Hong Kong stocks fell on Friday, hurt by growing concerns about the US trade war and the potential for a global recession.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index lost 124 points, or 0.6 percent, to open at 20,557 points, while the tech sub-index was 0.5 percent weaker.

However, the blue-chip CSI 300 Index on the mainland and the Shanghai Composite Index were flat, losing just 0.1 percent at the open.

Elsewhere, Japan’s Nikkei 225 share index was down 5.6 percent in early trading, while shares also fell in South Korea and Australia.

Losses of US stocks accelerated after the White House clarified that the United States will tax Chinese imports at 145 percent, not the 125 percent rate that Trump had written about in his posting on Truth Social Wednesday. (Agencies)