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B2B Asia News
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This is a B2B Asia News Daily Update for 26 May 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 Tuesday following a strong push in US stock futures.
- The MSCI Asia Pacific Index climbed 0.5%. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 lost 0.3%, while South Korea's Kospi jumped 2.6%.
- In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index was nearly unchanged, while the Shanghai Composite index shed 0.2%.
- Zooming in on Cambodia’s market—the Cambodia Securities Exchange Index was down 0.69 points or 0.16 % to 431.62.
- Total trade volume was up with 160,181 shares changing hands at a total value of 771 million riel or over $192,000 US dollars.
- On the main board, only two stocks were up, led by Grand Twins International, while five stocks were down, with Pestech Cambodia as the biggest loser of the day.
- Over on the growth board, JS Land was up, while Picasso City Garden and DBD Engineering were down.
- Shifting to the exchange rate, the Khmer riel to USD weakened slightly to 4,029 riel per US Dollar, while the US Dollar index hovered around 99.05.
- Turning to global commodities, Brent crude oil rose on Tuesday after the U.S. military carried out strikes in Iran, adding to uncertainty on whether a deal will be imminently reached to end the war and open up shipping flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
- Global benchmark Brent was up 3.2% to $99.18 US dollars a barrel.
- U.S. West Texas Intermediate was down 4.2% from Friday's close $92.53 US dollars.
- There was no WTI settlement on Monday due to the U.S. Memorial Day holiday. (0820 GMT)
- Gold fell on Tuesday as fresh U.S. attacks in Iran pushed oil prices higher, fuelling concerns around inflation and higher-for-longer interest rates.
- Spot gold was down 1% at $4,524.73 US dollars per ounce.
- U.S. gold futures for June delivery gained 0.1% to $4,525.30 US dollars. (0737 GMT)
- Looking at the crypto market, Bitcoin rebounded from its 128-day moving average near $74,500 US dollars. It remains below key onchain resistance levels around $77,000 US dollars, including the true market mean and short-term holder cost basis.
- More than 15% of bitcoin supply sits between $74,000 and $83,000 US dollars.
- Moving on now to other business-related news:
- South Korean investors are exploring additional investment opportunities in Cambodia, particularly in the agricultural sector with a focus on cashew production, according to Park Joo Bong, President of the Incheon Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Korea. The remarks were made during a courtesy meeting with Hun Sen, Acting Head of State of the Kingdom of Cambodia, at the Senate's Solidarity Palace on May 26. According to the Senate’s Spokesperson, Acting Head of State Hun Sen welcomed Park Joo Bong and his delegation to Cambodia and expressed hope that the trip would help identify further investment opportunities in the country. Park highlighted Cambodia’s favourable investment climate, describing the country as safe and increasingly attractive to South Korean investors.
- From May 21 to 25, a Cambodian delegation, led by the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) attended the 8th Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade (WCIFIT) to attract partnerships in key sectors like smart vehicles, green energy, healthcare, and logistics. During the event, the Deputy Secretary General of the General Secretariat of the CDC, highlighted Cambodia’s highly competitive business climate and emphasized that foreign investors can enjoy 100% ownership, free capital flow, and strong legal protections against nationalization. Furthermore, Qualified Investment Projects (QIP) can secure corporate tax holidays for up to 9 years alongside deep customs duty and VAT exemptions, particularly for ventures driving R&D and workforce development.
- The Cambodian Minister of Labour and Vocational Training received a courtesy call from the Secretary of the Party Committee of the Guangxi Transport Vocational and Technical College on May 25, during which a cooperation agreement was signed between the Guangxi Transport Vocational and Technical College, the National Polytechnic Institute of Cambodia, and the Prasith Institute of Technology. The Cambodian Minister expressed his full satisfaction and support for this collaboration, noting that the initiative is highly timely and directly addresses practical needs—especially regarding New Energy Vehicles, or vehicles utilising renewable energy, which the Cambodian government is actively promoting.
Watch the 26 May 2026 Daily Update in Khmer below: