TOKYO/SEOUL (Reuters) -Shares of Japanese, South Korean and European automakers surged on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to a trade deal with Tokyo that included reducing tariffs on Japanese auto imports to 15%, a move that stoked optimism about a similar agreement for Seoul and Brussels.

Shares in global carmakers surged after a U.S. trade agreement with Japan sparked optimism for the auto industry. Japanese auto stocks were particularly buoyant, with Toyota closing up 14%, its bigges

Japan's chief tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa speaks to the media after a meeting between Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Tokyo, on July 18, 2025. Shuji Kajiyama/AP

President Donald Trump is bragging that Japan has given him, as part of a new trade framework, $550 billion to invest in the United States.

Wall Street climbed Wednesday after President Donald Trump reached a trade deal with Japan and hopes rose for more agreements by August 1.

Stock futures are higher Wednesday as investors welcome news that the U.S. reached a trade agreement with Japan and prepare for the release of quarterly results from major technology companies.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has again denied reports that he plans to resign after his party's historic election defeat