Emerging Market Currencies From Won to Real Jolted by US Policy

Some emerging-market currencies were jolted on Wednesday by a series of US policy moves that sent the Brazilian real tumbling and the Korean won to a session high.

The real fell as much as 0.9% after a report the US would freeze visa processing for Brazilians, a move that revived concerns over relations between the two countries. It pared most of those losses as more information emerged — including that the measure targets immigrant visas for people from 75 countries and is aimed at applicants deemed likely to require public assistance while seeking to live in the US.