* S&P/ASX 200 falls 1 pct for the week
* BHP biggest drag, strike threat and weak commodity prices weigh
* NZ's Synlait Milk rises as a2 Milk raises stake
(Updates to close)
By Nikhil Nainan
Aug 3 (Reuters) - Australian shares gave up early gains and turned lower as sentiment was dented by the latest exchange of trade threats between the United States and China, a major market for Australia's crucial resources exports.
Financial stocks were the biggest drag on the S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO , which edged 6.1 points lower to 6,234.8 at the close of trade to a week's low.
James McGlew, executive director of corporate stockbroking at Argonaut said: "There are these lingering concerns with regards to the rhetoric on the trade situation with the U.S. and China and this is causing people to be seated on the sidelines at the moment."
The drab mood was enough to drive the market just over 1 percent lower for the week, to its worst weekly loss since the end of March.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia CBA.AX extended its losses to be down 1.2 percent at a one-month low.
Investors remain focused on the Royal Commission inquiry, which is set to resume hearings next week, ahead of CBA's earnings and amid its plans to sell its wealth management business.
The inquiry has already led to damaging revelations, wiping billions of dollars off market values of Australia's top banks, prompting executive departures and encouraging lenders to offload business units likely to be affected by any regulation that result from it.
Among the remaining 'Big Four' banks, Westpac Banking WBC.AX and Australia and New Zealand Banking ANZ.AX fell 1 percent and 0.9 percent, respectively.
Miners were hit by weaker commodity prices as trade tensions fuelled uncertainty over demand. MET/L
BHP BHP.AX dropped 1.6 percent to a near two-week low as the weaker commodity prices and a strike threat at its Escondida copper mine in Chile deterred investors.
The workers union has given the global miner till August 6 to come up with a better pay offer. reliant sectors and the energy firms supported earlier gains in the market, sustained by weakness in the Australian dollar and overnight gains in oil prices.
Biotherapeutics firm CSL CSL.AX led the way, rising 1 percent.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 ended the week in positive territory, up 0.2 percent to 8,864.52, but not enough to halt a 1.5 percent weekly loss.
Synlait Milk SML.NZ was among the top contributors to the index, after a2 Milk Company ATM.NZ said it would pick up an additional 8.2 percent stake for about NZ$161.8 million ($108.92 million) from Japan's Mitsui & Co 8031.T .
Synlait's stock rose 2.8 percent, while a2 Milk reversed earlier gains to end 0.2 percent lower.