European stocks languished on Wednesday with investors “jittery” ahead of Donald Trump’s tariff announcements, which have sent markets into a spin over recent weeks. The prospect of further or higher tariffs, beyond those already announced, has raised fears about the consequences of an escalating global trade war. Mr Trump is due to outline his plans at the White House on Wednesday evening. In London, the FTSE 100 weakened with housebuilders among the day’s biggest fallers. The blue-chip index closed 26.32 points lower, or 0.3%, at 8,608.48 on Wednesday. It was a weaker session for Germany’s Dax, which closed 0.73% lower. In France, earlier losses for the Cac 40 eased by late afternoon, but the index still closed down 0.22%. Meanwhile, it was a tentative start to trading in the US. By the time European markets closed, the S&P 500 was up 0.2%, and the Dow Jones was 0.15% higher. Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets for Hargreaves Lansdown, said there was a “jittery sentiment” in the financial markets on Wednesday. She said: “Nervousness about incoming wave of US tariffs has kept the FTSE 100 in the red, as investors assess the UK vulnerability and the knock-on effects for the global economy. “The S&P 500 also opened on the back foot but has clawed back some ground. “There won’t be quick retaliation from the UK, with the Prime Minister Keir Starmer underlining his determination to take a pragmatic approach, but this will leave sectors like car manufacturing exposed to the ratcheting up of duties. “The threat of an escalation of tariffs looms large, with the EU preparing to respond, and there are renewed fears about the impact on global growth. “It’s not surprising, given that uncertainty is so high, that gold is hovering at record levels. “The gold rush has been sustained as investors have sought safer havens for their money amid worries that ‘liberation day’ will lead to a more severe trade war.” The US dollar was weakening on Wednesday as worries about the impact of tariff plans dampened sentiment toward the currency. The pound was up about 0.4% against the dollar, at 1.297. Sterling was down 0.3% against the euro, at 1.194. In company news, shares in Topps Tiles dropped despite the retailer revealing its sales rose 4% to £128 million over the past six months. The company said that trading was slower in January but progressively improved and resulted in a strong March – although shoppers remained cautious about spending on major DIY projects. Shares in Topps Tiles closed 6.8% lower. Elsewhere, shares in Brighton Pier plummeted with a sell-off sparked by the leisure group announcing plans to delist from the London market and return to private hands. The owner of the 126-year-old Brighton Palace Pier, as well as bars and mini-golf venues, said it is planning to leave the junior Aim market following a “careful review of the benefits and drawbacks” of its stock market listing. Shares in the group dropped 60.6% at close. The biggest risers on the FTSE 100 were Bunzl, up 94p to 3,034p, WPP, up 16.8p to 577p, Marks & Spencer, up 8.6p to 365.1p, JD Sports, up 1.54p to 70.94p, and AB Foods, up 33p to 1,960p. The biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 were Rolls-Royce, down 23.6p to 755.8p, Vodafone, down 1.82p to 70.38p, GSK, down 35.5p to 1,433.5p, Persimmon, down 28p to 1,180.5p, and British American Tobacco, down 71p to 3,120p.