Asian shares slipped on Tuesday, rapidly erasing initial gains that followed record highs on Wall Street after China reported disappointing trade data for July.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 0.3 per cent to 19,993.76 in morning trading, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.8 per cent to 5,730.00. South Korea's Kospi edged 0.1 per cent lower to 2,395.03.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng inched down 0.1 per cent to 27,707.79, while the Shanghai Composite was also down 0.1 per cent, at 3,274.83.
Gains in technology companies helped lift US stock indexes, nudging the market once again into record territory.
The S&P 500 index rose 0.2 per cent to a record 2,480.91. The Dow gained 0.1 per cent to 22,118.42, an all-time high. The Nasdaq composite added 0.5 per cent, to 6,383.77.
Benchmark US crude lost 18 cents to $49.21 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It fell 19 cents, or 0.4 per cent, to $49.39 per barrel Monday in New York.
Brent crude, the international standard, lost 22 cents to $52.15 a barrel.
The US dollar fell to 110.65 yen from 110.74 yen late Monday in Asia. The euro rose slightly to $1.1812 from $1.179, according to AP.