Asian stocks ended mixed on Monday despite U.S. President Donald trump intensifying his trade war with threat of 30 percent tariffs on the European Union and Mexico.
China's exports growth beat expectations in June, helping limit regional losses, if any.
The dollar held steady in Asian trade and gold climbed above $3,370 per ounce while oil prices jumped more than 1 percent ahead of expected U.S. sanctions on Russia that may affect global supplies.
China's Shanghai Composite index edged up by 0.27 percent to 3,519.65 as customs data showed China's overall exports jumped 5.8 percent in June year-on-year in U.S. dollar terms.
Imports grew 1.1 percent from a year earlier, rising the first time this year.
China's exports of rare earths surged 60.3 percent in June from a year earlier and rose 32 percent from the previous month, indicating a push by global buyers to get hold of the materials used to make powerful magnets.