KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia closed almost flat on Tuesday as buying interest rotated away from index heavyweights towards smaller-cap construction stocks, with sentiment affected by geopolitical uncertainty, said an analyst. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 0.39 of a point to 1,714.40 from Monday’s close of 1,714.79. The benchmark index opened 1.65 points lower at 1,713.14 and moved between 1,710.44 and 1,714.50 throughout the trading session. The broader market was almost evenly balanced, with decliners leading gainers 548 to 546, while 598 counters were unchanged, 1,107 were untraded and 25 were suspended. Turnover expanded to 4.13 billion units valued at RM3.14 billion from 3.60 billion units valued at RM2.45 billion on Monday.
R epublican presidential candidate Donald Trump has escalated his protectionist trade rhetoric , threatening to impose tariffs as high as 200% on vehicles imported from Mexico if elected. Speaking at a rally in Juneau, Wisconsin , Trump vowed to protect the US auto industry by preventing Mexican-made cars from entering the US market. "We'll put a tariff of 200% on if we have to," Trump declared, doubling his previous promise of a 100% duty on imported cars and trucks . His campaign’s focus on the domestic auto industry comes as Trump faces a tight race against Democrat Kamala Harris , with the November election looming. Mexico exported around 3 million vehicles to the US in 2023 , with the Detroit Three automakers accounting for about half of these exports. Experts warn that such massive tariffs could significantly increase vehicle prices , affecting both domestic and imported cars. The Tax Policy Center has also cautioned that Trump's proposal would likely dri...