Asian markets have tumbled after the Trump administration’s move to impose tariffs on another $200 billion of Chinese exports was criticized by Beijing, upping the ante in the trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
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KEEPING SCORE: Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 1.2 percent to 21,932.21 and South Korea’s Kospi lost 0.6 percent to 2,281.12. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng shed 1.7 percent to 28,208.91. The Shanghai Composite index tumbled 2.3 percent to 2,761.90. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.8 percent to 6,211.20. Shares also fell in Taiwan and Southeast Asia.
WALL STREET: A strong performance by household goods makers lifted major U.S. indexes. The S&P 500 index rose 0.3 percent to 2,793.84 on Tuesday, climbing to its highest level since Feb. 1. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.6 percent to 24,919.66. The Nasdaq composite picked up 3 points, or less than 0.1 percent, to 7,759.20. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks lost 0.5 percent to 1,695.62 after big gains over the last five days.
MORE U.S.-CHINA TARIFFS: The U.S. Trade Representative said Washington is preparing to impose 10 percent tariffs on another $200 billion in Chinese imports, including 6,031 product lines ranging from burglar alarms to electric lamps and fish sticks. The office will take public comments and hold hearings on the plan before reaching a decision after Aug. 31. China’s Commerce Ministry called the new wave of U.S. tariffs “totally unacceptable” on Wednesday and vowed to protect its core interests. The ministry did not offer more details, but Beijing had earlier threatened “comprehensive measures” if more tariffs were imposed. On Friday, the U.S. slapped 25 percent tariffs on $34 billion in Chinese products on Friday, and Beijing responded with similar duties on U.S. imports. The Trump administration said the new levies were a response to China’s decision to retaliate. The initial U.S. tariff list focused on Chinese industrial products to help limit the impact on American consumers. The expanded list would hit products that U.S. households buy.
ANALYST’S TAKE: “Given the magnitude and breadth of the tariff list, the impact is expected to ripple through supply chains and cause collateral damage on regional economies,” Zhu Huani of Mizuho Bank said in a commentary. However, the public consultation period allows time for more negotiations, she noted.
TESLA IN CHINA: Electric car producer Tesla will build its first factory outside the United States in Shanghai. This will make it the first wholly foreign-owned automaker in China. No financial details of the agreement signed Tuesday were announced, but construction is expected to start as soon as official permits come through. The company hopes to eventually ramp up production to 500,000 vehicles annually. Tesla is among companies hit by an additional 25 percent in import duties, imposed by Beijing in retaliation to a tariff hike by the Trump administration.
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ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude dropped 42 cents to $73.69 a barrel. It gained 0.4 percent to settle at $74.11 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, lost 56 cents to $78.30 per barrel.
CURRENCIES: The dollar eased to 111.02 yen from 111.28 yen on Tuesday. The euro weakened to $ 1.1738 from $1.1745.
