Major stock indexes in the Asia-Pacific region traded with gains in the afternoon session on Wednesday, as market participants digested the impact of United States President Donald Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs on local economies. In business, SoftBank is expected to release its quarterly financial results and Chinese tech giant Baidu is said to be preparing to launch a next-generation AI model in the second half of 2025.

Japan's Nikkei 225 rose by 0.43% at 7:17 am CET, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng climbed by 1.89% and South Korea's Kospi advanced by 0.32%. In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite grew by 0.28% and the Shenzhen Composite added 0.67% at 7:18 am CET. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 closed with a 0.61% jump.

The dollar traded 0.67% higher against the yen at 7:19 am CET, selling for ¥153.58750.