Asian markets closed in green on Thursday after the White House indicated that some countries could be exempt from President Donald Trump's planned tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Better-than-expected economic data from China and Japan also offered some support. Japanese shares ended higher on hopes the impending US tariffs on steel and aluminium will be milder than previously thought, but the market pared gains as caution ruled ahead of the formal announcement from Washington. Japan’s revised GDP data showed the economy grew an annualised 1.6 percent, more than the initial estimate of 0.5 percent, in the last quarter of 2017, due to an upward revision of capital expenditure and inventory. Further, Chinese stocks ended higher after official data showed China's exports grew at a faster-than-expected pace in February. China's exports jumped 44.5 percent year-over-year in February in dollar terms, much faster than the 11.0 percent rise economists had forecast. Imports climbed 6.3 percent from a year ago, slower than the expected growth of 8.0 percent. The trade surplus totaled $33.74 billion, in contrast to the expected deficit of $5.7 billion.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,288.41 | 16.74 | 0.51 |
Hang Seng | 30,654.52 | 457.60 | 1.52 |
Jakarta Composite | 6,443.02 | 74.75 | 1.17 |
KLSE Composite | 1,839.62 | 1.72 | 0.09 |
Nikkei 225 | 21,368.07 | 115.35 | 0.54 |
Straits Times | 3,480.44 | 29.75 | 0.86 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,433.08 | 31.26 | 1.30 |
Taiwan Weighted | 10,823.24 | 77.92 | 0.73 |
