Asia-Pacific markets mostly rose on Friday despite a plunge in all three benchmarks in the U.S. over the previous session amid concern about President Donald Trump’s tariff plans.
Mainland China’s CSI 300 reversed its losses on Thursday to trade 2.4% higher at 11:47 a.m. Singapore time, leading gains in Asia. The increase was led by stocks in the healthcare, consumer cyclicals and non-cyclicals sectors.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.39%, also reversing course from losses in the previous session. In Japan, the benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.35% while the broader Topix index gained 0.40%.
South Korea’s Kospi index traded flat while the small-cap Kosdaq advanced 1.82%.
It comes after another escalation in the developing trade war, with Trump threatening to enact 200% tariffs on all alcoholic products coming from the European Union in retaliation for the bloc’s 50% tariff on whiskey. – CNBC
