Asia-Pacific markets mixed as investors react to Bank of Japan’s interest rate decision and US tariffs on South Korean 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.
