Nikkei 225, Kospi, Hang Seng Index
A pedestrian looks at an electronic quotation board showing figures of the Nikkei 225 index in Tokyo on September 11, 2020.
Kazuhiro Nogi | AFP | Getty Images
Asia-Pacific markets opened broadly lower on Wednesday as concerns grew that the conflict in the Middle East could prolong after President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire in Iran.
“Based on the fact that the Iranian government is not unexpectedly but severely fractured, and at the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, we have been asked to continue our attack on the country of Iran until its leaders and representatives put forward a joint proposal,” Trump said. he said. Real Social post.
He added that the ceasefire will be extended until Tehran submits a proposal or discussions are concluded, and the US military will continue its blockade of Iranian ports.
However, the timeline remains unclear. Tehran negotiators said they would not participate in talks with the United States, describing them as a “waste of time,” Iranian state media reported on Wednesday.
The uncertainty also delayed Vice President J.D. Vance’s trip to participate in peace talks, according to the report. axios And New York TimesHe cited US officials with knowledge of the situation.
Oil futures gave up earlier gains. West Texas Intermediate Futures contracts are trading at $89.42 per barrel, down 0.28%, as of 21:20 (UTC). Brent crude oil It fell 0.29% to $98.19 per barrel.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 rose 0.22% while the Topix lost 0.78%. Japan’s exports rose for a seventh consecutive month, posting a trade surplus of 667 billion yen ($4.18 billion) in March, compared to forecast for a surplus of 1.1 trillion yen, according to Reuters data. The focus will also be on the Bank of Japan’s policy meeting next week.
In South Korea, the Kospi lost 1.02% due to some profit taking after hitting a record high on Tuesday. Small-cap Kosdaq extended early losses, falling 1.57%. According to central bank data, producer prices increased at the fastest rate in the last three years in March, supported by rising oil prices amid conflicts in the Middle East. showed.
Mainland China’s CSI300 index fell 0.11%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell 1.08%.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 index fell 0.98%.
