World equities tumble, oil slumps 7pc

Wall Street led a global markets bloodbath pm Thursday as countries around the world reeled from President Donald Trump’s trade war, while the White House insisted the US economy will emerge victorious. The Dow Jones dropped more than three per cent and the S&P 500 plummeted more than 4pc. The Nasdaq toppled more than 5pc. Shock waves also tore through markets in Asia and Europe in the wake of Trump’s Wednesday announcement, while foreign leaders signaled readiness to negotiate but also threatened counter-tariffs. Trump slapped 10pc import duties on all nations and far higher levies on imports from dozens of specific countries — including top trade partners China and the European Union.