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Asia-Pacific stocks from Shanghai to Tokyo and Sydney to Hong Kong plunged on Monday by levels not seen in decades, as global markets continue to reel from US President Donald Trump's tariffs.

The Shanghai Composite was down more than 8% at one point, Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped more than 13% and Japan's Nikkei 225 closed down by 7.8% - moves that one analyst described to the BBC as a "bloodbath".

European markets too fell in early trading, with banks and defence firms seeing the biggest drops. This follows global slumps last week after Trump announced new tariffs between 10% and 46% on most countries.

Summary

Asian stock markets suffered historic losses Monday as fallout from Trump’s sweeping new tariffs hit global markets.

The Hang Seng fell 13.2%, Japan’s Nikkei dropped 7.8%, and Taiwan’s index saw a record 9.7% plunge. Trump’s tariffs—ranging from 10% to 54%—target key exporters like China, Vietnam, and Japan.

Analysts warn of long-term damage, with Goldman Sachs raising U.S. recession odds to 45%. Asian economies, heavily reliant on U.S. exports, are especially vulnerable.

As a region that manufactures so many of the goods sold globally, Asian countries and territories are being hit directly by the tariffs.

They are also particularly sensitive to the impact of fears that a global trade war could trigger a slowdown or even a recession in the world's biggest economy.

Japan's Nikkei 225 benchmark index closed down by 7.8% and ASX 200 in Australia lost 4.2%.

In afternoon trading, the Kospi in South Korea was 4.7% lower.