Asian Stocks Mixed as Trade Policy Uncertainty Roils Markets

Asian stocks showed a mixed performance on Wednesday as uncertainty surrounding U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade policies unsettled global markets. Equities in Australia and Malaysia led losses, while South Korean shares rebounded following a modest recovery in U.S. tech giants.

Wall Street’s major indexes extended their steepest sell-off in months on Tuesday after Trump unexpectedly raised tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum imports to 50%, only to revert to the original 25% hours later. The abrupt shift rattled investor confidence, fueling market volatility.

Asian markets, highly sensitive to global trade tensions, reacted negatively. As of 02:37 GMT, China’s Shanghai Composite slipped 0.2%, while the CSI 300 lost 0.3%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index remained largely flat. Malaysia’s KLCI fell 1.5%, and the Philippines’ PSEi dropped 1.2%.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 tumbled 1.6% intraday, briefly entering correction territory, before trading 1.3% lower at 7,786.30. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that despite Trump’s decision to apply the 25% tariffs globally, Australia would not impose reciprocal measures.

South Korea’s KOSPI rose 1.6%, driven by strong gains in Samsung Electronics (+2.1%) and SK Hynix (+4.5%). The sector followed a rebound in U.S. tech stocks, including NVIDIA, Broadcom, and Tesla, after heavy losses earlier this week.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 0.3% after hitting a six-month low in the previous session, while the TOPIX gained 0.9%. India’s Nifty 50 futures edged up 0.2%.

Investors remain cautious as shifting U.S. trade policies add to global market uncertainties, affecting sentiment across Asian markets.