Asian Markets Mixed Amid Trump's Proposed Tariffs on Autos, Semiconductors

Asian markets displayed mixed results on Wednesday as investors reacted to U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal for tariffs of around 25% on imports such as automobiles, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals. The Nikkei 225 in Japan fell 0.3% due to concerns over the tariff implications, while the Shanghai Composite gained 0.8%. Traders remained cautious following disappointing earnings from Chinese tech giant Baidu, which impacted Hong Kong's market performance. U.S. trade tensions revived worries about their potential to disrupt the global economy, prompting China to warn that such unilateral actions could lead to inflation and market distortions. Analysts at Moody's Analytics suggested that while broad-based tariff increases may be reversed, restrictions on Chinese goods are likely to persist. Overall, the markets struggled to maintain momentum despite positive performances from Wall Street.