Sharemarkets around the world have fallen over fears that last week's $US700 billion rescue plan put together by the United States government might unravel.
After a day of volatile trading in New York, share prices fell back overnight as investors sold the US dollar and sought safety in hard assets such as gold and oil.
Australian and Asian stocks fell about 2% and the New Zealand sharemarket ended trading down 0.8%.
The rescue package has sparked huge debate about the rights and wrongs of the US government soaking up mortgage debt using taxpayer dollars.
Stocks on Wall Street plunged and the value of the dollar tumbled as fears grew the deal might falter.
US lawmakers are like to apply a "strings-attached clause" to the deal.
Many US politicians seem to be alarmed by the scale and implications of the global financial crisis, and there are doubts over how fast the rescue plan can be introduced.
Asian stocks fell and US Treasury prices rose on Tuesday on scepticism about how the bailout plan can restore confidence in the US financial system when the economy may be facing a recession.
European sharemarkets are expected to open down as much as 1%, according to financial bookmakers.
Initial exuberance about the US government's answer to the financial crisis has faded.
