Asia-Pacific Markets Face Downturn

As the clock ticked early Friday morning, Asia-Pacific markets were predominantly trading lower. The shadow of uncertainty cast by United States President Donald Trump's trade war policies loomed large, affecting investor sentiment across the region.

Key Market Movements

South Korea's Kospi experienced a significant drop, falling by 1.57% by 3:53 am CET. Not far behind, Hong Kong's Hang Seng decreased by 0.57% at 03:54 am CET. However, it was Japan's Nikkei 225 that stole the spotlight with a dramatic 4.55% plunge at 3:55 am CET. Mainland China's markets, the Shanghai Composite and the Shenzhen Composite, remained relatively stable, trading flat at 3:56 am CET. Meanwhile, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 wasn't spared, lowering by 1.53% at 3:58 am CET.

Currency Fluctuations

The dollar also felt the pressure, trading 0.63% lower against the yen at 3:59 am CET, with a selling price of 143.53600.