Asian stocks stumbled on Friday, in the wake of ominous signals from US corporate earnings and a series of central bank meetings that raised more questions than answers for the global economy.
Hong Kong shares faced heavy selling pressure, with a gauge of technology stocks in the city sliding around 3% after a recent rally.
A broader index of Chinese stocks listed in the financial hub headed for its steepest two-day drop since November.
Shares in Indonesia and Taiwan also fell, although those in Japan edged higher. US futures were largely steady.
Equity investors in Asia are confronting an increasingly cloudy outlook for the global economy, as tariff fears and corporate earnings weigh on sentiment.
US President Donald Trump said both broad reciprocal tariffs and certain additional sector-specific tariffs would come into force on April 2, a major risk for the global economy.
The European Union this week delayed a proposed tariff on American whiskey. The trading bloc is ready to talk to Trump before making further decisions on retaliatory tariffs, Ireland’s deputy prime minister said.
