Squawk Box Europe Express

Wall Street futures are in the red as U.S.-Europe tensions over the fate of Greenland concern global markets. Prior to leaving for the WEF in Davos, Switzerland, President Trump said only the U.S. can adequately protect the Arctic territory and he threatened to increase tariffs on French wine and champagne after President Macron declined his invitation to the Gaza Board of Peace. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent dismisses ‘unwise’ European retaliatory tariffs while Siemens Energy Chairman Joe Kaeser tells CNBC dialogue between Brussels and the White House must continue.
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President Trump has warned 8 European countries of further tariffs should they block the U.S. from acquiring Greenland by June. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, says European leaders will eventually be convinced the move is beneficial to the collective security of all NATO members. However, EU leaders will hold an emergency summit this week where French President Macron is expected to urge the bloc to launch almost €100bn of retaliatory tariffs and to employ its anti-coercion trade ‘bazooka’ instrument against Washington. China achieves its 5 per cent GDP growth target for 2025 thanks to booming exports but moribund domestic consumption weighs on the data.
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Chicago Federal reserve Chairman Austan Goolsbee says the removal of Fed independence would see inflation “roaring back” and the IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva has pledged her support behind Jerome Powell who is under criminal investigation. However, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick tells CNBC that the Fed has ‘plenty of room’ to prompt further interest rate cuts. European equities hit another record high during Thursday’s session following bumper earnings from Taiwan’s TSMC. The result nudged European chip makers up and helped push the tech subindex to levels last seen at the start of the century. And a U.S. Congressional delegation are in Copenhagen to meet with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to discuss the future of Greenland.
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UK GDP figures for November beat expectations to come in 0.3 per cent higher month-on-month and 1.4 per cent year-on-year. Denmark and EU allies boost their troop presence in Greenland as talks in Washington fail to deliver an agreement. President Trump says the U.S. needs the Arctic territory for its national security. Crude prices fall as U.S.-Iranian tensions ease slightly, however both the U.S. and UK decide to withdraw military personnel from an American-run base in Qatar. And in luxury news, Cartier owner Richemont enjoys a bumper Christmas season, posting an 11 per cent surge in quarterly sales.
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U.S. core inflation data for December dips slightly below forecasts with hopes it may have peaked. President Trump once again lashes out at Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell over interest rate cuts. Crude experiences a volatile session with the prospect of U.S. intervention in Iran protests still on the table after President Trump told protestors on the ground that ‘help was on its way’. And China posts a new record high trade surplus of $1.2tn in 2025 despite U.S. tariffs.
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