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The pan-European Stoxx 600 was 0.25% lower, with different sectors taking different directions. Core resources were the weakest sector because of persistent trade concerns.
Addressing the Wall Street Journal, President Donald Trump said it was "highly unlikely" that the US would delay 25% of the increase in tariffs on Chinese products to $ 200 billion. . He then suggested that 10% tariffs on laptops and iPhones imported from China could be taxed.
As a result, the actions of Apple suppliers were under pressure.
In addition, travel and leisure stocks fell nearly 1% as a result of a profit warning from Thomas Cook. The airline suspended the payment of dividends and issued its second profit warning in two months. Shares were close to a six-year low according to Reuters.
Various European banks were also below the dividing line, after various rating downgrades by Morgan Stanley. Metro Bank fell 3.3%; BBVA fell by 2.7% in the first transactions.
Elsewhere, discussions around the UK's departure from the European Union continue to boom. Over the weekend, EU leaders endorsed the Brexit withdrawal agreement signed by British Prime Minister Theresa May, but there are still obstacles to overcome for the month of May. The British leader is now facing opposition from the politicians of her country, the Parliament having to decide on the agreement in the two weeks of December 11.
At the same time, the Italian government is seen as meeting its key fiscal targets for 2019, pending a cost analysis of spending measures, according to Reuters. This comes after the news agency announced that the deficit target could be reduced, citing two government sources.
