Optical fiber tariffs and Google’s court victory - Sep 3, 2025

As of September 3, today’s news is dominated by significant developments in the optical fiber and tech sectors. China has announced new anti-dumping duties of 37.9% on specific optical fibers imported from the U.S., including Corning. Meanwhile, Google avoided harsh antitrust penalties for its conduct in the U.S. search market, with a judge barring the company from entering into exclusive deals but rejecting a forced spinoff of its Chrome browser and other sweeping remedies sought by the Justice Department. This decision cleared a significant regulatory hurdle for Google, resulting in an approximately 8% surge in Alphabet's shares and boosting market sentiment for tech stocks across Europe. On the financial side, copper prices have reached a five-month high, driven by expectations of an impending U.S. interest rate cut and a weaker dollar, although uncertainty stemming from U.S. import tariffs continues to affect sentiments. China's net imports of refined copper have dropped to a one-year low, a situation exacerbated by conflicts over tariffs, as the country shifts its supply dynamics to address the competition with the U.S. Furthermore, Invexans has announced its intention to sell 5% of its stake at Nexans through an accelerated bookbuilding offering, according to a filing. NKT awarded the power cable connection between Bornholm Energy Island and Zealand in Denmark, with contract valued at 650 million euros for offshore and onshore routes. Looking at the broader international scenario, tensions continue to escalate with Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent military parade, showcasing China's military capabilities alongside global leaders such as Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un. This event underscores the geopolitical complexities that could have ramifications for economic relations and trade policies moving forward.