BEIJING (AP) – Shares extended losses in Asia on Friday after Japan and South Korea reported weak manufacturing data that suggest a worsening toll from trade tensions.
U.S. markets were closed for the Thanksgiving holiday and will have a half-day session on Friday.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index NIK,– 0. (%) lost 0.5%, while the Hang Seng HSI,– 2. 03% in Hong Kong gave up 2%. The Shanghai Composite index SHCOMP,– 0. 61% shed 0.7%, but Australia’s S&P ASX 200 XJO,– 0. 26% slipped 0.2%. South Korea’s Kospi 180721,– 1. 45% Slipped 0.1%. Shares fell in Taiwan and Southeast Asia.
Japan reported Friday that its factory output fell 4.2% in October, much worse than forecast and the biggest month-on-month drop since January 2018. The decline could mean industrial production will decline by 4% in the October-December quarter from the previous quarter, Tom Learmouth of Capital Economics said in a commentary.
He noted that forecasts by manufacturers do not suggest output is likely to rebound soon.
Neighboring South Korea reported its industrial output declined 1.7% in October.
“It suggests the US-China trade dispute continues taking its toll on Asian economies, despite signs of some green shoots, ”Jeffrey Halley of OANDA said in a report.
Stock markets fell Thursday in Europe and Asia after President Donald Trump signed a bill supporting human rights in Hong Kong, potentially increasing tensions as the US and China talk about ending their trade war.
Overnight in Europe, Britain’s FTSE 100 UKX,– 0. 19% declined 0.4% to 7, 402 and the CAC 40 PX1, 0. 00% in Paris gave up 0.3% to 5, 908. Germany’s DAX DAX,– 0. 17% declined 0.4% to 13, (******************************************************.
US futures were lower, with the contracts for both the Dow Jones Industrial Average (YM) ,– 0. 21% and the S&P 500 (ES) ,– 0. 22% losing 0.3%.
New tariffs are set to kick in on many Chinese-made products as of Dec. 15 and negotiators have said they might soon have a preliminary deal that could avert that move.
Beijing reacted with furyto Trump’s announcement that he was signing the Hong Kong human rights bill. But the legislation got nearly unanimous approval by both houses of Congress and his decision was not unexpected.
After its initial reaction, the Chinese government did not say what specific countermeasures it might take. It has stayed silent on the issue of whether the U.S. move, viewed as meddling in internal Chinese affairs, might derail the trade talks.
In energy trading, Brent crude oil, the international standard, gained 26 cents to $ 63. 27 per barrel.
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