European markets are set to open mixed on Wednesday morning, as elevated concerns of a tit-for-tat trade war between the world's biggest economies overshadowed a bounce on Wall Street.
The FTSE 100 is seen 13 points lower at 7,022; while the CAC 40 is set to open 1 point higher at 5,155 and the DAX is expected to start up around 14 points at 12,026, according to IG.
Late on Tuesday, President Donald Trump revealed plans for a 25 percent tariff on a range of Chinese imports in retaliation for what the U.S. administration alleged had been decades of state-backed intellectual property theft by Beijing. In response, China's commerce ministry immediately said it was preparing to take countermeasures of equal intensity against Washington.
In Asia, Japan's Nikkei edged 0.1 percent higher while South Korea's index eased 0.2 percent as investors remained cautious. Wall Street had rallied in the previous session as investors looked forward to what is expected to be a robust earnings season.
Back in Europe, Johnston Press is poised to report its latest figures on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the euro area is set to publish flash core inflation and unemployment rate data at around 10:00 a.m. London time.
