Japanese equities fell on Wednesday after the country saw its steepest export drop in over four years.
Exports fell 2.6% in July as US tariffs weighed on global commerce, the Ministry of Finance reported Wednesday.
The Nikkei 225 fell 145.63 points to open at 43,400.66, tracking a sharp retreat on Wall Street led by heavyweight technology shares.
Investor confidence wavered over concerns that the tech rally had advanced too far, with all eyes on the upcoming Jackson Hole symposium for clues on interest rates.
Concurrently, the US announced plans to increase scrutiny of imports from China's Xinjiang region to enforce a ban on goods made with forced labor.
Further trade tensions emerged as the US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused some of the "richest families in India" of benefiting from Russian oil and reiterated plans for higher tariffs.
In geopolitics, the US president pushed for flexibility from the leaders of Russia and Ukraine to facilitate a bilateral summit.
Source: MTN newswires
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