Impact of US Tariffs on Asian Markets

On Thursday, Asia-Pacific markets experienced a mostly downward trend as investors evaluated the implications of US-imposed tariffs on imports from Europe, Mexico, and Canada. Notably, tariffs on EU goods are set at a 25% rate, while those on Mexico and Canada, initially scheduled for earlier dates, have been postponed to April 2.

Nvidia's Earnings Report Influences Market Sentiment

Simultaneously, the markets were reacting to Nvidia's impressive earnings report, which highlighted a 78% annual revenue increase to $39.3 billion in the fourth quarter, exceeding expectations.

Market Movements Across Asia

Japan's Nikkei 225 saw a modest increase of 0.27% at 7:16 am CET. Conversely, South Korea's Kospi dropped by 0.87%, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng decreased by 0.10%. In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite and Shenzhen Composite traded 0.12% and 0.72% lower, respectively. Meanwhile, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 closed with a 0.33% increase.

The dollar also saw a slight gain of 0.19% against the Japanese yen at 7:15 am CET, trading at 149.3100.