Asian stocks are trembling as worries about tariffs grow.

After a hectic week of central bank meetings that further strained investor nerves, Asian stock markets saw a tight trading Friday as they awaited Donald Trump's next trade war volley.

Early trading saw a decline in South Korean and Hong Kong shares, a rise in the Japanese stock market, and a minor increase in mainland China's shares. As an indication of market concern, US futures slightly increased after the S&P 500 closed lower on Thursday.

Investor fears in the lead-up to a rise in US tariffs were highlighted by the slow moves, which halted a tentative recovery in global stocks earlier in the week. President Trump said earlier this week that on April 2, both general reciprocal tariffs and certain extra sector-specific penalties would take effect.