Asia markets under pressure as Trump rekindles tariff fears and rising Iran tensions

Asia stock markets trade mostly lower on Thursday, after Trump said he intended to send letters to trading partners in the next week or two setting unilateral tariff rates, ahead of a July 9 deadline to reimpose higher duties on dozens of countries. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also suggested that the Trump administration could extend the 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs for countries that show “good faith” in trade talks. The US government on Wednesday ordered the departure of embassy staff from Baghdad after Iran threatened to attack US bases if talks over its nuclear program fall through. Gold rose to around $3,370 per ounce on Thursday, as escalating US-Iran tensions and fresh trade policy signals from President Donald Trump boosted safe-haven demand. Japan ( NKY:IND ) fell 0.61% to below 38,200 while the broader Topix Index lost 0.3% to 2,780 on Thursday, with Japanese shares snapping a four-day winning streak The Japanese yen appreciated to around 144 per dollar on Thursday, extending gains from the previous session. In Japan, business sentiment continued to weaken in the second quarter, reflecting rising uncertainty over US trade policy and its impact on the country’s export-dependent economy. China ( SHCOMP ) rose 0.07% to below 3,400 while the Shenzhen Component shed 0.15 to 10,237 on Thursday, and the offshore yuan Meanwhile, the U.S. and China reached a framework to ease trade tensions, which Trump called “done” pending final approval from both leaders. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said tariffs on Chinese goods would not rise above the current 55%. However, the key details remain unclear, and no official confirmation has been issued by Beijing. Hong Kong ( HSI ) fell 0.43% to 24,281 in early trade Thursday, retreating from a near three-month high and snapping gains from the previous session. India ( SENSEX ) fell 0.18% Australia ( AS51 ) fell 0.09% to around 8,598 on Thursday. The Australian dollar depreciated past $0.649 on Thursday, extending its decline from the previous session. Consumer inflation expectations in Australia jumped to 5.0% in June 2025 from 4.1% the previous month, marking the highest level since July 2023. In the U.S., on Wednesday, all three major indexes ended lower as investors took a breather from the recent rally, despite encouraging inflation data and a tentative US-China trade agreement. Investors now turn their attention to Thursday’s PPI release for further clues on the inflation outlook and monetary policy path. U.S. stock futures saw a sharp decline on Thursday, triggered by President Trump’s announcement that he will set unilateral tariff rates within two weeks: Dow -0.29% ; S&P 500 -0.23% ; Nasdaq -0.27% . Currencies: ( JPY:USD ), ( CNY:USD ), ( AUD:USD ), ( INR:USD ), ( HKD:USD ), ( NZD:USD ). More on Asia: Japan’s producer prices rise 3.2% Y/Y in May, the least in 8 months China’s May CPI declines fourth consecutive month, PPI deflation eases to two-year low China’s trade surplus widens amid weaker exports and deeper import slump Japan’s Q1 GDP revised upward, showing no growth but avoids contraction China to send Vice Premier He Lifeng to UK for U.S. trade talks

Source: Seeking Alpha