Market Reactions Across the Asia-Pacific Region

Following the announcement of new tariffs by United States President Donald Trump, which impose a 25% duty on steel and aluminum imports, the Asia-Pacific stock markets showed mixed responses. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 saw a modest increase of 0.08% by 3:27 am CET, while South Korea's Kospi Composite experienced a 0.60% rise shortly after.

Declines in Hong Kong and Mainland China

Contrastingly, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index dropped by 0.34% by 3:29 am CET. The mainland Chinese markets also faced downturns, with the Shanghai Composite and the Shenzhen Composite decreasing by 0.21% and 0.64%, respectively. Meanwhile, Japan's markets remained closed for a holiday, sparing them from immediate impacts.

Currency Movements

In currency markets, the dollar remained stable against the yen, trading at ¥151.9390 by 3:30 am CET, indicating a cautious approach by investors amidst the new tariff developments.