Asian markets ended mixed on Wednesday amid tariff worries as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump picked another China sceptic, Jamieson Greer, to serve as the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and appointed Kevin A Hassett as the director of the White House National Economic Council, key figures in implanting the new administration's economic agenda. Jamieson played a key role during Trump's first term in imposing tariffs on China and others to combat unfair trade practices and replacing the failed NAFTA deal with USMCA. Hassett played a crucial role in helping design and pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Japanese markets retreated as a stronger yen weighed on automotive stocks such as Honda Motor, Toyota and Nissan, which fell 3-5 percent. China's Shanghai Composite index rallied after data showed industrial profit decline eased to 10 percent year-on-year in October from 27.1 percent the previous month.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,309.78 | 50.02 | 1.51 |
Hang Seng | 19,603.13 | 443.93 | 2.26 |
Jakarta Composite | -- | -- | -- |
KLSE Composite | 1,604.25 | 1.10 | 0.07 |
Nikkei 225 | 38,134.97 | -307.03 | -0.81 |
Straits Times | 3,708.09 | -4.30 | -0.12 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,503.06 | -17.30 | -0.69 |
Taiwan Weighted | 22,334.78 | -343.98 | -1.54 |