100 Days In: Trump’s ‘Strategic Uncertainty’ on Tariffs Leaves Markets Guessing

Hong Kong’s jewelry industry experienced mixed results in 2024. Known worldwide for its craftsmanship and adaptability, the sector faced varying outcomes across different segments. Fine jewelry, which dominates the industry with 91.6% of exports, declined 8% to HK$80.5 billion after growing 23% in 2023. This downturn included a 7% drop in re-exports and an 11% fall in domestic exports, mainly due to economic slowdowns in mainland China that caused sales to mainland and Macao to decrease by 27% and 28% respectively. On the positive side, imitation jewelry exports grew by 7% to HK$7.4 billion in 2024. However, exports of pearls,

Gold remains on track for further gains despite pulling back from February’s peak of $2,954. Many analysts still believe the precious metal can reach $3,000 per ounce. Financial analyst Jesse Colombo, who predicted the last financial crisis, sees the recent dip as temporary. He attributes it mainly to “the sharp rally in the U.S. dollar rather than any intrinsic weakness in gold itself,” pointing out that gold has performed much better when priced in euros. The key factors that drove gold’s strong February performance remain in place. The Trump administration’s plans to impose tariffs on China, Mexico, Canada, and the

The pound showed mixed performance on Monday—falling against the euro while rising against the US dollar. This movement followed European leaders’ announcement of plans to draft a Ukraine peace plan for the United States. The euro gained 0.10% to reach 82.53 pence, with analysts expecting it to benefit most from any Ukraine peace deal. Germany’s consideration of increased fiscal spending further supported the euro’s position. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a £1.6 billion ($2 billion) deal for Ukraine to purchase 5,000 air-defense missiles using export finance. Despite the pound rising 0.3% against the dollar to $1.2614 and recording its