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B2B Asia News
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This is a B2B Asia News Daily Update for 17 March 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 stocks traded higher driven by a rebound in technology shares and AI optimism despite ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
- South Korea's KOSPI led gains with a 1.63% rise, while Taiwan shares also gained.
- However, Japanese shares remained flat and Chinese mainland stocks saw a slight decline.
- Zooming in on Cambodia’s market—the Cambodia Securities Exchange Index was up 0.37 points or 0.09%, to 431.1.
- Total trade volume was up with 1,359,322 shares changing hands at a total value of over 3 billion riel, or close to $770,000 US dollars.
- On the main board, three stocks were up, led by Royal Group Phnom Penh SEZ, and three stocks down, with Pestech Cambodia as the biggest loser of the day.
- Over on the growth board, DBD Engineering and JS Land were down while Picasso City Garden stayed flat.
- Shifting to the exchange rate, the KHR stayed flat at 4,013 riel per US Dollar, while the US Dollar Index hovered around 99.74.
- Turning to global commodities, oil prices rose by about 3% on Tuesday, clawing back some of the previous session's losses as Iranian attacks on the United Arab Emirates rekindled supply fears while the Strait of Hormuz remains largely shut.
- Brent crude futures jumped 3.3% to $103.48 US dollars a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained 3.4% to $96.64 US dollars. (1028 GMT)
- Gold prices inched higher, bolstered by safe-haven demand amid geopolitical jitters stemming from the Iran war, though gains were limited as investors remained cautious ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's monetary policy decision.
- Spot gold was up 0.2% at $5,012.80 US dollars per ounce.
- U.S. gold futures for April delivery rose 0.3% to $5,016.80 US dollars. (0942 GMT)
- Looking at the crypto market, Bitcoin continued a strong rally, testing levels above $75,000–$76,000 US dollars and logging an 8-day winning streak amid geopolitical tensions and ETF inflows.
- Moving on now to other business-related news:
- The Ministry of Commerce (MoC) issued a notice on March 16, announcing the updated retail oil prices from March 17 onwards. Regular gasoline is currently priced at 5,500 riel per litre, while diesel is priced at 6,550 riel per litre.
- The Association of Banks in Cambodia (ABC) and the Cambodia Microfinance Association (CMA) issued a statement on March 16 reassuring the resilience and stability of Cambodia's financial sector. This announcement follows recent news of bank liquidations, which prompted the National Bank of Cambodia to release a video message also reassuring members of the public on the strength of the banking sector.
- A delegation of Austrian companies is visiting Cambodia to explore investment opportunities, underscoring growing European interest in the country’s economic potential following a business forum in the capital. The interest was highlighted at the Cambodia-Austria Business Forum held on March 16, which brought together a high-level Austrian business delegation comprising 19 firms, and representatives from key Cambodian ministries and private sector bodies.
Watch the 17 March 2026 Daily Update in Khmer below: