Shares retreated in Asia on Wednesday after Japan reported its worst monthly decline in exports in three years, putting pressure on the economy as growth slows following a sales tax hike.
Adding to regional jitters, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution overnight to support human rights in Hong Kong after months of increasingly violent protests.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index NIK, -0.62% declined 0.8% after customs data showed the country’s exports falling 9.2% in October from a year earlier, with sharp declines in shipments to China, South Korea and the U.S.