News blog

Just as the tariff turmoil seemed to be easing, US President Donald Trump made headlines again. Last Friday, he announced plans to impose a 50% tariff on imports from the EU starting June 1. Trump claimed these higher tariffs are necessary to ramp up negotiations, as the trade talks are ‘going nowhere.’ On his social media platform, Truth Social, he accused the EU of being 'very difficult to deal with.' European markets declined, ending five weeks of gains. 

Last week, US President Donald Trump threatened Europe with a 50% tariff hike starting June 1st. In an unexpected twist, after speaking with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Trump delayed the potential tariff increase to 9 July. Despite the uncertainty created by the trade war and sudden tariff announcements, the impact on US Treasuries was minimal. 

Financial markets were extremely volatile in April. First, US tariffs announcement pushed markets lower. When US President Donald Trump backpedalled, equity markets recovered with force and now above ‘Liberation Day’ levels. Although we do not expect a recession, we do expect that the ongoing uncertainty will cause volatility to remain elevated. Therefore, we are using the rebound in financial markets to take some risk off the table.  

In Belgium, ABN AMRO Private Banking will enter a new chapter and adopt the name ABN AMRO MeesPierson. By doing so, the private bank not only aligns the private banking business of its Belgian branch with the strong brand in the Netherlands, but also confirms its increased focus on Belgian entrepreneurs. With this repositioning, ABN AMRO underlines its long-term vision on private banking and profiles itself no longer solely as an asset manager, but as a committed advisory partner at every pivotal stage in the lives of high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial families.

After years of devoting yourself to your business, there comes the moment when you step back. How can you handle this process efficiently and effectively? Kris Dewinter, Head of Corporate Finance Belgium, and Dieter Verbeek, Executive Director Wealth Management Flanders, share their insights for a successful business handover. Whether you wish to keep your business in the family, or are thinking about external investors, Kris and Dieter emphasise why timely preparation and clear agreements are essential during this complex process.

A new era is approaching with the return of Donald Trump to the White House. We are mildly optimistic about the outlook for the economy, anticipating moderate growth in Europe and the US in 2025. Would you like to know more? In this video, our Chief Investment Officer Erik Joly summarises our investment strategy for 2025 in a few minutes. In addition, you can also click through to our Investment Outlook 2025 to read the in-depth articles.