23 January 2026 - Daily Update - B2B Asia News

This is a B2B Asia News Daily Update for 23 January 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. Stocks advanced in Asian trading on Friday after the Bank of Japan left benchmark interest rates on hold. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was last up 0.5%, while the Nikkei 225 climbed 0.3%. South Korean stocks led gains in Asia, with the KOSPI up for a third day by 0.9%.
• Zooming in on Cambodia’s market—the Cambodia Securities Exchange Index was up 1.05 points or 0.25%, to 425.22. Total trade volume was down with 95,429 shares changing hands at a total value of 561.6 million riel, over $140,000 US dollars.
• On the main board, five stocks were up, led by Grand Twins International, while two stocks were down, with MJQ Education as the biggest loser of the day. Over on the growth board, DBD Engineering was down, JS Land stayed flat and Picasso City Garden rose.
• Shifting to the exchange rate, the KHR stayed flat at 4,030 riel per US Dollar, while the US Dollar Index was down to 98.36.
• Turning to global commodities, oil prices rebounded on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump renewed threats against major Middle Eastern producer Iran, raising concerns of military action that could disrupt supplies. Brent crude futures for March rose 0.5% to $64.35 US dollars a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude also climbed 0.7% to $59.65 US dollars a barrel. (0751 GMT)
• Gold notched another record high, while silver and platinum also extended gains to ​hit all-time peaks. Spot gold was down 0.4% at $4,917.37 US dollars per ounce, after scaling a record $4,967.03 US dollars earlier in the day, up 14% in less than a month in 2026. U.S. gold futures for February delivery added 0.2% to $4,921.70 US dollars per ounce. (0851 GMT)
• Moving on now to other business-related news,
  A flagship modern agricultural community in Cambodia’s Tram Kak district, Takeo province, has successfully scaled production of cauliflower for commercial markets, marking a significant shift from subsistence monocropping to high-value, diversified farming. The expansion into cauliflower production is viewed as a milestone for the Cambodian government’s "Modern Agricultural Community" initiative. 
• The Minister of Commerce, Her Excellency Cham Nimul, shared that she met with the Vice President of MEDEF International, François Corbin, in Paris on January 23, during her visit to Europe for the World Economic Forum. MEDEF International is a French business organisation and part of the French Employers’ Federation. It was established in 1989 to support French companies seeking to expand their business operations abroad, particularly in emerging and developing markets.
• Russian company Lotus Group and its Cambodian partner JFT Jet have developed new strategic initiatives, including a feasibility study for establishing direct flights between Russia and Phnom Penh, or to other tourist destinations in Cambodia, to meet growing customer demand. This information was shared by representatives of Lotus Group and JFT Jet during their courtesy visit to the Cambodian minister of tourism on January 21. Lotus Group believes that such direct flights between Russia and Cambodia would help increase the number of Russian tourists and investors, as well as visitors from other Russian-speaking communities travelling to Cambodia.

Watch the 23 January 2026 Daily Update in Khmer below: