U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that tariff quotas on washing machines would be allocated on a quarterly rather than an annual basis, saying that domestic producers had begun to do better in the face of foreign competitors but more was left to be done.
The euro hovered near a seven-week low against the dollar on Friday after the European Central Bank was seen as more dovish than expected, while anxiety over China's coronavirus outbreak propped up the safe-haven yen.
The Trump administration plans to unveil efforts on Friday to crack down on counterfeit and pirated goods sold on major e-commerce sites and urge companies to do more to vet third-party sellers and increase self-policing efforts.
Stocks made a barely positive start in early Asian trade on Friday after the world's health body called it a little too early to declare a coronavirus outbreak a global emergency.
Oil prices were steady on Friday, but on track for a fall of up to 5% for the week on growing concern that fuel demand will weaken as the spread of a respiratory virus from China that has killed 25 so far dents travel and darkens the economic outlook.
The euro hovered near a seven-week low against the dollar on Friday after the European Central Bank was seen as more cautious than expected, while anxiety over China's coronavirus outbreak propped up the safe-haven yen.
Asian shares held their ground on Friday as trade slowed for the Lunar New Year, despite investors fears that a new coronavirus in China could spread faster as millions of people would be traveling over the week-long holiday.
Bill Miller came back with a bang in 2019, riding the stock market's relentless rally to record highs. He also thinks there may be more gains in 2020.
The safe-haven Japanese yen firmed and the Chinese yuan weakened on Thursday, as traders kept a wary eye on the spread of a virus in China, while the battered Australian dollar jumped after a surprise drop in unemployment.
Airlines and passengers are on guard against a new flu-like virus that originated in Wuhan, China.
A number of Chinese listed companies - ranging from biotech firms, drugmakers, mask producers and thermometer manufacturers - announced efforts in response to a national call to fight the outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus.
Asian shares tumbled on Thursday, led by the biggest slide in Chinese stocks in more than eight months, as investors grew more anxious about the spread of a new flu-like virus in China just as millions prepared to travel for the Lunar New Year.
Oil prices fell to their lowest in seven weeks on Thursday, sliding more than 1% on concern that the spread of a respiratory virus from China may lower fuel demand if it stunts economic growth in an echo of the SARS epidemic nearly 20 years ago.
Siemens Chief Executive Joe Kaeser said he was seeing a more positive mood among the German engineering company's clients at the start of the year, he told CNBC on Thursday.
Britain will soon decide what role China's Huawei will have in its 5G telecommunications network but there are only a limited number of alternative providers, business minister Andrea Leadsom said on Thursday.