Hong Kong - Asian markets tumbled on Monday after a strong US jobs report increased expectations the Federal Reserve will hike interest rates soon, while Tokyo took a hit from data showing Japan's economy grew slower than first thought in the last quarter of 2014.
The euro struggled at 12-year lows against the dollar as the European Central Bank (ECB) prepares to kick off its bond-buying stimulus programme, while Hong Kong and Shanghai dealers were unimpressed by mixed Chinese trade data at the weekend.
Tokyo sank 0.63% by lunch, Hong Kong lost 0.75%, Sydney tumbled 1.27% and Seoul shed 0.70% while Shanghai was 0.22% lower.