A Greenlandic flag flies over a residential house on Jan. 21, 2026 in Nuuk, Greenland.
Sean Gallup | Getty Images
Asia-Pacific markets rebounded on Thursday, tracking gains on Wall Street after U.S. President Donald Trump walked back on his threats to impose tariffs on European countries over Greenland.
South Korea’s Kospi led gains in the region and briefly breached the 5,000 mark, rising 1.62%, with battery maker Samsung SDI soaring 13.27%, while conglomerate Doosan gained 9%, heavyweight Samsung Electronics climbed 3.14%. The small-cap Kosdaq index gained 1.43%.
Trump also said at the World Economic Forum in Davos that he would not use force to acquire the Arctic island, calming nerves over a possible U.S. military action, adding that he had “formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland,” along with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 was up 1.07%, while the broad based Topix rose 0.79%. Japan saw its December trade figures released today, with the 5.1% export growth missing Reuters-polled analysts’ estimates.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was up 0.63% in early trade, having dropped about 0.4% in the previous session.
Hong Kong Hang Seng index futures were at 26,616, higher than the HSI’s last close of 26,585.06.