The main events by the morning: February 5

• The European Union is preparing a response to Trump's tariffs, which could affect Silicon Valley. The article considers the use of the «Brussels bazooka», an anti-coercion tool aimed at the US service sector, including large technology companies. This tool, developed during Trump's first term and later used against China, will allow restrictions on trade in services to be imposed in response to political pressure through tariffs.

• «Trade wars» will change the geography of LNG supplies and lead to higher prices. China has imposed an additional 15% tax on American LNG. Because of this, Chinese companies with long-term contracts want to resell gas from the United States. It is known that the Chinese are already negotiating with countries from Asia and Europe to exchange suppliers. In the future, this may lead to a global rise in gas prices.

• Wheat prices have reached their highest in three months. This happened against the background of China's cautious stance towards US tariffs and expectations of negotiations between the leaders of the two largest economies. The escalation of trade tensions has alarmed markets, but China's response is perceived as balanced. Beijing's restrained reaction and neutral publications indicate a desire for dialogue.

• The EU is considering the possibility of imposing duties on batteries from China. Europe is 7-10 years behind China in the field of electric vehicles. To bridge the gap, it is proposed to invest 20 billion euros in a 10 GW gigafactory and impose duties of up to 50% on Chinese battery imports. It is also recommended to use the experience of the United States, where incentives have attracted $250 billion in clean energy. The total cost is estimated at 100 billion euros.

• The price of gold continues to rise, reaching new historical highs due to increased investor interest. April futures added $11.19 (+0.39%), reaching $2,886.99 per ounce, having previously updated the record to $2,887.89. At the same time, March silver futures fell 0.24% to $32,943 per ounce.