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B2B Asia News
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This is a B2B Asia News Daily Update for 21 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 mixed on Friday following overnight losses on Wall Street, as US Treasury Department efforts to calm bond markets provided only temporary relief.
- Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.3%. South Korea’s Kospi climbed 0.9%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 1.2%, while the Shanghai Composite index added less than 0.1%. Taiwan’s Taiex gained 0.7%, while India’s Sensex was up less than 0.1%.
- Zooming in on Cambodia’s market—the Cambodia Securities Exchange Index was up 4.08 points or 0.85% to 483.28.
- Total trade volume was down with 277,838 shares changing hands at a total value of 1.1 billion riel or over $293,000 US dollars.
- On the main board, six stocks were up, led by Royal Group Phnom Penh SEZ, while only one stock, Grand Twins International, was down.
- Over on the growth board, JS Land was down, while DBD Engineering and Picasso City Garden stayed flat.
- Shifting to the exchange rate, the Khmer riel to USD weakened slightly to 4,046 riel per US Dollar, while the US Dollar index hovered around 98.66.
- Looking at global commodities, oil prices edged lower on Friday but were on track for a second straight weekly gain after the United States threatened to impose "the toughest sanctions in history" with no end in sight for disruptions to Middle East oil flows. Brent crude futures fell 0.18% to $93.61 US dollars a barrel. U.S.
- West Texas Intermediate crude futures slipped 0.41% to $86.47 US dollars. (0802 GMT)
- Gold hit a near three-month high and was set to rise for a third consecutive week and breach its 200-day moving average, driven by a weaker dollar and the U.S. Treasury's surprise mid-week liquidity support announcement.
- Spot gold was up 1.6% at $4,591.01 US dollars per ounce, having hit $4,601.29 US dollars, its highest since May 15, earlier in the session. U.S. gold futures rose 1.7% to $4,648.00 US dollars. (0921 GMT)
Looking at the crypto market, Bitcoin surged past $75,000 US dollars for the first time since May, catalysed by a White House crypto summit where President Donald Trump pressured Congress to pass the industry-backed CLARITY Act. Ethereum also rallied significantly during the broader crypto market surge, climbing past $2,300 US dollars to reach a multi-month high.
- Moving on now to other business-related news,
- The state-backed Agricultural and Rural Development Bank (ARDB) and a commercial bank, Vattanac Bank, have explored potential cooperation to expand access to finance for agricultural businesses, support green investment and promote sustainable development in Cambodia’s agricultural sector. The Chief Executive Officer of ARDB led a meeting with Vattanac Bank’s management on August 21 at the ARDB Headquarters in Phnom Penh to exchange views on potential areas of cooperation between the two institutions. The meeting focused on ways to strengthen access to financing for enterprises operating in the agricultural sector, while supporting sustainable agricultural development and promoting green finance. The two sides also discussed potential financing mechanisms that could help support private-sector investment in agriculture and contribute to the development of more sustainable business activities. As part of the discussions, ARDB and Vattanac Bank exchanged views on potential cooperation under the Cambodia Climate Finance Facility (CCFF), according to information provided by ARDB.
- The two-day K-Edu Vision Fair kicked off in Phnom Penh on August 21. Organized by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) and SM Global Foundation, the fair is aimed at deepening educational cooperation between Cambodia and South Korea, providing students and parents with key guidance on Korean university admissions, scholarships, language programs, and job prospects. During the fair’s opening ceremony, Paul Yang, a representative of SM Global Foundation, said the main purpose of the fair is to bring Korean universities together with Cambodian students seeking opportunities to study and pursue careers in South Korea. He said he hopes to see more students continue their studies in South Korea, highlighting the similar cultures, affordable costs, and high quality of education.
- Cambodia has expressed strong optimism that its bilateral trade volume with Vietnam will continue its upward trajectory to reach the $20 billion dollar target in the near future. H.E. Neth Savoeun, Deputy Prime Minister, made the remarks on August 20 during a reception in Phnom Penh celebrating the 81st National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. He noted that Vietnam has maintained its position as Cambodia's third-largest trading partner since 2022, trailing only China and the United States. In 2025, Vietnam ranked as the third-largest source of foreign investment in Cambodia and the second-highest among ASEAN member states, behind Singapore. Tourism between the two neighbouring countries has also surged, with Vietnamese visitors topping foreign arrival numbers in Cambodia, and Cambodian tourists ranking first among ASEAN visitors to Vietnam.
Watch the 21 August 2026 Daily Update in Khmer below: