Asian stock markets are trading mostly higher on Monday, following the mixed cues from Wall Street on Friday, amid optimism about a potential U.S.-China trade deal after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that a trade deal has been struck with China following the weekend talks in Switzerland, with no more details offered. Asian markets closed mostly higher on Friday.
There are reports the U.S. is hoping to slash China tariffs to below 60 percent from the current level of at least 145 percent. However, US President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social that a higher "80% Tariff on China seems right," partly offsetting the positive sentiment.
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April 17, 2026 15:29 ET The ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to raise concerns for policymakers who worry about the impact of the supply shock and high energy prices on the real economy. Producer price data and various survey results on the housing market were the main news from the U.S. this week. In Europe, industrial production data for the euro area gained attention. GDP figures out of China and the policy move by the Singapore central bank were in focus in Asia.