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B2B Asia News
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This is a B2B Asia News Daily Update for 18 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 markets traded mostly lower on Tuesday, with South Korean stocks standing out after returning to trading following a public holiday. South Korea’s Kospi surged around 2%, supported by strong performances from major chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which gained about 3% and 5%.
- Japan’s Nikkei 225 declined 0.9%, while the broader Topix fell 0.28%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index slipped 0.19%, while mainland China’s CSI 300 declined 0.12%.
- Zooming in on Cambodia’s market—the Cambodia Securities Exchange Index was up 0.39 points or 0.08% to 476.72. Total trade volume was down with 760,139 shares changing hands at a total value of 3.9 billion riel or over $974,000 US dollars.
- On the main board, three stocks were up, led by Royal Group Phnom Penh SEZ, while only one stock, Pestech Cambodia, was down.
- Over on the growth board, DBD Engineering was up, Picasso City Garden was down, while JS Land stayed flat.
- Shifting to the exchange rate, the Khmer riel to USD strengthened slightly to 4,043 riel per US Dollar, while the US Dollar index hovered around 99.65.
- Looking at global commodities, oil prices rose for a third session on Tuesday as prospects receded for a deal to end the Middle East war, with Iran saying it would adopt a more offensive stance and the U.S. ruling out extending a ceasefire deal, heightening worries about energy supply.
- Brent crude futures climbed 1% to $91.76 US dollars a barrel, extending their gains on Monday and were at their highest since July 30. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up $85.55 US dollars a barrel, also extending gains from the previous session to their highest since July 31. (0641 GMT)
- Gold fell, pressured by higher Treasury yields and oil prices, while traders awaited minutes of the U.S. Federal Reserve's July policy meeting for clues on the outlook for interest rates.
- Spot gold was down 0.4% to $4,397.42 US dollars per ounce, while U.S. gold futures for December delivery dropped 0.5% to $4,452.90 US dollars. (0624 GMT)
Looking at the crypto market, Bitcoin traded around $64,100 US dollars, showing mild consolidation following recent volatility. Ethereum was up 0.45% to $1,892.30 US dollars, with a 7-day gain of 1.95%.
- Moving on now to other business-related news,
- The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) and China’s Weixin Pay have launched the Cross-Border QR Code Payment Initiative Phase 1, enabling Weixin Pay (commonly known as WeChat Pay) users to scan KHQR codes in Cambodia. The official launching ceremony was held on August 18 under the presidency of H.E. Dr. Chea Serey, NBC Governor, and Ben Yang, Managing Director of Weixin Pay for Southeast Asia, North America and LATAM Region. This milestone enables Weixin Pay users to scan KHQR codes in Cambodia, facilitating seamless transactions between the Kingdom of Cambodia and the People’s Republic of China via Weixin Pay’s payment network. The development of this cross-border QR code payment initiative marks a significant step forward in enhancing existing payment cooperation between Cambodia and China.
- The Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) and iFLYTEK, a prominent Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) and information technology company, have discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in digital transformation. The discussion took place during a meeting on August 17 between H.E. Sun Chanthol, Deputy Prime Minister and First Vice Chairman of the CDC, and Fang Ming, Vice President of iFLYTEK. The meeting was attended by members of the management of the CDC’s General Secretariat and Cambodian Investment Board (CIB), as well as relevant officials. H.E. Sun Chanthol warmly welcomed the iFLYTEK delegation and recalled the fruitful exchanges between the two sides during the Cambodia Investment Seminar held in Beijing earlier in June.
- The Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) and the Incheon Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) of the Republic of Korea have pledged to further strengthen cooperation to promote investment flows and human resource development in Cambodia. The commitment was made during a meeting between H.E. Sun Chanthol, and Park Joo-bong, President of the ICCI, in Phnom Penh. H.E. Sun Chanthol warmly welcomed the ICCI delegation and expressed his appreciation for the chamber's support in organising the Incheon-Cambodia Investment Promotion Forum 2026 in late June. He expressed confidence that the investment promotion forum, together with Cambodia's investment promotion mission to the Republic of Korea, would help attract more Korean investment and businesspeople to Cambodia.
Watch the 18 August 2026 Daily Update in Khmer below: