06:49 AM EDT, 04/16/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets largely fell back Wednesday, as tech issues mirrored overnight losses in US peers on concerns the semiconductor sector could be hampered by the Trump administration's trade policies.

Hong Kong and Tokyo finished in the red, while most other regional were choppy on the downside.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened lower and declined to the close, finishing off 1%. A stronger yen undercut export stocks.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 347.14 to 33,920.40. Semiconductor-manufacturing equipment maker Disco slid 8%, while entertainment house Toho rose 6%.

Japan's semiconductor shares were hit after US chipmaking giant Nvidia said late Tuesday it expected a $5.50 billion charge in fiscal Q1 linked to its H20 product line after the US government mandated it to secure an export license for China and other countries.

Separately, Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASML warned of near-term uncertainty stemming from newly announced US tariffs.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened lower and drifted south, finishing off 1.9% as tech issues retreated, despite solid economic reports from Beijing.

The broad gauge Hang Seng fell 409.29 to 21,056.98, as losing issues outnumbered gainers 62 to 19. The Hang Seng TECH Index lost 3.7% on the day, but the Mainland Properties Index rose 1.5%.

Online delivery service Meituan lost 8.1%, while property manager China Resources Mixc Lifestyle Services gained 3%.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite rose 0.3% to 3,726.

In economic news, mainland China's gross domestic product expanded by 5.4% in Q1 on year, reported the National Bureau of Statistics, or NBS.

In other official news, retail sales in China rose 5.9% on year in March, up from the 4% on-year rise recorded in the combined first two months of the year, reported the NBS. The value add of the nation's manufacturing sector jumped 7.7% last month from the 5.9% on-year gain logged in the combined first two months of 2025.

On the other regional exchanges, the S. Korean KOSPI fell 1.2%; the Taiwan TWSE declined 2%; the Australian ASX 200 was almost flat; the Singapore Straits Times Index rose 1%, and the Thai Set inclined 0.9%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was up 0.5%.

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