2025.04.0119:19:00UTC+00Treasuries Show Strong Upward Move Ahead Of Tariff Announcement

After pulling back off their early highs and ending Monday's trading little changed, treasuries showed a strong move back to the upside during trading on Tuesday.

Bond prices moved notably higher early in the session and remained firmly positive throughout the day. Subsequently, the yield on the benchmark ten-year note, which moves opposite of its price, tumbled 9.0 basis points to 4.156 percent.

With the steep drop on the day, the ten-year yield slumped to its lowest closing level since early last December.

Treasuries benefitted from their appeal as a safe haven amid lingering concerns about President Donald Trump's trade policies ahead of the announcement of reciprocal tariffs on Wednesday.

"On Wednesday, it will be Liberation Day in America, as President Trump has so proudly dubbed it," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

"The President will be announcing a tariff plan that will roll back the unfair trade practices that have been ripping off our country for decades," she added. "He's doing this in the best interest of the American worker."

A report from the Washington Post this morning said White House aides have drafted a proposal to impose tariffs of around 20 percent on most imports to the U.S.

However, the Washington Post noted White House advisers cautioned that several options are on the table and no final decision has been made.

Further increasing treasuries' safe haven appeal, a report from the Institute for Supply Management showed activity in the U.S. manufacturing sector contracted in March after two consecutive months of expansion.

The ISM said its manufacturing PMI dipped to 49.0 in March from 50.3 in February, with a reading below 50 indicating contraction. Economists had expected the index to edge down to 49.5.

News about Trump's reciprocal tariffs is likely to be in the spotlight on Wednesday, potentially overshadowing reports on private sector employment and factory orders.