Asian stocks rose following Wall Street’s lead on Wednesday, while the U.S. dollar showed little movement as markets awaited further details on President Donald Trump’s upcoming trade policy. Traders found some reassurance after Trump mentioned that not all tariffs would be enforced by the April 2 deadline, and certain countries might receive exemptions, though specifics were lacking. Additionally, Trump announced a 25% secondary tariff on nations purchasing oil or gas from Venezuela, which briefly pushed oil prices up but was somewhat mitigated by U.S. maritime security agreements in the Black Sea concerning the Ukraine conflict. Market analysts noted an underlying anxiety ahead of the Trump administration’s trade policy announcement next week, though comments suggesting more targeted restrictions have eased concerns slightly. The U.S. dollar index edged slightly higher after a decline on Tuesday, influenced by fears of a potential U.S. recession due to the ongoing trade war. Consumer confidence data showed a significant drop this month. The dollar gained against the yen, while Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda indicated a potentially slower pace of interest rate hikes. The euro and sterling both weakened slightly. Gold prices remained stable near recent highs, and oil prices increased modestly. — news from Reuters.com
