Asian markets were lower in early Monday trade following concerns over trade protectionism during the G7 meeting in Italy and North Korea’s latest missile launch at the weekend.
G7 finance ministers and central bankers highlighted the risks the Trump administration’s trade policies could pose to global growth during their meeting in Italy.
This follows an earlier meeting in March this year, when G20 leaders failed to endorse free trade in their joint communique.
Meanwhile, concerns over North Korea’s nuclear programme grew after the hermit state launched a new missile over the weekend.
The missile landed in the sea close to Russia, Reuters reported.
Markets were also jittery that the extent of a global cyberattack could escalate as people return to work on Monday.
Called “WannaCry,” the malware infects affected devices with a ransomware programme. It hobbled the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) record systems last week
