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Stocks Slump as Trump Tariffs Take Effect

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Stocks Slump as Trump Tariffs Take Effect

Stocks tumbled on Tuesday as President Trump’s broad tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China reverberated through global markets, intensifying investors’ concerns over the health of the economy.

The S&P 500 fell over 1 percent, adding to Monday’s 1.8 percent loss, which was its sharpest decline this year. The Nasdaq Composite index dropped roughly 1 percent, putting it briefly in what is known as a correction — a drop of 10 percent or more from its recent peak.

The sharp moves in recent days have wiped out much of the stock gains made since Mr. Trump’s election victory in November, as investors’ hopes of deregulation, business-friendly policies and restraint on tariffs have given way to fears over the potentially damaging impact of the levies that went into effect on Tuesday.

Investors appeared to rush into the safety of government debt, helping to lower the yield on the 10-year Treasury note to its lowest level since October. Yields move inversely to prices.

Mounting concerns about the economy’s ability to withstand incoming tariffs for too long were also evident in a shift in expectations of the number of times the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates.

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In the near term, tariffs are likely to accelerate inflation, with the Fed holding rates elevated to deal with it. But the longer-term effect, economists say, will be slower economic growth and the risk of an economic downturn, in which the Fed would very likely rapidly cut interest rates.

Investors now expect the central bank to cut rates as many as three times this year, beginning in June, a sudden change from early this year when they predicted just one rate cut. That shift appeared to reflect worries that the Fed will be pushed into lowering rates quickly later in the year to prop up an ailing economy.

“While a trade war might have short-term reflationary implications,” said Ian Lyngen, an interest rate strategist at BMO Capital Market, “it also carries with it significant risks to global growth.”

The Nasdaq Composite has fallen almost 10 percent from its high in December, although much of the sell-off has materialized over the past two weeks. The S&P 500 has fallen 6 percent from its high set less than one month ago. The decline of major stock indexes toward corrections and bear markets plays a psychological role in the market, signaling to traders that a sell-off may not be just a brief blip but that it has extended to a point of significantly lowering company valuations.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies, which is more exposed to the outlook for the U.S. economy, has already fallen into correction and is now approaching a bear market, defined as a drop of 20 percent or more from its recent peak. The index reached a new high only in November, after a drastic recovery under the previous administration.

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The stock declines on Tuesday were broad based, with roughly four out of five stocks in the S&P 500 lower for the day. Ford fell roughly 3 percent as did General Motors, while Tesla dropped roughly 5 percent. Financial stocks, along with consumer discretionary stocks like cruise lines and restaurants, were the hardest-hit sectors of the index.

Airlines, which were already facing simmering concerns from investors, also suffered steep losses amid fears that a trade war could slow the economy and rein in travel spending. United Airlines fell nearly 7 percent, while Delta dropped about 6 percent.

“It’s a confluence of factors,” said Tom Fitzgerald, an airline industry analyst for the investment bank TD Cowen. “It tends to be a sector where investors sell first and ask questions later.”

European stocks had earlier come under pressure as investors weighed the prospects of a global trade war after China and Canada quickly imposed tariffs of their own.

The Euro Stoxx 50 index, which comprises the eurozone’s largest companies, fell 2.5 percent, its worst one-day performance since July 2023. Germany’s benchmark index, the DAX, dropped 3.5 percent, erasing its gains from the previous day when it hit a record on the promises for more European military spending. It is the German benchmark’s worst day in roughly three years.

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Shares of German automakers and suppliers were hit especially hard as many have assembly plants in Mexico for vehicles they sell in the United States. Volkswagen’s shares fell about 3 percent and BMW’s dropped more than 5 percent.

The U.S. dollar index, which measures the currency against a basket of other major currencies, was 0.5 percent lower, despite both the Canadian Dollar and Mexican Peso weakening.

Oil prices also fell after the Opec oil cartel and some of its allies said on Monday that they would increase production. Brent crude, the international benchmark, dropped 1.5 percent to $70.53 a barrel.

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Video: How the Government Shutdown Is Affecting Air Travel

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Video: How the Government Shutdown Is Affecting Air Travel

new video loaded: How the Government Shutdown Is Affecting Air Travel

Niraj Chokshi, our reporter covering transportation, describes where and how flights are being cut in the government shutdown.

By Niraj Chokshi, Karen Hanley, Leila Medina and James Surdam

November 8, 2025

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Presents to arrive in time for the holidays, but may be more expensive

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Presents to arrive in time for the holidays, but may be more expensive

Consumers don’t have to worry about products arriving in time for the holidays, though they may be facing higher prices, say officials at one of America’s largest ports.

Imports at the Port of Long Beach are flowing smoothly through its facilities despite the government shutdown and tariff uncertainties, port executives said. Still, they acknowledge that the volume and prices of products in the millions of containers coming through the port suggest that imports are becoming more costly and consumers are more cautious.

Until now, retailers, manufacturers and other intermediaries have absorbed much of the cost of tariffs, but that is changing as it becomes more apparent which tariffs are here to stay, Mario Cordero, chief executive of the Port of Long Beach, said Friday during a virtual news conference.

“Consumers will likely see price escalation in the coming months as shippers continue to pass along the cost of tariffs on goods, and a higher percentage of these costs will be passed on to the consumer,” he said.

Cordero, who drinks Starbucks coffee, said he’s seen the price of a cup of coffee increase by 15% and that more consumers are going to discount stores to find deals. However, potential price hikes could be offset if the United States and China strike further trade agreements.

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The Port of Long Beach, a gateway for trade between the United States and Asia-Pacific, released new data that offers a glimpse into how President Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs are affecting goods imported from key trade partners, such as China.

This week, the U.S. Supreme Court also started to hear arguments as the justices examine the legality of Trump’s tariffs.

Over the past year, the port saw a drop in the movement of containers filled with certain goods such as winter apparel, kitchen appliances and toys that people typically buy as gifts, a sign that consumers are likely wary about spending.

Still, the impact of tariffs on cargo volume hasn’t been as bad as some experts predicted. Cordero said some experts had projected that the port could see as much as a 35% drop in cargo volume.

“Clearly today, it’s fair to say that the worst scenarios some predicted did not occur,” Cordero said. “The challenges were many, and there’s no doubt that many companies and their workers suffered, but cargo volume is turning out to be just as high this year as it was last year.”

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In fiscal year 2025, which runs from October 2024 to September 2025, the port surpassed 10 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) for the first time, up 11% from the same period last year. TEU is a measurement used to describe cargo capacity for container ships and terminals.

While the port saw a decline in the amount of TEUs moved in October compared with the same period in 2024, Cordero said he thinks the port will end 2025 in “positive territory.”

In October, there were 839,671 TEUs moved. That’s because retailers and shippers started shipping goods earlier than normal to avoid fees and to stock up their warehouses because of tariffs.

The Port of Long Beach is an economic engine for California. Officials say it helps create 691,000 jobs in Southern California. More than 2.7 million U.S jobs are connected to the Port of Long Beach, they say.

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See Where Flights Have Been Canceled as Government Shutdown Drags On

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See Where Flights Have Been Canceled as Government Shutdown Drags On

Flight cancellations on Friday

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Note: International routes and airports are not shown. Cancellations at airports include flights that were planned to depart or arrive. Source: Cirium. The New York Times

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Hundreds of flights across the United States were canceled starting on Friday, with deeper cuts looming in the coming days.

Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Department officials have said the traffic reduction is necessary to ease pressure on air traffic controllers, some of whom have been calling in sick and working second jobs because they have not been paid during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

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The officials identified 40 airports where flights should be cut in phases, with the goal of reducing activity by 10 percent by the end of next week.

The disruptions have rippled to other airports but, at least so far, they have appeared to be relatively limited. Airlines focused the first wave of cancellations on shorter, regional flights, and major airports were working largely as normal on Friday. But widespread concern that the situation could worsen brought home the effects of the government shutdown to many more Americans.

The reduction in traffic comes weeks before the busy holiday travel season begins in the United States. The airports that have already been affected range from large hubs to smaller destinations. They are in blue states and red states, spread across the country.

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Here is a look at how cuts at affected airports compare to cancellations at those hubs this time last year:

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Share of scheduled flights that were canceled on Friday and throughout Nov. 2024

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Washington Reagan

17.4%

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151 of 869 flights

0.2%

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Louisville

8%

12 of 150

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0.1%

Cincinnati

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7.2%

18 of 250

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0.2%

Houston Hobby

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6%

20 of 336

0.4%

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Indianapolis

5.7%

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17 of 297

0.2%

Oakland

5.4%

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11 of 203

0.4%

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Boston

4.8%

46 of 960

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0.1%

Newark

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4.5%

42 of 940

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0.4%

New York JFK

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4.5%

41 of 913

0%

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New York LaGuardia

4.5%

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47 of 1,045

0.1%

Minneapolis/St. Paul

4.5%

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35 of 784

0.1%

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Detroit

4.3%

35 of 806

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0.1%

Philadelphia

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4.3%

30 of 701

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0.1%

San Francisco

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4.3%

41 of 960

1.2%

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Atlanta

4.2%

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84 of 1,979

0.1%

Los Angeles

3.9%

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50 of 1,274

0.3%

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Denver

3.6%

67 of 1,866

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1.4%

Ontario

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3.6%

6 of 168

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0.7%

Phoenix

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3.6%

44 of 1,206

0.3%

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Chicago O’Hare

3.5%

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82 of 2,313

0.3%

San Diego

3.5%

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22 of 627

0.4%

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Dallas-Fort Worth

3.4%

62 of 1,810

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1.7%

Tampa

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3.4%

17 of 493

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0.2%

Baltimore-Washington

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3.2%

18 of 562

0.2%

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Washington Dulles

3.2%

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20 of 619

0.2%

Salt Lake City

3.2%

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21 of 650

0.2%

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Charlotte

3.1%

41 of 1,327

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0.1%

George Bush Houston

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3.1%

35 of 1,112

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0.2%

Memphis

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3.1%

5 of 160

0.2%

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Fort Lauderdale

2.8%

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16 of 564

0.1%

Dallas Love Field

2.7%

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11 of 402

0.9%

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Orlando

2.7%

27 of 1,001

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0.2%

Miami

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2.7%

23 of 839

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0.1%

Honolulu

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2.5%

10 of 400

0.3%

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Las Vegas Reid

2.5%

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29 of 1,138

0.3%

Chicago Midway

2.5%

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10 of 405

0.3%

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Portland (Ore.)

2.3%

10 of 438

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0.5%

Seattle-Tacoma

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2.3%

24 of 1,033

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0.5%

Anchorage

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1%

2 of 201

1.3%

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Teterboro

0%

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0 of 8

No data

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Note: Cancellations at airports include flights that were planned departures or arrivals. Sources: Cirium (Nov. 2025) and Federal Aviation Administration (Nov. 2024). The New York Times

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