06:36 AM EDT, 04/11/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets turned in a choppy Friday, as investors weighed yet-rising import tariffs in China and in the US, but also the outlook for trade negotiations or additional economic stimulus from Beijing.
Hong Kong and Shanghai finished in the green, but Tokyo sagged. Other regional exchanges were also uneven.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened lower on Wall Street cues, then gained in trading but could not recover, finishing down 3% as Beijing and Washington again raised import tariffs.
The yen strengthened against the US dollar, undercutting export issues.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 1,023.42 to 33,585.58, as losing issues outnumbered gainers 203 to 22.
Leading the upside was consultancy Baycurrent, gaining 12.5%, while chemical-and-consumer products house Kao declined 7.6%.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened lower but rose to the close, finishing up 1.1% on hopes for economic stimulus from Beijing and a possible easing of trade tensions.
The broad gauge Hang Seng rose 232.91 to 20,914.69 as gaining issues outnumbered losers 56 to 24. The Hang Seng TECH Index gained 1.8% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index rose 0.5%.
Leading the upside was automaker BYD, gaining 7.2%, while Trip.com declined 4.6%.
On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite rose 0.5% to 3,238.23.
In economic news, Beijing raised tariffs on imports from the US to 125%, to counter US tariffs on China goods that have been lifted to 145%.
On the other regional exchanges, the S. Korean KOSPI fell 0.5%; the Taiwan TWSE inclined 2.8%; the Australian ASX 200 declined 0.8%; the Singapore Straits Times Index fell 1.8%, and the Thai Set declined 0.5%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was up 1.8%.