Asian Markets Soften as Dollar Wobbles Amid Trump Tariff Shift
Asian equities edged lower in muted trading as regional markets digested President Trump’s delayed tariff deadline. MSCI’s Asia-Pacific ex-Japan index dipped 0.17%, with Japan’s Nikkei shedding 0.15% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng declining 0.1%. Mainland Chinese benchmarks showed minimal movement.
Thin liquidity prevailed during the US market holiday, though risk assets found support from Trump’s decision to postpone EU auto tariffs to July 9. Nasdaq futures rallied 1.26% in Asian hours, outpacing gains in S&P 500 (1.11%) and FTSE (0.94%) contracts.