Asia-Pacific markets were mixed on Wednesday, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 leading regional gains after United States President Donald Trump confirmed a “massive Deal” with Japan that set reciprocal tariffs of 15% on Japanese exports to the U.S.
By 11:30 am AEST (1:30 am GMT), Japan’s Nikkei 225 had surged 2.5%, buoyed by a sharp rally in automotive stocks.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was up 0.3%, while South Korea’s Kospi 200 edged 0.2% lower.
Japanese carmakers rallied following the news, with Honda jumping 8.7%, Toyota surging 11.7%, Nissan climbing 8.9%, Mazda Motor advancing 17%, and Mitsubishi Motors popped 12.4%.
South Korean carmakers also benefited from positive sentiment. Hyundai rose 6.5%, while Kia climbed 7.2%.
The regional moves came after a mixed session on Wall Street. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.4%, while the S&P 500 added 0.1% to close at another all-time high. In contrast, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite declined 0.4%.
In commodities, Brent crude fell 0.9% to US$68.59 per barrel, while spot gold rose 1% to a multi-month high of US$3,431.56 per ounce as demand for safe-haven assets increased.
Chinese equities extended recent gains. The Shanghai Composite added 0.6% to reach a nine-month high of 3,581.9, and the CSI 300 rose 0.8% to 4,119.0.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index advanced 0.5%, continuing its climb into record territory to close at 25,130.0. India’s BSE Sensex was little changed, hovering at 82,186.8.
In Europe overnight, markets were mixed. The UK’s FTSE 100 edged up 0.1% to a fresh record of 9,023.8. However, Germany’s DAX fell 1.1% to 24,041.9 and France’s CAC 40 slipped 0.7% to 7,744.4.
