Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Asian stocks failed to join a rally on Wall Street that took it to record highs on optimism over earnings outlook. Treasuries dropped as oil climbed. MSCI's Asia Pacific equities gauge fell 0.4%, with the regional benchmark now about 2% from its peak. Stocks dropped in Japan and South Korea, while they rose in Taiwan. The All Country World Index — a key barometer of global stocks — is about 0.5% away from its peak hit in August. Earlier, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 Index closed at record highs ahead of the US earnings season next week. Artificial intelligence-related stocks led the advance, with Nvidia Corp.'s market value approaching $6 trillion. Tech remained in focus as Elon Musk's SpaceX was in talks with banks and investors to raise $40 billion of debt to buy chips from Nvidia Corp., people familiar with the matter said. We speak to Lianting Tu, Bloomberg's Managing Editor for Asia Equities.

Former Canadian Minister of International Trade Mary Ng told Bloomberg TV's Avril Hong Wednesday that Canada must protect its industries from "unjustified" U.S. tariffs before returning to the negotiating table. Speaking at the Milken Institute Asia Summit, Ng highlighted an aggressive pivot to diversify exports toward Asian markets. She pointed to accelerated energy and critical mineral exports, alongside ongoing trade talks with ASEAN and India aimed at doubling market access. Ng also noted an "encouraging" alignment with China to shield Canada's vital agrifood sector.