Global Shares Mixed As Trump Intensifies Tariff Action

Tokyo: Global shares were mixed on Wednesday as investors weighed the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs after another day of losses on Wall Street. US futures and oil prices were higher.

France’s CAC 40 edged up 0.9 per cent in early trading to 8,014.58. Germany’s DAX jumped 1.5 per cent to 22,644.81, while Britain’s FTSE 100 added 0.5 per cent to 8,542.24. US shares were set to drift higher with Dow futures up nearly 0.1 per cent at 41,510.00. S&P 500 futures rose 0.6 per cent to 5,610.00. Trump’s escalation in his trade war is rattling global markets. Trump has upped his tariffs against Canadian steel and aluminum, prompting the Canadian province of Ontario to remove a surcharge that had enraged him.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 finished little changed, gaining less than 0.1 per cent to 36,819.09. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 0.9 per cent to 23,566.42, while the Shanghai Composite edged down 0.2 per cent to 3,371.92. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dropped 1.3 per cent to 7,786.20. South Korea’s Kospi added 1.5 per cent to 2,574.82. Stocks drooped on uncertainty about how much pain Trump is willing for the economy to endure in order to get what he wants.