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B2B Asia News
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This is a B2B Asia News Daily Update for 9 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. As military tensions in the Middle East escalate, international oil prices have surged, leading to a sharp decline in Asian stock markets. Since Asian economies are highly dependent on crude oil imports, rising oil prices can directly impact corporate profits and the economy.
- South Korea’s Kospi composite slumped roughly 6%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell more than 5%.
- Taiwan’s Taiex lost 4.4%.Singapore's FTSE Straits Times Index shed over 2%.
- Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index dropped 1.4%.
- Zooming in on Cambodia’s market—the Cambodia Securities Exchange Index was down 0.71 points or 0.17%, to 425.69.
- Total trade volume was down with 39,859 shares changing hands at a total value of 219.7 million riel, or close to $55,000 US dollars.
- On the main board, two stocks were up, led by Pestech Cambodia, while two stocks were also down, with MJQ Education as the biggest loser of the day.
- Over on the growth board, DBD Engineering and Picasso City Garden were down while JS Land stayed flat.
- Shifting to the exchange rate, the KHR stayed flat at 4,013 riel per US Dollar, while the US Dollar Index hovered around 99.37.
- Turning to global commodities, oil prices surged around 25% on Monday to their highest since mid-2022, with Brent on track for a record one-day gain.
- Brent crude futures climbed to a high of $119.50 US dollars per barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) to $119.48 US dollars a barrel.
- Furthermore, agriculture markets, led by edible oils, rose as they took their cue from oil prices due to the extensive use of vegetable oils in making biofuels. (0424 GMT)
- Gold prices fell, as a stronger U.S. dollar weighed on the greenback-priced bullion, while higher energy costs fueled inflation concerns and further dimmed the prospects for near-term reductions in interest rates.
- Spot gold shed 1.4% to $5,097.70 US dollars per ounce, after falling more than 2% earlier in the session.
- U.S. gold futures for April delivery lost 1% to $5,106 US dollars. (0750 GMT)
- Looking at the crypto market, Bitcoin tumbled below $66,000 US dollars as oil prices exploded. Bitcoin is lower by 2% and trading just below $66,000 US dollars. Ether and Solana are down closer to 1.4%. Additionally, the 20 millionth Bitcoin is anticipated to be mined some time between March 9 and March 10. This milestone signifies that approximately 95.2% of Bitcoin's maximum supply of 21 million coins will have been issued. The remaining one million BTC are projected to be mined over the next 114 years.
- Moving on now to other business-related news:
- Retail oil prices in Cambodia have seen a sharp rise amid escalating conflict in the Middle East. The Ministry of Commerce (MoC) issued a notice on March 8 announcing that retail fuel prices will be set as the following from March 8–10. Regular gasoline costs 4,400 riel per litre, while diesel costs 5,150 riel per litre. Fuel prices are expected to be updated every three days.
- The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training and the UK Skills Partnership (UKSP) have entered into a partnership to promote cooperation in human resources and skills development aimed at increasing workforce productivity and developing skills needed for emerging and potential economic sectors in Cambodia. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Exchange and Cooperation in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) was signed on March 9 between the Cambodian Minister of Labour and Vocational Training, and a representative from UK Skills Partnership.
- The Agricultural and Rural Development Bank (ARDB) reaffirmed its commitment to supporting and promoting the export of Cambodian rice to the Chinese market during a working meeting with China’s state-owned company COFCO Grains in Beijing. The discussions focused on strengthening the production capacity and quality of Cambodian rice for export.
Watch the 9 March 2026 Daily Update in Khmer below: