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Asian shares were mostly lower on Friday, with Tokyo's benchmark down more than 2% after a sell-off on Wall Street. US futures and oil prices were higher. Bitcoin was trading near $88,266, down 3.4% according to CoinDesk, after President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday establishing a government reserve of bitcoin, a key marker in the cryptocurrency's journey towards possible mainstream acceptance. China reported lower than expected exports and imports for January-February, with exports growing just 2.3% and imports sinking 8.4%, the government said. China's trade data for the first two months of the year are usually combined to make up for distortions from Lunar New Year holidays. US stocks fell after President Donald Trump offered another temporary reprieve from his 25% tariffs on many goods imported from Mexico and Canada, underscoring the uncertainty the tariffs have created for the global economy. Investors showed little enthusiasm, unlike the bounce stocks got
Asian shares were mostly higher Thursday, tracking a rebound on Wall Street after President Donald Trump pulled back on some of his tariffs hikes. US futures were little changed, while benchmarks surged in Japan and China. Trump's decision to give a one-month exemption for US automakers on his 25% tariffs for Mexican and Canadian imports raised hopes he may avoid a worst-case trade war that grinds down economies and sends inflation higher. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index gained 0.8% to 37,704.93. Japanese automakers' shares surged in US trading, though Toyota Motor Corp's shares fell back in Tokyo trading. losing 1%. Honda Motor Corp. gained 2% and Nissan Motor Co. rose 1.1%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index jumped 3.3% to 24,362.68 following Chinese government reports to the annual legislative session that showed a greater resolve by Beijing to boost consumer spending and other domestic demand. The Shanghai Composite index advanced 1.2% to 3,381.10. South Korea's Kospi jumped 0.7% to 2,576.
Asian stocks were mixed Wednesday followed Wall Street's mostly positive performance ahead of key US inflation data that could influence the pace of market-boosting rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. US futures and oil prices were little changed. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index edged 0.1% higher to 38,505.54. The Kospi rose 0.2% to 2,502.94 after South Korean law enforcement officials detained impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday in connection with his failed declaration of martial law last month. South Korea's unemployment rate reached 3.7% in December on a seasonally adjusted basis, the highest since June 2021, amid political uncertainty, the government reported. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong added 0.2% to 19,264.46 after media reported that President-elect Donald Trump's incoming economic team is discussing gradually ramping up tariffs in different phases. The Shanghai Composite shed 0.3% to 3,232.98. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was flat at 8,233.10. On Tuesday, the S&P 500 rose