Trade Negotiations

US stocks experienced a volatile day, closing mixed. Initial optimism about potential US-China trade de-escalation faded after Trump threatened action on cooking oil. Powell hinted at a possible end to Fed tightening. Major bank earnings exceeded expectations. Oracle will use AMD’s AI chips, diversifying from Nvidia. Trump is credited for brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

China has reportedly expanded restrictions on Nvidia chips, impacting the RTX Pro 6000D AI chip in addition to the H20 GPU. This move signals growing confidence in China’s domestic semiconductor industry and a potential negotiation tactic with the U.S. Huawei is emerging as a domestic force with its Ascend chips. Experts view these actions as a strategic attempt to gain leverage in trade negotiations, influencing U.S. policy on export controls. The U.S. may re-evaluate its approach balancing security concerns with economic interests.