Trump to implement lenient tariffs starting April 2

President Donald Trump announced that upcoming tariffs, set to take effect on April 2, will likely be less strict than previously expected. He stated he would be “more lenient than reciprocal” to avoid causing hardship to Americans. In an interview with Newsmax, Trump mentioned there would be some exceptions but did not elaborate on what those might be. His comments come as market concerns grow over the potential economic impact of harsher tariffs. Investors are worried that a tough tariff policy could hurt consumer and business confidence. A report from the Conference Board revealed that consumer expectations for business conditions, income, and jobs have reached their lowest point in 12 years. Stock prices have been affected by these tariff discussions. The S&P 500 index has fallen 3% over the past month and briefly entered correction territory, trading more than 10% below its all-time high set in February.