{"id":58946,"date":"2026-02-23T01:38:34","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T05:38:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/u-s-to-suspend-emergency-trade-duties-as-tech-and-ai-infrastructure-moves-take-center-stage\/58946\/"},"modified":"2026-02-23T01:38:34","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T05:38:34","slug":"u-s-to-suspend-emergency-trade-duties-as-tech-and-ai-infrastructure-moves-take-center-stage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/u-s-to-suspend-emergency-trade-duties-as-tech-and-ai-infrastructure-moves-take-center-stage\/58946\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. to Suspend Emergency Trade Duties as Tech and AI Infrastructure Moves Take Center Stage"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>U.S. Customs to stop collecting IEEPA duties<\/strong> at 12:01 a.m. EST on Feb. 24, following a landmark Supreme Court ruling that invalidated the President&#39;s authority to impose tariffs under the Emergency Economic Powers Act.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Jefferies slashed its price target for Intuit (<a href=\"\/stock\/INTU\">INTU<\/a>)<\/strong> from $850 to $650, joining a wave of analysts resetting expectations for the software giant amid fears of AI-driven disruption.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cisco (<a href=\"\/stock\/CSCO\">CSCO<\/a>) and NVIDIA (<a href=\"\/stock\/NVDA\">NVDA<\/a>)<\/strong> partnered with Sharon AI (<a href=\"\/stock\/SHAZ\">SHAZ<\/a>) to launch Australia\u2019s first <strong>Secure AI Factory<\/strong>, featuring a massive cluster of 1,024 Blackwell Ultra GPUs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>South Korea\u2019s KOSPI index<\/strong> experienced a sharp reversal, turning lower after surging 2.12% in early trade, signaling a potential cooling of the record-breaking rally seen earlier this month.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Berenberg analysts issued mixed healthcare updates<\/strong>, lifting the price target for Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (<a href=\"\/stock\/SOBI\">SOBI<\/a>) while cutting the target for Chemometec (<a href=\"\/stock\/CHEMM\">CHEMM<\/a>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>U.S. Trade Policy: Suspension of Emergency Duties<\/h2>\n<p>The U.S. Customs agency has announced it will <strong>stop collecting duties<\/strong> under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) effective <strong>12:01 a.m. EST on February 24, 2026<\/strong>. This move follows a <strong>6-3 Supreme Court ruling<\/strong> which held that the IEEPA does not grant the executive branch the power to impose tariffs, a right reserved for Congress.<\/p>\n<p>While the IEEPA duties are being suspended, the administration is expected to pivot to <strong>Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974<\/strong> to implement a replacement <strong>10% to 15% global import surcharge<\/strong>. This transition creates a brief &quot;on the water&quot; exception for goods in transit, but market participants remain wary of the <em>long-term implications of this shift in statutory authority<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h2>AI Infrastructure: Australia\u2019s First Secure AI Factory<\/h2>\n<p>Cisco (<a href=\"\/stock\/CSCO\">CSCO<\/a>) and Sharon AI (<a href=\"\/stock\/SHAZ\">SHAZ<\/a>) have officially launched Australia\u2019s first <strong>Cisco Secure AI Factory<\/strong> in partnership with NVIDIA (<a href=\"\/stock\/NVDA\">NVDA<\/a>). The facility is powered by <strong>1,024 NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra GPUs<\/strong> and utilizes Cisco\u2019s UCS servers and Nexus Hyperfabric technology.<\/p>\n<p>The initiative is designed to provide <strong>sovereign AI capabilities<\/strong>, ensuring that all data processing remains within Australia to meet strict security and compliance standards. This partnership aims to accelerate <strong>enterprise AI adoption<\/strong> across the Asia-Pacific region, supporting Australia\u2019s National AI Plan for responsible and scalable innovation.<\/p>\n<h2>Equity Markets: Analyst Revisions and KOSPI Volatility<\/h2>\n<p>In the software sector, <strong>Jefferies lowered its price target for Intuit (<a href=\"\/stock\/INTU\">INTU<\/a>)<\/strong> to $650 from $850, maintaining a Buy rating despite the $200 cut. The adjustment reflects a broader market re-rating of software stocks as investors weigh the <em>risks of AI disrupting traditional business models<\/em> in tax and accounting.<\/p>\n<p>Global markets showed mixed signals as the <strong>KOSPI turned lower<\/strong> on Monday after an initial 2.12% jump. The reversal follows a period of &quot;decoupling&quot; where South Korean stocks hit record highs despite U.S. tech struggles. Meanwhile, in Europe, <strong>Berenberg lifted its target for Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (<a href=\"\/stock\/SOBI\">SOBI<\/a>)<\/strong> to SEK 500 while <strong>cutting Chemometec (<a href=\"\/stock\/CHEMM\">CHEMM<\/a>)<\/strong> to DKK 900, citing shifting growth dynamics in the cell and gene therapy markets.<\/p>\n<h2>Regional Stability and Environmental Alerts<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Tom Barrack<\/strong>, the U.S. Special Envoy handling the Iraqi file, emphasized that an <strong>effective Iraqi leadership<\/strong> aligned with stability-advancing policies is essential for regional security. His comments come as Washington presses Baghdad to curb the influence of armed groups and accelerate government formation to ensure <strong>long-term economic recovery<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In the fixed-income market, <strong>Indonesia reported that bond demand has eased<\/strong>, with recent auctions seeing the lowest bid-to-cover ratios in months. Despite the decline, officials stated that demand remains <strong>adequate to meet the country&#39;s financing needs<\/strong> for the 2026 fiscal year.<\/p>\n<p>On the environmental front, the <strong>USGS reported a 6.3-magnitude earthquake<\/strong> in the Nikolski region of Alaska. The quake occurred at a very shallow depth of 0.6 miles; however, due to the remote location, no immediate reports of significant damage or casualties have been issued.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways U.S. Customs to stop collecting IEEPA duties at 12:01 a.m. EST on Feb. 24, following a landmark Supreme 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