Fears over the future health of the global economy are continuing to rattle markets around the world, as President Trump’s resolute commitment to hold the line on tariffs fueled investor concerns about inflation and a pullback in consumer spending. After the S&P 500 suffered its worst day of the year on Monday, the sell-off continued into Asia trading on Tuesday. Asian markets opened mostly lower, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 index falling about 2 percent, weighed down by big declines in Japanese technology stocks. Stock markets in South Korea and Taiwan also fell more than 1 percent in midday trading. Equity markets in China were faring slightly better, with shares in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong ticked lower, down less than 1 percent in morning trading. Investors have become increasingly cautious about the US stock market in recent weeks as President Trump has flip-flopped on tariffs, causing confusion and uncertainty. Growing unease about the inflationary effects of the tariffs, coupled with a broadly darkening mood about the economy, provided the catalyst for a sell-off in a market that investors have long worried was overvalued. While current economic data has remained robust, surveys of consumers, business leaders, and economists are growing pessimistic.
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