Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index (HSI) closed down 109.49 points, or 0.44%, at 24,604.29 on Sept 17. The Hang Seng Tech Index fell 14.71 points, or 0.34%, to 4,310.74; the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index dropped 31.01 points, or 0.38%, to 8,175.36; the Hang Seng Red Chip Index declined 37.35 points, or 0.92%, to 4,040.85.

U.S. Treasury published a revised Venezuela-related general license authorizing certain transactions involving Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA 2020 8.5% bonds; the authorization is effective Nov. 5, the Treasury website says.

Japan's August oil import bill rose 58.7% YoY while import volumes increased only 3.6% YoY, lifting overall imports 28% YoY and widening the trade deficit for a fourth consecutive month. Daiwa Research analyst Koki Akimoto said crude-price pass-through to cargoes arriving in Japan typically has about a two-month lag, so oil import costs may rise further from September, further weakening Japan's terms of trade.