major policy victory just as they also prepare to impeach him.
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Swedish buy now, pay later company Klarna is making its highly anticipated public debut on the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday, the latest in a run of high-profile initial public offerings this year. The offering priced at $40 Tuesday, above the forecasted range of $35 to $37 a share, valuing the company at more than $15 billion. The valuation easily makes Klarna one of the biggest IPOs so far in 2025, which has been one of the busier years for companies going public. Other popular IPOs so far this year include the design software company Figma and Circle Internet Group, which issues the USDC stablecoin..
Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison wrested the title of the world’s richest man from longtime holder Elon Musk early Wednesday as stock in his software giant rocketed more than a third in a stunning few minutes of trading. That is according to wealth tracker Bloomberg. A college dropout, the 81-year-old Ellison is now worth $393 billion, Bloomberg says, several billion more than Musk, who had been the world’s richest for four years. The switch in the ranking came after a blockbuster earnings report from Oracle. Forbes still has Musk as the richest, however, valuing his private businesses much higher.
