* Dollar pares losses, after worse start to year in 3 decades
* Euro, yen gained as Trump complains about devaluation
* Fed seen on hold amid much policy uncertainty
* Shares restrained by lack of progress on fiscal stimulus
* Apple stock up 3 pct after bell on strong iPhone sales
By Wayne Cole
SYDNEY, Feb 1 (Reuters) - The dollar struggled to regain its poise on Wednesday after the Trump administration accused Germany, Japan and China of devaluing their currencies to gain a trade advantage, adding to a risk-off mood that also kept stocks subdued.
The U.S. currency suffered its worst January in three decades after President Donald Trump complained that every "other country lives on devaluation."
Just hours earlier, his top trade adviser said Germany was using a "grossly undervalued" euro to exploit its trading partners. The accusations drew rebuttals from German and Japanese officials, but looked likely to run for some time.
"Suspicions that Washington may increasingly focus on the value of the dollar were catapulted into the limelight," ANZ analysts said in a note.
"The early policy implication is that dollar competitiveness could have a prominent role to play in Trump's 'America First' agenda."
The dollar did recoup some of its losses as the Asian session wore on, edging up to 113.17 yen from a low of 112.08, though that remained well short of Monday's 115.01 peak.
The euro was firm at $1.0793, having been as high as $1.0812 and a long way from Monday's trough of $1.0617. Against a basket of currencies, the dollar inched up 0.2 percent to 99.703, having ended January with a loss of 2.6 percent.
Japanese investors seemed relieved the yen did not rise even further and nudged the Nikkei up 0.5 percent. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan added 0.1 percent in a quiet session.
Spread betters were tipping a modest early bounce for European bourses, while E-mini futures for the S&P 500 were 0.1 percent firmer.
FED ON HOLD
Chinese markets were still on holiday but surveys from the Asian giant showed manufacturing and services activity continued to expand in January.
Exports from tech bellwether South Korea also grew at the fastest pace in almost five years, another sign the global economy had been on the mend before all the talk of U.S. protectionism darkened the air.
Investors' hopes for a fiscal boost to the world's largest economy under Trump have been tempered by controversial and protectionist policies that have seen him suspend travel to the United States from seven Muslim-majority countries.
The policy uncertainty only added to expectations the U.S. Federal Reserve will keep interest rates steady when it concludes a two-day meeting later Wednesday.