Asian Shares Mixed In Cautious Trade

(RTTNews) - Asian stocks ended mixed on Tuesday as investors watched the latest headlines on the tariff front.

U.S. President Donald Trump indicated a potential temporary exemption for the auto industry from tariffs, especially for counties like Mexico and Canada, but at the same time there were reports that the U.S. was kicking off investigations into imports of pharmaceuticals and semiconductors as part of a bid to impose tariffs.

The dollar index inched down in Asian trade and hovered near its three-year low reached last week. Gold held near record levels while oil edged up, with U.S. and Iran negotiations in focus.

China's Shanghai Composite index edged up by 0.15 percent to 3,267.66 after a volatile session. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index ended up 0.23 percent at 21,466.27.

Japanese markets rose notably after Trump said he is exploring a pause in auto tariffs. The Nikkei average jumped 0.84 percent to 34,267.54 while the broader Topix index settled 1 percent higher at 2,513.35. Honda and Toyota Motor both surged around 4 percent.

South Korea's Kospi average climbed 0.88 percent to 2,477.41, extending gains for a second day ahead of the Bank of Korea's interest-rate decision due on Thursday. Chip and automotive shares led the overall gains.

Australian markets edged up slightly to end higher for a second straight session as the latest RBA policy meeting minutes supported the view for a May rate cut amid global economic uncertainty.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 rose by 0.17 percent to 7,761.70, with financials and material stocks pacing the gainers. The broader All Ordinaries index ended up 0.13 percent at 7,969.90.

CSL surged 2.6 percent after Morgan Stanley tipped it to be well-positioned to ride out the rocky seas of shifting U.S. trade policy.

Across the Tasman, New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX-50 index fell 0.79 percent to 12,011.34 as data showed food inflation in the country accelerated to a 14-month high in March.

U.S. stocks rose in a choppy session overnight as tech shares surged following a surprise U.S. tariff exemption of smartphones and computers, as well as other devices and components such as semiconductors, from President Trump's new "reciprocal" tariffs.

The Dow and the S&P 500 both climbed around 0.8 percent while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite added 0.6 percent.