Stocks across Asia and the Pacific trended positively on Thursday despite new tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, including 100% duties on chips for firms failing to invest stateside, alongside tariffs targeting India and newly imposed levies on Europe. European indices are projected to open higher, mirroring gains in Wall Street futures.
During trading, Tokyo’s benchmark rose 0.58%. Chinese markets showed limited movement despite better-than-expected export growth: Shanghai edged up 0.13%, Shenzhen slipped 0.12%, and Hong Kong advanced 0.72%. Mumbai traded modestly lower, down 0.55%.
Market focus shifts to the Bank of England’s policy meeting, where a 25-basis-point rate cut is anticipated. However, the central bank is expected to maintain caution on future moves due to persistently high inflation.