<h1>Tech earnings, chipmaker warning and new export tariffs drive mixed global markets amid political clash over central bank independence</h1> Global equity markets showed mixed moves as heavyweight technology earnings and geopolitical trade measures influenced investor sentiment. A major chipmaker reported results beating forecasts but warned of slower growth in AI chip sales, prompting after-hours weakness; this company's performance remains a market bellwether. Rising domestic support for semiconductor firms boosted a Chinese chipmaker's valuation. Separately, unresolved preliminary trade negotiations and newly imposed tariffs on a major exporter heightened cross-border commercial risk. Political interference with central bank officials prompted a threatened lawsuit by a Federal Reserve governor against the administration, creating legal and policy uncertainty for markets.