Divya Delhi:  Indian benchmark indexes opened Thursday at a low, matching global markets' slump after the US announced fresh auto tariffs. The monthly expiry of Nifty F&O contracts, FII activity, and semi-annual NSE rebalancing influenced market sentiment. Nvidia and Tesla fell dramatically on Wednesday, dragging down Wall Street. Investors were wary before US penalties on vehicle imports, which were expected to increase trade hostilities. US President Donald Trump had previously announced a 25% duty on all foreign-made autos starting April 2, with collections starting the next day. Analysts expect tariffs to raise prices and disrupt supply chains. Early Asian trading was affected by the U.S. tariff announcement. Japanese Topix down 0.7%, while Australian S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.6%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng futures fell 0.1% and Euro Stoxx 50 futures fell 1.2%, indicating further European market weakness. Early Tokyo trade saw S&P 500 futures fall 0.2%, underscoring investor nervousness. The recent developments increase global trade uncertainty, with markets watching for retaliation from affected economies.