In South Korea, the\u00a0Kospi<\/a>\u00a0index fell 0.12% while the small-cap Kosdaq was unchanged.<\/p>\n Over in Australia, the\u00a0S&P\/ASX 200<\/a> benchmark was flat.<\/p>\n \u2014 Amala Balakrishner<\/p>\n U.S. equity futures ticked up in early Asia hoursHere are the opening calls for the day <\/p>\n Good morning from Singapore.<\/p>\n Investors will be keeping a close watch on chip stocks following U.S. President Donald Trump’s vow to impose 100% tariffs on imported semiconductors and chips<\/a>, unless they are made by companies “building in the United States.”<\/p>\n Japan’s benchmark\u00a0Nikkei 225<\/a>\u00a0was set to open lower, with the futures contract in Chicago at 40,785 while its counterpart in Osaka last traded at 40,790, against the index’s last close of 40,794.86.<\/p>\n Futures for Hong Kong’s\u00a0Hang Seng index<\/a>\u00a0stood at 24,903, pointing to a weaker open compared with the HSI’s Wednesday close of 24,910.63.<\/p>\n Australia’s\u00a0S&P\/ASX 200<\/a>\u00a0was set to start the day lower with futures tied to the benchmark at 8,779, compared with its last close of 8,843.70.<\/p>\n \u2014 Amala Balakrishner<\/p>\n Trump calls for 100% tariff on semiconductors and chips<\/p>\n President Donald Trump said late Wednesday that he would slap a 100% duty on imports of semiconductors and chips<\/a> \u2013 with an exception for companies that are “building in the United States.”<\/p>\n “We’re going to be putting a very large tariff on chips and semiconductors,” he said, speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday afternoon.<\/p>\n “But the good news for companies like Apple is if you’re building in the United States or have committed to build, without question, committed to build in the United States, there will be no charge,” Trump added.<\/p>\n
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