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B2B Asia News
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This is a B2B Asia News Daily Update for 27 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 stock markets were swept up in a global rout on Friday, tracking Wall Street lower as the threat of a protracted energy shock out of the war-torn Middle East sent borrowing costs spiralling higher.
- MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan tumbled 1.4% and was set for a weekly drop of 3%.
- Japan’s Nikkei skidded 1.3% and was down 0.9% for the week.
- South Korea’s KOSPI plunged 3%, bringing its weekly loss to a staggering 8.5%.
- Chinese blue chips fell 1%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index slipped 0.4%.
- Zooming in on Cambodia’s market—the Cambodia Securities Exchange Index was up 1.03 points or 0.24% to 428.59.
- Total trade volume was down with 69,440 shares changing hands at a total value of 418 million riel, or close to $105,000 US dollars.
- On the main board, three stocks were up, led by Grand Twins International, while two stocks were down, with Pestech Cambodia as the biggest loser of the day.
- Over on the growth board, JS Land and Picasso City Garden were up while DBD Engineering stayed flat.
- Shifting to the exchange rate, the KHR strengthened to 4,001 riel per US Dollar, while the US Dollar index hovered around 99.98.
- Turning to global commodities, oil prices were on track for a weekly decline on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump extended a pause in attacks on Iran's energy plants for 10 days, though investors remained on edge as an imminent resolution to the conflict looked unlikely.
- Brent futures fell 4 cents to $107.97 US dollars per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were down 40 cents at $94.08 US dollars per barrel. (0608 GMT)
- Gold rose 2% on Friday, buoyed by a weaker dollar and bargain hunting, but was on track for a fourth straight weekly decline as surging energy prices fuelled inflation concerns and raised expectations of higher global interest rates.
- Spot gold rose 2% to $4,466.38 US dollars per ounce.
- U.S. gold futures for April delivery gained 1.9% to $4,461 US dollars. (0637 GMT)
- Looking at the crypto market, Bitcoin experienced volatility, dropping roughly 3% to below $68,500 US dollars due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and rising U.S. Treasury yields. The decline was accompanied by significant ETF outflows of $171 million US dollars on Thursday, marking a cooling in institutional demand.
- Moving on now to other business-related news:
- The new National Agricultural Laboratory funded by the $28.1 million dollar EU-German Cambodia Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Programme was officially launched on March 27 to boost sustainable production in Cambodia’s agribusiness. This state-of-the-art testing facility, accredited by ISO, will help Cambodian food exports meet international standards for export and global trade.
- The Ministry of Environment has announced plans to develop Koh Sralao in Koh Kong province into Cambodia’s first model carbon-neutral island. The island is home to more than 300 households and will serve as a pilot site for sustainable and environmentally friendly development. The initiative was officially announced by the Minister of Environment during a visit to Koh Sralao on March 26.
- At the Impact Investment Summit Asia Pacific on March 26, Convergence Blended Finance and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) announced the inaugural cohort of the Indo-Pacific NGO Blended Finance Accelerator. Among the list of awardees is Oxfam Australia and Cambodia-based fund management company, OBOR Management Co. Ltd., who are receiving a scoping grant to design the Equi-Green Fund. This is a $20 million dollar blended finance vehicle investing in climate-resilient and gender-responsive small and medium enterprises across Cambodia, Indonesia, and Timor-Leste.
Watch the 27 March 2026 Daily Update in Khmer below: