According to a study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the escalation of tensions in the Gulf region could cost Southeast Asia up to 2.3 percentage points of growth by 2027. For Cambodia, a country heavily reliant on energy imports, the risk of a sustained rise in oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices is compounded by shocks to supply chains and remittances.

In a context of tense oil markets, exacerbated by disruptions in the Red Sea and Asia's dependence on the Strait of Hormuz, Cambodia is doubling down on efforts to secure its fuel supplies. Her Excellency the Minister of Commerce, Cham Nimul, recently reassured the population while calling for energy sobriety.

Facing the surge in fuel prices that is paralyzing global supply chains, Cambodia's National Minimum Wage Council approved, on Friday, March 20, an emergency measure to relieve transportation costs for workers in the ready-to-wear, footwear, and travel goods sectors.

In a context of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East disrupting global oil supply chains, the Royal Cambodian Government has launched an ambitious directive to streamline fuel and electricity consumption across all ministries and public institutions.

The conflict triggered on February 28, 2026, by joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran is already producing its first concrete effects in Cambodia, a country heavily reliant on fuel imports.

"There are only two forces in the world, force and the sword. In the long run, the sword will always be conquered by the spirit". - Napoleon Bonaparte