This was C온라인카지노사이트's live blog covering European markets.

European stocks saw a positive session on Friday, after the and as investors looked ahead to U.S.-China trade negotiations set to begin this weekend.

The pan-European index provisionally closed 0.36% higher. The U.K.'s gained 0.27%, while Germany's added 0.59% to finish at a record high of 23,489.4 points.

Key posts

• Trump says 80% tariff on China "seems right" | view post
• German stocks touch record high | view post
• Commerzbank profit jumps to highest level since 2011 | view post
• China's April exports jump 8.1% to beat estimates despite U.S. tariffs | view post

On Thursday, most major European indexes closed higher. However, the U.K.'s bucked the trend to tumble 0.32% after snapping its record winning streak on Wednesday.

Over the coming weekend, U.S. Treasury Secretary  and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are set to in Switzerland for talks on economic and trade issues. Bessent previously said the meeting was about "de-escalation, not ... the big trade deal."

China and the U.S. are currently embroiled in a trade war, after they on each other.

President Donald Trump endorsed cutting the tariff rate on China before weekend talks, but still leaving it a pretty severe level.

Asia-Pacific markets were mixed Friday as investors parsed China's April trade data. Chinese even as businesses bore the brunt of U.S. tariffs that kicked into higher gear last month, while imports narrowed declines as Beijing stepped up stimulus.

On Wall Street, in early deals after President Donald Trump suggested many trade deals are near.

Watch C온라인카지노사이트’s full interview with German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche

Germany's Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Katherina Reiche discusses the country's new government, regulation and the health of the economy.

Fed's Barr warns tariffs will push inflation higher

Fed Governor Michael Barr warned that Trump's tariffs on imports will likely lead to higher prices and lower growth later in the year.

"The size and scope of the recent tariff increases are without modern precedent, we don't know their final form, and it is too soon to know how they will affect the economy," .

"In my view, higher tariffs could lead to disruption to global supply chains and create persistent upward pressure on inflation," he said. "I am equally concerned that tariffs will lead to higher unemployment as the economy slows."

— Fred Imbert

Trump says 80% tariff on China "seems right"

President Donald Trump wrote in a Truth Social post early Friday morning that "80% Tariff on China seems right! Up to Scott B." Trump's post comes ahead of an scheduled to take place between Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer with their Chinese counterparts in Switzerland this weekend to talk trade and economic matters.

Trump has ratcheted up tariffs on China to 145%, despite lowering levies on most other countries since his early April tariff announcements. China has also retaliated by implementing steep tariffs on the U.S.

"CHINA SHOULD OPEN UP ITS MARKET TO USA — WOULD BE SO GOOD FOR THEM!!! CLOSED MARKETS DON'T WORK ANYMORE!!!" Trump wrote in a separate Friday morning Truth Social post.

— Pia Singh

German stocks touch record high

Germany's index touched a record high during Friday morning deals, surpassing its previous all-time high before cooling off slightly to trade around 0.45% higher by 10:04 a.m. London time.

The index, home to the biggest German-listed companies, has gained more than 17% since the start of the year.

Friday also saw a boost for Germany's MDAX index, which houses Frankfurt-listed mid-cap stocks. The MDAX had gained 0.2% by mid-morning in Europe.

German stocks seeing the biggest gains included , up 3%, , up 1.8%, and , which added 1.6%.

— Chloe Taylor

U.S. puts Britain ‘in the friend zone’ with trade deal: AJ Bell

In a note to clients on Friday morning, Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said European investors were "belatedly celebrating" the trade deal between the U.K. and the U.S.

"Yesterday's UK-US trade deal happened just before the UK market closed which meant quite a few investors won't have had time to soak it all in and adjust portfolios accordingly," he said. "The FTSE 100 shrugged off the event in the heat of the moment, but advanced … in early trading on Friday."

London's FTSE 100 index was 0.4% higher during morning trade on Friday.

"Notably, the FTSE 100 top risers' list was full of UK-listed stocks that do business in the US, such as retailer JD Sports, rat catcher Rentokil and industrial groups Smiths and Spirax," Mould added.

"The trade deal was smaller than expected but strategically significant as it puts the UK in the friend zone for the US, a status whose importance shouldn't be underestimated."

— Chloe Taylor

Commerzbank earnings beat expectations as profit jumps to highest level since 2011

German lender Commerzbank Friday that its first-quarter net profit rose by 12% year on year to 834 million euros ($937 million).

Analysts had been expecting a net result of 738.5 million euros, according to LSEG data.

Commerzbank said the three months to March saw the bank's highest quarterly profit since 2011.

Revenues for the three-month period also rose by 12% from the previous year to reach 3.1 billion euros — above the 2.96 billion euros expected by markets.

Commerzbank confirmed its full-year guidance, saying it continued to aim for net profit of 2.8 billion euros in 2025, which it said was expected to fall to 2.4 billion euros after restructuring expenses.

— Chloe Taylor

China’s April exports jump 8.1% to beat estimates despite U.S. tariffs; import decline slows

China's exports surged in April even as businesses bore the brunt of U.S. tariffs that kicked into higher gear last month, while imports narrowed declines as Beijing stepped up stimulus.

Exports jumped 8.1% last month in U.S. dollar terms from a year earlier, according to data released by customs authority Friday, sharply beating with Reuters' poll estimates of a 1.9% rise.

Imports slumped by 0.2% in April from a year earlier, compared with the economists' expectations of a 5.9% drop.

Read the full story .

—Anniek Bao