The Bank of Japan is likely to hold its key interest rate through June, showed a Reuters survey of economists, with a 25-basis-point hike next quarter expected by a slight majority of respondents rather than over two-thirds in a poll last month.
Japan’s factory activity shrank for the tenth consecutive month in April as confidence among manufacturers dived to almost 5-year lows, dented by worries about U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, a private-sector survey showed on Wednesday.
Bank of America (BofA) has downgraded its 2025 growth forecasts for Asia, warning that U.S.-China trade tensions and broader tariff pressures will weigh heavily on the region’s economies.
The United States will aim for Britain to reduce its automotive tariff from 10% to 2.5%, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people with knowledge of a draft document circulated by the administration of President Donald Trump.
Most Asian stocks rose sharply on Wednesday, tracking an overnight rally on Wall Street after U.S. President Donald Trump flagged an eventual lowering in steep trade tariffs against China.
Oil prices climbed more than 1% on Wednesday, extending the prior day’s gains, as investors weighed a fresh round of U.S. sanctions on Iran, a drop in U.S. crude stocks and a softer tone from President Donald Trump towards the Federal Reserve.