Asian stocks close mostly lower, but Tokyo rises nearly 2%

By Sergio Caldas*

São Paulo, 08/08/2025 – Asian stock markets closed mostly lower on Friday, but Tokyo rose almost 2% after Japanese authorities said they had resolved issues related to the tariff that will be applied to exports to the US.

New U.S. tariffs on Japanese goods that took effect yesterday (07) did not match a deal struck between Washington and Tokyo on a 15 percent level, but Japan's top trade envoy said the White House had agreed to correct the problem, according to the Associated Press .

The Nikkei index rose 1.85% in Tokyo to 41,820.48 points, led by automakers such as Toyota (+3.5%) and Honda (+4%). The best individual performance, however, was that of Softbank Group (+10.39%), a Japanese technology investment company that reported higher-than-expected profits in its first fiscal quarter.

Elsewhere in Asia, the Hang Seng fell 0.89% in Hong Kong to 24,858.82 points, and South Korea's Kospi fell 0.55% in Seoul to 3,210.01 points, while the Taiex was near stability in Taiwan, with a marginal rise of 0.07% to 24,021.26 points.

In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.12% to 3,635.13 points, and the less comprehensive Shenzhen Composite Index fell 0.20% to 2,220.15 points.

In Oceania, the Australian stock market was in the red for the second consecutive trading session, with the S&P/ASX 200 falling 0.28% in Sydney, to 8,807.10 points.

Contact: [email protected]

*With information from the Associated Press