WSJ Tech News Briefing: TNB Tech Minute – Tech Stocks Fall After Trump Threatens New China Tariffs

Date: October 10, 2025
Host: Julie Cheng

Episode Overview

This episode of the WSJ Tech News Briefing delivers a rapid update on the day's major tech headlines, focusing on the fallout in tech stocks after President Trump’s threat of new tariffs and export controls on China. Additional coverage includes news on European investigations into children's online safety on major tech platforms and the UK’s regulatory focus on Google under its new competition law.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S.-China Tensions and Tech Stock Turbulence

• Tariff Threat:
  President Trump threatened to raise tariffs and impose new export controls on China after Beijing announced fresh restrictions on exports of rare earth minerals earlier this week.

• Rare Earth Minerals:
  These minerals are essential for semiconductors, electric vehicles, and various tech hardware.

• Market Impact:

  • U.S. indices fell sharply, with the Nasdaq down more than 2.8% by late afternoon.

  • Amazon shares dropped about 4%, reflecting sensitivity to new tariffs due to its extensive third-party seller ecosystem relying on Chinese manufacturing.

    "Many of the items for sale on Amazon come from third party sellers [who] source their products from Chinese factories."
    — Julie Cheng (00:54)

• European Semiconductor Stocks:
  Significant declines seen in European chipmakers:

  • ASML and ASM International each down over 2%
  • STMicroelectronics, which supplies companies like Tesla and Apple, fell almost 4.5%

2. European Union Probes Children's Online Safety on Major Platforms

• The European Commission is investigating YouTube, Apple, and Snapchat regarding compliance with the bloc’s content moderation laws, particularly around:

  • Age verification technology

  • Efforts to prevent minors from accessing harmful material

    "The European Union is examining children's online safety efforts by YouTube, Apple and Snapchat under the bloc's content moderation law."
    — Julie Cheng (01:25)

• Company Responses:

  • Google: States it has worked with experts to create age-appropriate experiences for YouTube.
  • Snapchat: Will cooperate with the EU’s request for information.
  • Apple: Did not immediately respond to the commission’s request.

3. UK Targets Google Under New Competition Law

• The UK’s competition authority has identified Google as a key company under scrutiny due to its “dominant search and advertising business.”
• Regulatory Impact:

  • Google must adhere to a specialized set of regulations for its platforms in the UK.

  • Notably, the company’s Gemini AI chat assistant isn’t affected; however, AI-powered search features (like AI Overviews) will need to comply with new oversight.

    "Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence chat assistant won’t be affected, but the company’s other AI-based search features like AI Overviews will be."
    — Julie Cheng (02:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On U.S.-China Tech Tensions:

  "President Trump today threatened to raise tariffs and impose export controls on China after Beijing announced new restrictions on exports of rare earth minerals this week."
  — Julie Cheng (00:22)

• On Market Impact:

  "U.S. stocks fell sharply in response to the threat of new tariffs, with the Nasdaq falling more than 2.8% by late afternoon."
  — Julie Cheng (00:37)

• On EU Safety Investigations:

  "The European Commission has asked for information on the company’s age verification systems and on how they prevent minors from seeing harmful material."
  — Julie Cheng (01:32)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:18 – Episode introduction and lead story: Trump threatens new China tariffs
• 00:37 – Rare earths, semiconductor supply chain, and market reactions
• 01:18 – Amazon’s exposure to tariffs and effect on stock
• 01:25 – European probe into child safety on major tech platforms
• 02:00 – UK’s regulatory spotlight on Google and AI search features

Tone & Style

Julie Cheng delivers the briefing in a concise and objective manner, focusing on essential facts and clear reporting without editorializing—a hallmark of the WSJ Tech News Briefing’s style.

End of Summary