Asian stock markets tumbled Friday as newly imposed U.S. tariffs triggered fresh concerns over global trade tensions and investor confidence, sending shockwaves across the Asia-Pacific region.
In India, the benchmark Sensex fell 136.84 points, or 0.17%, closing at 81,048.74, while the Nifty 50 index shed 58.65 points, or 0.24%, to settle at 24,709.70. Both indexes struggled to recover from early losses following a weak market opening.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 declined by 0.6%, weighed down by losses in export-heavy sectors. South Korea’s KOSPI suffered the steepest decline in the region, plunging 3.2%, as tech giants faced mounting concerns over trade disruptions. Taiwan’s TAIEX also ended lower, down 0.4%.
In contrast, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index posted a modest gain of 0.2%, buoyed by a rally in property stocks and investor optimism over local stimulus measures.
“Markets are reacting to what they see as the start of a potentially prolonged trade standoff,” said Haruki Nakamoto, a Tokyo-based economist. “These tariffs are not only disrupting supply chains but also injecting a new layer of uncertainty into an already fragile global economic outlook.”
