Asian tech stocks posted gains as the US temporarily paused some tariffs

Stocks in several Asian markets climbed on Monday after the United States announced a temporary pause of hefty tariffs on smartphones, computers, and various other electronics. 

In Taiwan, shares in Foxconn, Apple’s largest iPhone assembler, rose about 4% during Monday morning trading. Contract laptop maker Quanta showed an even stronger jump, up 7%. Inventec, which produces artificial intelligence servers and other electronics, also rose by 4%. Their gains helped lift the broad index by around 1%. 

China-based Apple suppliers Goertek and Lens Tech experienced increases of 3% and 1.1%, respectively. 

Further north in South Korea, Samsung Electronics, which supplies Apple and holds the second spot in the U.S. smartphone market, advanced by 2%. 

Meanwhile, Japan’s Nikkei added 1.81%, although it has swung between sharp ups and downs in recent days due to changing headlines about the tariff situation.

The weekend development signaled a temporary easing of the pressure created by steep tariffs that threatened to drive up the prices of many electronic products. 

Reports also emerged that Apple chartered cargo flights last week to move 600 tons of iPhones—estimated to be as many as 1.5 million units—from India to the United States. This effort appeared to be a move to reduce any potential shortages or sudden price spikes in the event that the tariff situation deteriorated. 

Trump clarified that electronics and semiconductors will be excluded from tariffs

U.S. President Donald Trump took to social media on Sunday to clarify that the electronics products excluded from the reciprocal tariffs “are just moving to a different Tariff ‘bucket.’” 

He added they would be reviewed, along with semiconductors, in a national security trade investigation on that sector. Although some investors found hope in the president’s comments, others remained cautious, particularly after Trump said aboard Air Force One that a tariff rate on imported semiconductors would be announced over the next week. 

He did note there could be flexibility for some companies, but the market reaction was mixed, reflecting uncertainty over how the final measures would play out.

Amid that uncertainty, certain chipmakers went against the broader positive trend. TSMC, the largest contract chipmaker worldwide, dipped into negative territory despite an initial jump at the start of the day.

Memory chip supplier SK Hynix in South Korea declined by 0.2%. Alex Huang, vice president of Mega International Investment Services, said the early Monday momentum might be premature. He pointed out that the specifics of Trump’s exemption plan were not yet fully disclosed, making it difficult for markets to price in the possible impact. He suggested it would be unlikely for semiconductors to receive a broad exemption from tariffs since any comprehensive relief would remove a critical bargaining chip in discussions with Washington.

TSMC is scheduled to announce its first-quarter earnings on Thursday. It could offer more clues about how the tariff environment is affecting chip orders and production plans.

In Europe, the euro edged up to $1.1384, just below the three-year high of $1.1474. Traders were keeping a close watch on the European Central Bank’s meeting slated for Thursday. Market participants consider it a certainty that the ECB will cut rates by a quarter percentage point to 2.25%. Also on tap is the Bank of Canada’s rate decision this week, where there is around a one-in-three chance of a cut from 2.75%.

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