San Francisco Frontiers - Asian markets rise as Biden 'considers' lifting China tariffs

Tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese imports are due to expire in July, and Biden has faced growing calls to get rid of the punitive duties to help combat the highest US inflation in more than four decades.

Biden's comments Monday during a visit to Tokyo come after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen last week said some of the duties imposed by former president Donald Trump "seem to impose more harm on consumers and businesses" and do little to address real issues posed by the Asian giant.

The president also said a recession in the United States was not inevitable but acknowledged the economic pain felt by American consumers, saying "this is going to take some time".

Ending the tariffs could help cut roaring US inflation by making imports cheaper.

Biden also announced that 13 countries had joined a new, US-led Asia-Pacific trade initiative, although there are questions about the pact's effectiveness.

Investors will be looking to the release on Wednesday of notes from the latest Federal Reserve committee meeting for clues on further rate hikes by the US central bank.

Trade was cautious in Asia after Wall Street briefly dipped into a bear market Friday, with the S&P 500 index down about 19 percent from its January high.

Tokyo closed 1.0 percent higher, while Shanghai ended flat. Hong Kong was down 1.4 and Singapore slipped 0.6 percent but most other Asian markets saw gains, with Seoul, Bangkok and Taipei in the green.

Sydney ended marginally higher following a weekend election that saw the centre-left Labor party end a decade of conservative rule.

The new government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to undertake some policy shifts, particularly on climate change, but economists said they were unlikely to upset growth forecasts.

An interest rate cut by Beijing did little to cheer Chinese markets, with investors concerned about continuing Covid restrictions that are hurting the world's second-largest economy and snarling international supply chains.

European markets opened higher despite lingering concerns over inflation, with London up 0.8 percent, Frankfurt 1.4 percent higher and Paris adding 0.7 percent.

Downcast earning reports from retailers have also heightened market uncertainty at a time of rising interest rates, surging energy prices and Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, which is driving commodity prices higher.

"As macro-economic concerns stemming from aggressive monetary tightening, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and China's stringent Covid lockdowns persist, we anticipate great volatility in the market," Louise Dudley, portfolio manager global equities at Federated Hermes, said in a note, Bloomberg News reported.

Oil was higher, with US crude benchmark WTI up 0.9 percent and Brent gaining 1.0 percent.

The invasion of Ukraine has shaken up the global market and the outlook for key producer Russia, which has been largely shunned by Western countries.

"Concerns over demand destruction appear to be limiting the upside, while threats of oil embargoes are keeping a floor under the downside," said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets.

- Key figures at around 0730 GMT -

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.0 percent at 27,001.52 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.4 percent at 20,433.57

Shanghai - Composite: FLAT at 3,146.86 (close)

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 127.67 yen from 127.86 yen on Friday

Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0605 from $1.0564

Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2572 from $1.2497

Euro/pound: DOWN at 84.36 pence from 84.50 pence

West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.9 percent at $111.27 per barrel

Brent North Sea crude: UP 1.0 percent at $113.70 per barrel

New York - Dow: FLAT at 31,261.90 (close)

London - FTSE 100: UP 0.8 percent at 7,447.31

V.Mitchell--SFF