Asian equity markets closed sharply lower on Friday, driven by a combination of fresh geopolitical headwinds and persistent sector-specific weakness.
The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo and the Kospi in Seoul both posted significant losses, reflecting investor anxiety over escalating trade tensions and a continued retreat from high-valuation technology stocks.
The immediate catalyst for the session's decline was the announcement by the United States of new tariffs ranging between 10% and 12.
The immediate catalyst for the session's decline was the announcement by the United States of new tariffs ranging between 10% and 12.5% on more than 60 trading partners.
This broad-based trade policy shift has introduced fresh uncertainty into global supply chains, particularly affecting export-oriented economies in Asia.
The move signals a hardening stance on trade that markets had not fully priced in, prompting a risk-off response across regional indices.
Compounding the tariff-driven selloff was renewed selling pressure in the technology sector.