Asia-Pacific Markets Rise as Trump Delays Reciprocal Tariffs, Tracking Wall Street Gains

Asia-Pacific markets mostly rose on Friday, buoyed by Wall Street’s overnight gains and President Donald Trump’s decision to delay imposing reciprocal tariffs. While Trump signed a plan to examine tariffs on foreign nations, he did not enact the levies immediately, easing investor concerns.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.56%, but South Korea’s Kospi gained 0.59%, and the Kosdaq advanced 1.11%. Mainland China’s CSI 300 rose 0.7%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng surged 2.24%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.37%, and India’s Sensex opened 0.29% higher.
In Southeast Asia, Singapore’s economy grew by 4.4% in 2024, its fastest pace since 2021, while Malaysia’s GDP expanded 5.1% for the year. However, Singapore’s Straits Times Index fell 0.12% after the GDP announcement.
Overnight, U.S. stocks rallied, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumping 0.77%, the S&P 500 climbing 1.04%, and the Nasdaq Composite advancing 1.50%. Investors welcomed Trump’s tariff delay and fresh inflation data, which signaled a stable economic outlook.