Asian stock markets tumbled on Friday after US President Donald Trump confirmed tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China, rattling investor sentiment. The announcement, which marks a renewed escalation in trade tensions,

Little about how Trump discusses tariffs is normal — not only because he threatens tariffs on a weekly, even daily, basis, but also because it's often unclear if or when those tariffs will happen.

Shares retreated Friday in Asia, with benchmarks in Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea tumbling more than 2% as U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to push ahead with 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada and to double tariffs on Chinese products to 20% left investors reeling.