Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed on Wednesday as investors digested weaker-than-expected United States economic data and fresh tariff threats from President Donald Trump, following a downbeat session on Wall Street.
By 11:30 am AEST (1:30 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.4%, notching new record highs, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.2%. In contrast, South Korea’s Kospi 200 slipped 0.3%.
The cautious mood came after President Trump signalled fresh import tariffs on semiconductors during a wide-ranging interview with CNBC’s Squawk Box.
“We’re going to be announcing on semiconductors and chips, which is a separate category, because we want them made in the United States,” Trump said, adding that the new measures would be unveiled “within the next week or so”.
On Wall Street overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.1%, the S&P 500 declined 0.5%, and the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.7% as fresh data from the Institute for Supply Management indicated a tariff-induced slowdown in the services sector.
In commodities, Brent crude dropped 1.6%, extending losses to one-week lows of US$67.64 per barrel, while spot gold rose 0.2% to reach one-week highs at US$3,380.96 per ounce.
Mainland Chinese equities closed higher, with the Shanghai Composite up 1% at 3,617.6 and the CSI 300 rising 0.8% to 4,103.5.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 0.7% to close at 24,902.5, while India’s BSE Sensex slipped 0.4% to 80,710.3.
In Europe, markets also ended the day mixed. The FTSE 100 edged up 0.2% to a fresh record close at 9,142.7, the DAX in Germany rose 0.4% to 23,846.1, and France’s CAC 40 dipped 0.1% to 7,621.0.
