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B2B Asia News
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This is a B2B Asia News Daily Update for 13 August 2026, reviewing regional and global markets, and covering the daily business news you shouldn’t miss.
Watch the video in English above.
- We start with a quick look at regional markets. Asian shares were mostly higher on Thursday, powered by gains for AI-related stocks including computer chips as regional markets tracked a rally on Wall Street.
- Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 advanced 1.6%. In South Korea, the Kospi jumped 4% as shares in Samsung Electronics surged 5.4%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 0.3%, while the Shanghai Composite index added 0.5%.
- Zooming in on Cambodia’s market—the Cambodia Securities Exchange Index was up 1.99 points or 0.43% to 467.29. Total trade volume was up with 376,562 shares changing hands at a total value of 2.6 billion riel or close to $662,000 US dollars.
- On the main board, three stocks were up, led by ACLEDA Bank Plc, while three stocks were down with MJQ Education as the biggest loser of the day. Over on the growth board, DBD Engineering was up, JS Land was down, while Picasso City Garden stayed flat.
- Shifting to the exchange rate, the Khmer riel to USD strengthened slightly to 4,046 riel per US Dollar, while the US Dollar index hovered around 99.96.
- Looking at global commodities, oil prices declined on Thursday as investors assessed prospects for weaker global demand this year and higher U.S. crude stocks, while prices found support from a lack of progress in talks over the blockaded Strait of Hormuz and disruptions to supply.
- Brent futures were down 1% to $88.07 US dollars a barrel, trimming gains over the prior six sessions. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 1.2% to $82.31 US dollars, after advancing over the past five sessions. (0800 GMT)
- Gold fell from a more than two-month high as traders paused after a rally fuelled by cooling U.S. inflation, with attention turning to an upcoming producer price report for clues on prospects of near-term U.S. Federal Reserve rate hikes. Spot gold fell 0.8% to $4,374.03 US dollars per ounce, after jumping about 1% to its highest since June 5 earlier in the session. U.S. gold futures for December delivery fell 0.8% to $4,430.80 US dollars. (0733 GMT)
Looking at the crypto market, Bitcoin fell to near $63,500 US dollars on Thursday, down over half a percent on the day and almost 2% on the week, as an in-line U.S. inflation report proved enough to calm nerves but not enough to move the market.
- Moving on now to other business-related news,
- The official opening ceremony of Cambodia’s premier Machinery, Textile & Garment, and Plastics, Printing & Packaging Exhibition was held at the Diamond Island Exhibition and Convention Center on August 13 . The event was presided over by H.E. Hem Vandy, Minister of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, who delivered opening remarks highlighting the importance of industrial innovation, technology advancement, and regional trade growth. The ceremony welcomed an esteemed roster of national and international guests of honor, including senior representatives from the Ministry of Commerce, Office of the Council of Ministers, Council for the Development of Cambodia, Cambodia Chamber of Commerce, and the Textile, Apparel, Footwear and Travel Goods Association in Cambodia (TAFTAC). Their presence underscored the vital role of the exhibition in strengthening Cambodia’s industrial ecosystem, supporting business opportunities, and fostering international collaboration across the machinery, textile and garment, plastics, printing and packaging industries.
- The 9th Asia-Pacific Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health (9th APPF-GH) was successfully completed on August 13 at the National Assembly Palace with adoption of the Phnom Penh Communiqué. Hosted by the Parliament of the Kingdom of Cambodia from August 11 to 13, the forum brought together parliamentarians, health leaders, representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and partners from across the Asia-Pacific region. The three-day forum was organised with the strong support of the President of the National Assembly of Cambodia, and reaffirmed parliamentary commitment to advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) amid climate change and artificial intelligence. The Phnom Penh Communiqué recognises health as a human right and UHC as an important foundation for health equity, health security and sustainable development. It also emphasises stronger parliamentary action to ensure access to quality and affordable healthcare without financial hardship, particularly for vulnerable and underserved communities.
- Cambodia's cashew nut sector has reached a significant export milestone, with HCST INVESTMENT CO., LTD. successfully exporting its processed cashew nuts directly to Whitworths, a leading dried fruit, nut, and seed company in the United Kingdom, for the first time. To celebrate and further strengthen this emerging export partnership, on August 12, H.E. Samheng Bora, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Commerce and Chairman of the Export Promotion Task Force (EPTF), led a delegation to Stung Treng province to inspect HCST's production and processing facilities and gain first-hand insight into the export supply chain. The achievement marks an important step in connecting Cambodia's locally processed agricultural products with high-value international markets.
Watch the 13 August 2026 Daily Update in Khmer below: