Asia chip stocks fall after Trump says tariffs on semiconductors and chips will be announced soon
Asian chip stocks fell after U.S. President Donald Trump said he will unveil new tariffs on semiconductors and chips as soon as next week.
Japan’s Tokyo Electron and Lasertec fell 3.46% and 1.82% respectively. Renesas Electron lost 3.68%.
Shares of South Korean memory chipmakers also fell. SK Hynix lost 2.09%, while Samsung Electronics lost 1.43%. Taiwan’s TSMC stocks fell 2.17%.
“We’re going to be announcing on semiconductors and chips, which is a separate category, because we want them made in the United States,” Trump said during a lengthy interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”
Trump said that the announcement will come “within the next week or so.” He did not provide other details about the plan.
— Lee Ying Shan
Cathay Pacific set to place new aircraft order from Boeing after 12 years: Bloomberg
Shares of Cathay Pacific Airways slipped 0.58% following reports that the airline is set to place its first aircraft order from Boeing in more than a decade, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The Hong Kong-based carrier is also scheduled to release its first-half earnings later in the day.
Shares of Cathay Pacific Airways slip after report on Boeing order
Australia stocks hit a record high in early trade
Australian equities rose as much as 0.61% to hit a record high of 8,824 in early trade.
Index heavyweights like Commonwealth Bank and Westpac Banking Corporation were up over 1% and 0.74% respectively. Mining firm BHP Group was 0.28% higher.
Australian stocks hit a record high in early trade
Markets kick-start Wednesday trading mixed
Asia markets opened mixed.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was up 0.38% at the open. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 slid 0.12% and the Topix rose 0.45%.
South Korea’s Kospi and small-cap Kosdaq lost 0.64% and 0.57%, respectively.
— Lee Ying Shan
Opening calls
Happy Wednesday from Singapore. Asia markets are poised for a lower open.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was set to start the day lower with futures tied to the benchmark at 8,739, compared with its last close of 8,770.4.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 was set to open higher, with the futures contract in Osaka last traded at 40,555 against the index’s last close of 40,549.54.
Futures for Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index stood at 24,812, pointing to a weaker open compared with the HSI’s last close of 24,902.53.
— Lee Ying Shan
Stocks close in the red
The three leading U.S. indexes finished lower Tuesday.
The S&P 500 fell 0.49%, closing at 6,299.19, while the Nasdaq Composite slid 0.65% to end at 20,916.55. The Dow Jones Industrial Average moved 61.90 points lower, or 0.14%, to settle at 44,111.74.
— Sean Conlon
Trump joins ‘Squawk Box’ to discuss chips, pharma and more
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters near Air Force One at the the Lehigh Valley International Airport on August 03, 2025 in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images
President Donald Trump spoke with “Squawk Box” in a wide-ranging conversation. Here are some of the highlights:
On semiconductors, Trump said his administration is going to announce new tariffs “within the next week or so.” “We’re going to be announcing on semiconductors and chips, which is a separate category, because we want them made in the United States,” he said during the interview.
When it comes to his planned pharmaceutical tariffs, Trump said that the levies could eventually reach up to 250%. That’s the highest tariff rate he’s threatened to date.
The president also revealed in the interview that he’s considering four candidates for future Federal Reserve chair, which does not include Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “Well, I love Scott, but he wants to stay where he is,” Trump said.
— Kevin Breuninger, Annika Kim Constantino, Jeff Cox, Sean Conlon