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Asian stocks fell on Thursday, dragged down by renewed trade tensions after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 25% auto tariff set to take effect on April 2. The move sparked fears of escalating trade conflicts, especially with additional tariffs expected to follow.
Japan and South Korea led regional losses, hit hard by declines in automakers and tech stocks. Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropped 1.1%, while South Korea’s KOSPI shed 1%. Major automakers such as Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Hyundai fell between 2.6% and 3.8%, despite Hyundai’s recent $21 billion investment in U.S. operations.
Technology and chipmaking stocks mirrored losses on Wall Street as concerns mounted over a potential oversupply in AI data infrastructure. Shares of major suppliers like TSMC, Hon Hai, and SK Hynix slipped up to 2.4%. Japan’s Advantest plunged nearly 7%. These losses followed reports that Microsoft canceled several data center leases, raising fears of weakened AI-driven demand.
In contrast, Chinese stocks remained relatively stable. The Shanghai Composite and CSI 300 posted slight gains, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 0.3%, lifted by local tech optimism. Recent AI advancements from Tencent, Baidu, and DeepSeek boosted sentiment in China, helping decouple Hong Kong tech from global headwinds.
Elsewhere in Asia, Australia’s ASX 200 fell 0.5% amid concerns over commodity tariffs, while Singapore’s Straits Times Index rose 0.5% to a record high as investors shifted to financials. Indian markets looked to open flat after recent gains stalled.
Overall, markets remain cautious ahead of April 2, when further clarity on U.S. tariffs is expected. Investors are also eyeing upcoming economic data and stimulus signals from Beijing.
