Australian shares are set to open lower on Tuesday, with losses in the energy sector likely to weigh on the benchmark as oil prices fell overnight amid a surge in COVID-19 infections.

Oil prices fell around 1% on Monday as surging coronavirus cases and heightened tensions between the United States and China, the world's top oil consumers, put pressure on the market.

The local share price index futures fell 0.2%, a 14-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index close.

The benchmark rose 0.6% on Monday.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index rose 0.2% in early trade.