China-US tensions fuel hopes for return of ‘taco’ trade: this time with extra spice



The recent slump in Chinese stocks, triggered by renewed trade tensions between Beijing and Washington, is prompting investors once more to consider the so-called “taco” trade, anticipating a potential repeat of the market pattern where global equities rebounded after an earlier tariff-induced sell-off.

The term “taco” – a tongue-in-cheek acronym for “Trump always chickens out” – refers to the expectation among some investors that US President Donald Trump may eventually back down from his tariff threats, leading to the kind of strong market rebound that came in the wake of April’s tariff-induced sell-off.

This sentiment follows Trump’s recent threat of 100 per cent tariffs on all Chinese imports, which came in response to China’s tightened rare earth export controls.

Despite the threats, Chinese markets appeared largely to hold the line on Monday.

While the Hang Seng Index slumped 1.5 per cent and the CSI 300 Index of Chinese mainland-listed stocks fell by 0.5 per cent, futures linked to major US benchmarks indicated otherwise, with contracts on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 rising more than 1 per cent during Asian trading hours.

This divergence suggests the abrupt sell-offs might be fleeting, potentially offering a re-entry point for those buying the dip.

  • Related Posts

    Carpool: Chinese giants use idled foreign plants to fuel global expansion

    Chinese carmakers, saddled with excess capacity and weak demand at home, are taking a new approach to global expansion: utilising idled facilities abandoned by international marques. By adopting an asset-light…

    Continue reading
    China AI start-up Moonshot snags funds at US$18 billion valuation

    Moonshot AI is seeking to raise as much as US$1 billion in an expanded funding round that would value the start-up at about US$18 billion, more than quadrupling its valuation…

    Continue reading

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *