Shares in Taiwan trended lower Friday as investors were affected by a plunge on Wall Street overnight amid concerns over Argentina's latest debt default and the financial problems of a leading Portuguese bank.
Chemical stocks were hit hard by a series of gas explosions that rocked Kaohsiung late Thursday night, killing at least 25 people and injuring 267, as uncertainty remains over what caused the blasts.
The weighted index on the Taiwan Stock Exchange closed down 49.34 points, or 0.52%, at 9,266.51.