Global Market Turmoil: Asia’s Factories Stumble, US Tariffs Bite, Oil Soars – What’s Next?
China’s private manufacturing PMI slipped to 50.6 in October, Japan’s factory PMI hit a 19-month low at 48.2, and South Korea’s fell to 49.4. India’s PMI surged to 59.2, its highest in five years. President Trump’s Asia trip brought limited tariff relief, with the US halving a fentanyl-goods tariff and China pausing new export curbs. Global stocks fell sharply, led by a 2% drop in the Nasdaq.