Markets Digest 25% Foreign Auto Tariffs as Treasury Yields Climb

U.S. Treasury yields moved higher on Thursday with the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield increasing more than three basis points to 4.371% and the 2-year yield rising slightly to 4.012%.

Investors are processing President Trump’s announcement of new 25% tariffs on all foreign-manufactured automobiles, though cars with U.S.-made parts will be exempt. These tariffs add to growing concerns about potential economic impacts amid signs of weakness in the U.S. economy, including consumer confidence hitting a 12-year low.

However, the latest unemployment data offered some reassurance, with initial jobless claims at 224,000 for the week ending March 22 (down 1,000 from the previous week and close to estimates), while continuing claims also decreased slightly. Market attention is now turning to Friday’s release of the Personal Consumption Expenditures index, which is the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation indicator.