Overview

• Beijing confirmed sanctions on five U.S.-linked subsidiaries of South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean and cited the U.S. Section 301 shipping probe and port fees as justification while launching a related domestic inquiry.
• Equities fell across regions, with Japan’s Nikkei closing down about 2.6%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng off roughly 2%, and Europe’s STOXX 600 down around 0.6% as U.S. stock futures turned lower.
• Safe-haven flows lifted gold near a fresh record after touching about $4,179 an ounce, government bonds rallied, and bitcoin declined roughly 3.5%.
• Both the United States and China began charging new port fees on ocean shipping on Tuesday, reinforcing concerns over a broader tit-for-tat trade confrontation.
• Japan’s political uncertainty, following Komeito’s exit from the ruling coalition and questions over Sanae Takaichi’s path to the premiership, deepened losses in Tokyo as investors also eyed U.S. bank earnings and delayed economic data.