Asia-Pacific markets opened mixed on Wednesday, after gains in the U.S. that saw the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average reach new closing records.
The strong performance came after President-elect Donald Trump called for a 25% tariff on products from Mexico and Canada, and an additional 10% levy on Chinese goods.
As of 11:39 am AEDT (12:39 am GMT), the ASX 200 was up 0.6%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 was sitting at 38,323.10, and the South Korean Kospi index was down 0.4% at the open.
In China, Hong Kong, the Shanghai Composite Index eased 0.1%, while the CSI 300 lost 0.2%.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index futures were at 19,172, slightly higher than their last close of 19,159.2.
In India, the BSE SENSEX slipped 0.1% to 80,004.06.
Major European markets retreated, with the FTSE 100 down 0.4%, the DAX slipping 0.6%, and the CAC 40 down 0.9%.