Dow Plummets br More Than 700 Points br on Recession Worries.br On Wednesday, the br Dow Jones Industrial br Average fell by 729 points.br Fears of a recession br are thought to have br caused the slide.br Recession fears were caused br by reports that the German br economy — Europe's strongest — br contracted 0.1 in the second quarter.br China's economy — the second br largest in the world — also showed br signs of pressure on growth.br Wednesday's downturn followed br a strong Tuesday in reaction to br the announcement of delayed U.S. br tariffs on some Chinese goods.br The relief rally inspired by the Trump administration delaying tariffs on some Chinese imports was short lived, Fiona Cincotta, City Index Senior Market Analyst, br via 'USA Today'.