Asia-Pacific Markets Show Mixed Responses

Following the signing of an executive order by United States President Donald Trump to increase tariffs on imports from several countries, Asia-Pacific markets exhibited mixed trading patterns on Friday.

Economic Indicators Across the Region

Australia saw an expansion in factory activity, contrasting with Japan and China, where manufacturing activity declined in July. Japan's unemployment rate was reported at 2.5% in June, while South Korea celebrated a trade surplus of $6.61 billion in July.

Market Performance at a Glance

South Korea's Kospi fell sharply by 2.97%, whereas Hong Kong's Hang Seng remained stable. Japan's Nikkei 225 experienced a slight drop of 0.37%. In China, the Shanghai Composite stayed flat, but the Shenzhen Composite gained 0.49%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 decreased by 0.76%.

The dollar remained stable against the yen, trading at 150.72150.