Asiaโค Markets Fall as trump Announces New โคTariffs, Approves TikTok Deal
Asian markets โbroadly declined on โฃSeptember 26,โข 2025,โค following a surprise declaration fromโ former President Donald Trump of new tariffs on Chinese goods and simultaneous approval of a deal allowing TikTok to continue operating in the United States. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was flat, while the Topix rose 0.59% to reachโค a fresh record high. South Korea’s Kospi declined 2.02%,leading losses in Asia,while the small-cap Kosdaq retreated 1.57%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was marginally below the flatline. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell โค0.86%, and the mainland Chinese CSI 300 index was flat.
Theโฃ market reaction reflects investor concernsโ over escalating trade tensions betweenโฃ theโ U.S.and China, potentially disrupting global supply chains and economic growth. The approval of the โTikTok deal, while removing a significant uncertainty for the social media platform, did little to offsetโข anxieties surrounding the new tariffs. โThese developments arrive as investors continue to assess economic data, including September inflationโข figures from Tokyo, which โcame in softer than expected โขat 2.5%-compared โtoโ expectations of 2.8%-with headline inflation holding steady at 2.5%. โคTokyo’s inflation figures are widelyโ considered a โคleading indicator of nationwide trends.
Overnightโ in โthe U.S.,the pullback in tech on โคWall Street continued for a third straight day,partly โdue to rising yields. The 10-year Treasury yield touched 4.2% after โdata on initial claims for unemployment insurance came in lower than expected. Artificial intelligenceโค play Oracle slid 5%, while Tesla was also among theโ day’s laggards, falling 4%. The S&P 500 closed down 0.50% atโฃ 6,604.72, as did the Nasdaq Composite, which settled at 22,384.70.The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed โ0.38%, to finish at 45,947.32.
