<h1>Asian Markets Slump Despite Wall Street Gains; Trade Policy Uncertainty and Retaliatory Tariffs Impact Global Confidence</h1> Asian shares mostly fell despite a Wall Street rebound driven by a positive U.S. consumer price update. Chinese markets declined amid uncertainty over President Trump's trade policies, with Hong Kong's Hang Seng and the Shanghai Composite both dropping. Japan's Nikkei saw a slight gain, while South Korea, Australia, Taiwan, and Bangkok experienced declines. U.S. markets showed mixed results, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq rising, while the Dow fell. AI companies saw gains, but others, like Brown-Forman and Harley-Davidson, suffered due to trade war concerns. The EU and Canada announced retaliatory tariffs, increasing uncertainty and impacting consumer and business confidence.