US equity-index futures edged down along with the dollar after President Donald Trump dialed-up trade tensions once again with a 50% tariff on copper and issued a new round of letters imposing higher levies on countries.
Contracts for the S&P 500 index fell 0.2% and a gauge of the dollar dipped by 0.1% Thursday. Asian shares were flat. Bitcoin held near a record high it hit on Wednesday.
Earlier, Brazilian assets plunged after Trump announced new tariff letters, including imposing 50% levy on goods from the country.
Meanwhile, an auction of 20-year government notes in Japan drew a demand ratio that was lower than its 12-month average of 3.29.
Copper prices moved higher after Trump said the US would begin levying a 50% tariff on copper imports from Aug. 1, confirming a move, which will hurt producers who rely on the industrial material. Copper futures on the London Metal Exchange — the global benchmark — gained 0.4% to $9,664.50 a ton, while contracts on Comex rose almost 3%.
