Asian stocks edged down as traders grappled with how to position themselves in the countdown to President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs announcement.
A regional gauge declined as indexes in Japan and South Korea dropped, while Hong Kong fluctuated. Treasury yields advanced after a multi-day drop as traders weighed the odds of Federal Reserve policy easing.
US and European equity-index futures fell, indicating stocks may remain under pressure. The dollar was little changed against its major peers.
Trump’s deliberations over his plans to impose reciprocal tariffs are coming down to the wire, with his team said to be still finalizing the size and scope of the new levies he is slated to unveil.
That unpredictability has shaken markets, prompted economists to cut their growth forecasts and forced central bankers to factor in the potential inflationary impact of import costs.
The tariffs will take immediate effect after they are announced in the event that’s due to start from 4 p.m. New York time on Wednesday.
