Asian Shares Slip As Trump’s Tariffs Rattle Markets

Asian stocks mostly fell in Monday trading as concerns grew over President Donald Trump’s tariffs on key U.S. trading partners, Associated Press (AP) reporter Yuri Kageyama wrote.

The Shanghai Composite edged lower but remained little changed at 3,250.60. I Photo: Xinhua

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 dropped 2.4% in early trading to 38,612.96. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 declined 1.8% to 8,376.30.

South Korea’s Kospi plunged 2.9% to 2,443.57. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dipped 1.4% to 19,942.54, while the Shanghai Composite edged lower but remained little changed at 3,250.60.

Analysts warned that Asian markets were bracing for heightened volatility due to the possibility of a trade war escalation.

“The implications of trade restrictions could result in reduced global trade flows, supply chain shifts leading to higher business costs, and rising inflation,” said Yeap Jun Rong, a market strategist at IG.

On Wall Street, stocks closed lower last week, with the S&P 500 falling 0.5% and the Nasdaq Composite declining 0.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.8%, marking the first weekly loss for major indices in three weeks.