'Global Stock Markets Rebound on News of Auto Parts Tariff Deferral'

Strong Performance of Auto and Parts Stocks in Korean and Japanese Markets

European Stocks and U.S. Stock Index Futures Also Rise

On the 15th (local time), Asian and European stocks showed an upward trend as President Trump mentioned reviewing the 25% tariff imposed on automobiles and auto parts.

On the 15th, MSCI's largest index for the Asia-Pacific region excluding Japan rose by 1%. In the Korean stock market, Hyundai Motor rose by 4.29%, Kia Motors by 3.37%, and parts stocks like Hyundai Mobis and HL Mando also increased. In the Tokyo stock market, the stock price of car companies like Toyota rose by 1%.

China's CSI300 blue-chip index and the Shanghai index both fell by about 0.2%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was similar to the previous day.

In the European market, the Stoxx 600 index rose by 1.2% at 9:55 AM in the London stock market. The automotive sector, in particular, led the rise with a 2.4% increase. Stellantis, listed in Milan, rose by 5%, and Germany's Volkswagen increased by 3.3%.

U.S. Treasury bonds showed a recovery trend after last week's historic plunge, recording 4.39% at 6 AM Eastern Standard Time. The dollar continued to weaken.

S&P 500 futures rose by 0.3%. Nasdaq 100 futures increased by 0.4%, and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose by 0.2%.

According to foreign media, President Trump announced the day before that he is reviewing a plan to revise the 25% tariff imposed on automobiles and auto parts imported from Mexico, Canada, and other countries. The tariff increase could raise car prices by thousands of dollars, and car companies said, "We need time because we have to produce cars in the U.S."

President Trump announced the day before that he is reviewing a plan to revise the 25% tariff imposed on automobiles and auto parts imported from Mexico, Canada, and other regions. This follows President Trump's decision last Friday to exempt smartphones, computers, and some electronic products from reciprocal tariffs. However, the Trump administration announced on Sunday that it would announce next week's semiconductor tariff rates and strengthen investigations into semiconductor imports.

Westpac economist Iliana Jain said, "When exemption measures for specific sectors begin to apply, the market starts to think that tariffs may not necessarily be applied and could be deferred."

Guest reporter Kim Jung-ah kja@hankyung.com