FTSE 100 falls due to Bank of Japan concerns

Stocks in Europe fell on Wednesday, following a warning from the Bank of Japan about uncertainties caused by U.S. trade policies under President Trump. Bank Governor Kazuo Ueda said that rapid changes in U.S. tariffs create "high uncertainty" for Japan's economy. The Bank of Japan also decided to keep interest rates at 0.5%, even as wholesale inflation in Japan reached 4.0% in February. Trump is expected to impose new tariffs on April 2, which adds to the market concerns. In early trading, London's FTSE 100 index dropped 0.4%. Other European markets, like Germany's DAX and France's CAC, also saw slight declines. Meanwhile, European stocks overall were down 0.2% as investors focused on the impact of U.S. tariffs. Asian stocks had mixed results overnight. In Japan, the Nikkei index fell 0.3%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 0.1%. Japan reported an 11.4% increase in exports year-on-year in February, but imports fell, improving the trade balance with a surplus. In the United States, major stock indices continued to decline, with the S&P 500 down 1.1% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq down 1.7%. Traders are waiting for the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision on interest rates and updated economic projections later in the day.