Investing.com -- European luxury stocks fell sharply on Friday after China announced a 34% tariff on all imports from the U.S. starting April 10, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
In a retaliation against the new U.S. tariffs, today’s move fulfills China’s promise to strike back after President Donald Trump imposed duties.
In response, European luxury stocks hit their lowest level since November 2022. Among the major losers are Pandora (OTC:PNDRY) A/S (CSE:PNDORA) with a 6.1% drop, Swatch Group AG (SIX:UHR) with a 6% fall, Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA (SIX:CFR) with a 4.4% drop, Burberry Group PLC (LON:BRBY) down by 5.8%, and Moncler with a 3.7% decline. Watches Of Switzerland Group PLC (LON:WOSG) dropped 5.1% while Hugo Boss AG NA O.N. (ETR:BOSSn) sank 5.6%.
Similarly, Kering SA (EPA:PRTP) stock witnessed a 2.7% drop while the luxury behemoth LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (EPA:LVMH) fell 1.6%.
China’s decision to impose tariffs came after Trump declared what he referred to as reciprocal tariffs on global trade partners. Prior to this, luxury stocks were already under minor pressure.
Bank of America analysts suggested that the industry might need to raise prices by 6-11% to cover the U.S. levies, even though such a move could potentially affect volumes.
Accordingly, the entire sector’s growth from 2019 to 2024 came from price and mix, and this lever of growth has been exhausted. For volumes to recover, the industry would need to see more innovation and newness or a better macroeconomic environment, analysts said.
The United States is a crucial market for the luxury sector, with over 40% of incremental growth derived from the region. Watches of Switzerland and Pandora are most exposed to the US, while Moncler and Hugo Boss are the least.