US pre-open: Futures trade higher despite escalating trade tensions
By Iain Gilbert
Date: Wednesday 15 Oct 2025
(Sharecast News) - Wall Street futures were in the green ahead of the bell on Wednesday as the re-escalation of Donald Trump's trade war with China remained in focus.
As of 1200 BST, Dow Jones futures were up 0.40%, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 futures had the indices opening 0.60% and 0.81% firmer, respectively.
The Dow closed 202.88 points higher on Tuesday following a slew of strong earnings from some banking heavyweights, as the focus was firmly fixed on trade tensions and comments from the head of the Federal Reserve.
Trade tensions between Washington and Beijing were still drawing investor attention prior to the open on Wednesday after intensifying late on Tuesday on the back of Donald Trump's threats to impose a cooking oil embargo on China in response to its continued refusal to purchase US soybeans.
The move followed fresh sanctions from Beijing on five US subsidiaries of South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean, announced Monday night, and came days after Trump warned of a potential 100% tariff on Chinese imports - a threat that was issued in retaliation for China's decision to tighten export controls on rare earth minerals.
US trade representative Jamieson Greer said the proposed tariffs could take effect as early as 1 November, depending on China's next move.
In the corporate space, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley were slated to publish their latest quarterly figures before the open, while United Airlines will report after the close.
No major data points were scheduled for release on Wednesday, with the ongoing US Federal government shutdown stretching into its 15th day and prediction market Kalshi suggesting the stalemate could drag on for 35 days, which would match the 2018-19 record held by the previous Trump administration.
"The longer the impasse runs, the stronger the narrative that the US is no longer the bastion of stability it once was, and in an increasingly polarised global environment, investors continue to gravitate toward assets without regional or political bias," noted Rostro's Joshua Mahony.
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com
Email this article to a friend
or share it with one of these popular networks:
You are here: news
10 Lower Thames St,
London EC3R 6EN