Asia-Pacific markets mixed amid tariffs and interest rates

In Short:
– Asia-Pacific markets were mixed as the Bank of Japan kept interest rates at 0.5%.
– South Korean auto stocks fell sharply due to new U.S. tariffs on imports.

Asia-Pacific markets showed mixed signals on Thursday as the Bank of Japan maintained its short-term interest rates at 0.5%, consistent with expectations.

According to Bloomberg, investors are also analysing the U.S. tariffs, which include a 15% levy on imports from South Korea and a 25% duty on imports from India, along with an unspecified penalty.

South Korean automobile stocks experienced significant drops following the tariff announcements.

Kia Corp’s shares decreased by 5.25%, while Hyundai Motor’s shares fell by 3.48% as of 10.53 a.m. local time.

Mixed Trading

Chinese and Hong Kong stocks also opened lower on Thursday, paralleling the mixed performance seen across Asia-Pacific markets.

By 9.39 a.m. local time, the Hang Seng Index had declined by 0.91%, while the CSI 300 index remained unchanged.