Japan’s Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Exports Hit Record High in 2025 Despite Tariffs 
Taiwan Urges Stronger Trade Ties With Fellow Democracies, Rejects Economic Dependence on China 
India Budget 2025 Highlights Manufacturing Push but Falls Short of Market Expectations 
South Korea Factory Activity Hits 18-Month High as Export Demand Surges 
JPMorgan Lifts Gold Price Forecast to $6,300 by End-2026 on Strong Central Bank and Investor Demand 
Trump Announces U.S.–India Trade Deal Cutting Tariffs, Boosting Markets and Energy Ties 
Starmer’s China Visit Highlights Western Balancing Act Amid U.S.-China Rivalry 
Dollar Holds Firm as Strong U.S. Data, Fed Expectations and Global Central Bank Moves Shape Markets 
Japan Finance Minister Defends PM Takaichi’s Remarks on Weak Yen Benefits 
Oil Prices Slide Nearly 3% as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Geopolitical Tensions 
South Korea Inflation Hits Five-Month Low as CPI Reaches Central Bank Target 
Gold and Asian Stocks Rebound as Market Volatility Eases and Global Sentiment Improves 
Gold, Silver, and Platinum Rally as Precious Metals Recover from Sharp Selloff 
China and Uruguay Strengthen Strategic Partnership Amid Shifting Global Order 
UK Employers Plan Moderate Pay Rises as Inflation Pressures Ease but Persist 
EU Recovery Fund Faces Bottlenecks Despite Driving Digital and Green Projects 
Asian markets mostly declined on Wednesday, echoing Wall Street’s weak overnight performance as hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation data and renewed trade tariff threats from President Donald Trump rattled investor sentiment. Most indexes across the region slipped, weighed down by concerns over prolonged Federal Reserve rate hikes and global trade tensions.
Mainland Chinese markets underperformed after a mixed Q2 GDP report fueled fears of an extended economic slowdown. The Shanghai Composite and CSI 300 both dipped 0.2%. However, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index defied the regional trend, rising up to 0.8% on strong gains in tech stocks. Optimism surged after Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) confirmed it would resume sales of its sought-after AI chips in China, sparking rallies in local AI giants like Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU), Alibaba (NYSE:BABA), and Tencent.
Baidu further gained momentum with a 3% jump in its Hong Kong shares (HK:9888) following news of a global robotaxi partnership with Uber Technologies Inc (NYSE:UBER). Analysts say access to Nvidia’s chips could significantly boost China’s AI capabilities through leaders like ByteDance and DeepSeek.
Still, broader gains were limited due to economic worries from the mainland. Across Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 and TOPIX both fell 0.2%, while South Korea’s KOSPI declined 0.7%. Australia’s ASX 200 slid 0.9% on profit-taking near record highs. Singapore’s Straits Times edged slightly higher, and India’s Gift Nifty 50 Futures remained flat.
U.S. CPI data reinforced concerns over inflationary pressure from Trump’s trade policies, with the S&P 500 Futures down 0.1% in Asian trade. Trump’s latest move includes imposing 25% tariffs on imports from South Korea and Japan starting August 1, and a 19% duty on Indonesia, raising fears of escalating trade tensions across Asia.
