Soaring fuel prices due to the Middle East war and snarled supply chains are already hurting businesses, business survey data published Tuesday showed.
Now in its fourth week, the war sparked by US and Israeli strikes on Iran has seen global oil prices soar by more than 40 percent as Tehran has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz through which a fifth of oil and liquefied natural gas supplied flowed before the conflict began.
kAmt4@?@>:DED 92G6 H2C?65 E92E :7 E96J A6CD:DE 9:896C 6?6C8J AC:46D 4@F=5 EC:886C 2 7C6D9 DFC86 :? :?7=2E:@? 2?5 D=@H 64@?@>:4 8C@HE9]k^Am
kAm%96 !FC492D:?8 |2?286CDV x?5:46D 4@>A:=65 >@?E9=J 3J $U2>Aj! v=@32= 2C6 E96 52E2 6BF:G2=6?E @7 E96 42?2CJ :? E96 4@2= >:?6]Â k^Am
kAm%96J DFCG6J >2?286CD H9@ 92G6 E96:C E9F>3D @? E96 AF=D6 @7 3FD:?6DD6D 24C@DD >2?J :?5FDEC:6D[ 2?5 @7E6? C6G62= 492?86D :? 3FD:?6DD 4@?5:E:@?D >@?E9D 367@C6 @77:4:2= 8@G6C?>6?E 52E2]k^Am
kAm%96 =2E6DE 32E49 @7 !|x DFCG6JD[ H9:49 :?4=F565 E96 A6C:@5 D:?46 E96 H2C 3C@<6 @FE @? u63CF2CJ ag[ D9@H65 E92E 3FD:?6DD6D 24E:G:EJ :D 2=C625J D=@H:?8 2?5 AC:46D C:D:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 :?:E:2= C625:?8 7@C E96 4@>A@D:E6 &$ !|x 5:AA65 E@ 2? ``\>@?E9 =@H @7 d`]c A@:?ED :? |2C49 7C@> d`]h A@:?ED :? u63CF2CJ[ H:E9 D6CG:46D E2<:?8 2 9:E H9:=6 >2?F724EFC:?8 65865 9:896C]Â k^Am
kAmp C625:?8 23@G6 d_ A@:?ED :?5:42E6D 64@?@>:4 8C@HE9]k^Am
kAmQ%96 7=2D9 !|x DFCG6J 52E2 7@C |2C49 D:8?2= 2? F?H6=4@>6 4@>3:?2E:@? @7 D=@H6C 8C@HE9 2?5 C:D:?8 :?7=2E:@? 7@==@H:?8 E96 @FE3C62< @7 H2C :? E96 |:55=6 t2DE[Q D2:5 r9C:D (:==:2>D@?[ 49:67 3FD:?6DD 64@?@>:DE 2E $U2>Aj! v=@32= |2C<6E x?E6==:86?46]Â k^Am
kAmQr@>A2?:6D 2C6 C6A@CE:?8 2 9:E E@ 56>2?5 7C@> E96 255:E:@?2= F?46CE2:?EJ 2?5 4@DE @7 =:G:?8 :>A24E 86?6C2E65 3J E96 4@?7=:4E[Q 96 25565]k^Am
k9am\ $E287=2E:@? E9C62E \k^9am
kAm(:==:2>D@? D2:5 E92E E96 AC:46 4@>A@?6?E @7 E96 DFCG6JD :?5:42E65 :?7=2E:@? C:D:?8 324< E@ 2C@F?5 7@FC A6C46?E Q9:?E:?8 2E 2 8C@H:?8 C:D< @7 E96 &$ >@G:?8 :?E@ 2? 6?G:C@?>6?E @7 DE287=2E:@?]Qk^Am
kAm$E287=2E:@? :D 2 A6C:@5 @7 =:EE=6 @C ?@ 64@?@>:4 8C@HE9 2?5 9:89 :?7=2E:@?[ H9:49 A@D6D 2 BF2?52CJ 7@C 46?EC2= 32?<6CD 2D C2:D:?8 :?E6C6DE C2E6D E@ C65F46 :?7=2E:@? :D 2 DFC6 C64:A6 E@ EC:886C 2 C646DD:@?]k^Am
kAm|62?H9:=6 E96 6FC@K@?6 !|x 5C@AA65 E@ `_\>@?E9 =@H @7 d_]d :? |2C49[ 5@H? 7C@> d`]h :? u63CF2CJ[ D:8?2==:?8 2 ?62C DE@A :? 8C@HE9 2?5 H62<6?:?8 56>2?5] Â k^Am
kAmQ%96 7=2D9 tFC@K@?6 !|x :D C:?8:?8 DE287=2E:@? 2=2C> 36==D[Q D2:5 (:==:2>D@?]k^Am
kAmp?2=JDED D2:5Â E96 52E2Â :D 2 H2C?:?8 D:8?2=]k^Am
kAmQ%96 C:D< :D E92E E96 !|x 52E2[ H9:49 :D 2 =625 :?5:42E@C[ :D E96 DE2CE @7 2 H2G6 @7 H62<6C 64@?@>:4 52E2 E@ 4@>6 5@H? E96 =:?6[Q D2:5 z2E9=66? qC@@<D[ C6D62C49 5:C64E@C 2E )%q]k^Am
k9am\ vC@HE9 2E ?62C DE@A \k^9am
kAmr9C:DE@A96 q@F496C 2E pq} p|#~ x?G6DE>6?E $@=FE:@?D D2:5 E96 :>A24E @7 E96 H2C :? xC2? :D G:D:3=6 :? E96 !|x 52E2 :? E9C66 H2JDi 2 D=@H5@H? :? E96 8C@HE9 :? D6CG:46D[ 2? :?4C62D6 :? >2?F724EFC:?8 AC:46D 2?5 2Â 568C252E:@? :? E96 8=@32= @FE=@@<]k^Am
kAm$6CG:46D :D 3J 72C E96 >2:? =2C86DE 64@?@>:4 D64E@C[ 2?5 :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D E96 D6CG:46D !|x 5:AA65 E@ 2? ``\>@?E9 =@H @7 d`]`]k^Am
kAmx? tFC@A6 :E 76== E@ d_]`[ 2 `_\>@?E9 =@H]k^Am
kAmv6C>2?J 9@H6G6C D2H >2?F724EFC:?8 @FEAFE ;F>A E@ 2 7@FC\J62C 9:89 E92?<D :? A2CE 2 >2;@C AF3=:4 :?G6DE>6?E AC@8C2>>6 E@ 3@@DE E96 64@?@>J]Â k^Am
kAmqFE QE96 AC@3=6> H:E9 v6C>2? :?5FDECJ :D E92E :E :D 6IEC6>6=J 56A6?56?E FA@? 2446DD E@ 7@DD:= 7F6=DQ H9:49 C2:D6D 4@?46C? E92E :E H:== 2=D@ 7246 9625H:?5D[ D2:5 r9C:DE@A96C s6>3:<[ :?G6DE>6?E DEC2E68:DE 2E !:4E6E pDD6E |2?286>6?E]Â k^Am
kAmx? uC2?46[ E96 AC:G2E6 D64E@C C68:DE6C65 :ED DEC@?86DE 4@?EC24E:@? D:?46 ~4E@36C 2E cg]b A@:?ED]k^Am
kAm%96 D2>6 D=@H5@H? EC6?5 H2D @3D6CG65 :? !|xD :? qC:E2:? 2?5 pFDEC2=:2]Â k^Am
k9am\ x?7=2E:@?2CJ DA:C2= \k^9am
kAm%96 DFCG6J 7@F?5 H2C\C6=2E65 D9:AA:?8 :DDF6D H6C6 2 <6J 42FD6 @7 =@?86C DFAA=J 56=:G6CJ E:>6D]Â k^Am
kAmx? E96 6FC@K@?6[ :?AFE AC:46D :?4C62D65 2E E96 72DE6DE A246 D:?46 u63CF2CJ a_ab[ H:E9 3@E9 >2?F724EFC:?8 2?5 D6CG:46D 724:?8 DE66A6C :?7=2E:@?[ 5F6 E@ 9:896C 6?6C8J AC:46D]k^Am
kAmx? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D[ :?AFE AC:46D C@D6 2E E96 72DE6DE C2E6 :? `_ >@?E9D[ 2?5 4@>A2?:6D A2DD65 E96 9:896C 4@DED E@ 4=:6?ED[ H:E9 D6==:?8 AC:46D ;F>A:?8 2E E96 72DE6DE C2E6 :? @G6C E9C66\2?5\2\92=7 J62CD]k^Am
kAmpq} p|#~VD q@F496C D2:5 :E :D :>A@CE2?E E@ H2E49 7@C 4@>A2?:6D A2DD:?8 @? 9:896C 4@DED E@ 4=:6?ED]k^Am
kAmQ(92E D66>D E@ 36 E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E E@ >@?:E@C[ A2CE:4F=2C=J :? 42D6 @7 2? 6IE6?565 4@?7=:4E[ :D E96 C:D< @7 E96 EC2?D>:DD:@? @7 :?7=2E:@? :? E96 D6CG:46D D64E@C H9:49 H@F=5 D:8?2= E96 D64@?5\C@F?5 67764ED[Q 96 D2:5]Â k^Am
kAm(9:=6 xC2? 2?5 xDC26= EC2565 DEC:<6D @? %F6D52J[ E96C6 H2D DE:== 42FE:@FD @AE:>:D> E92E E2=<D &$ !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A 6G@<65 @? |@?52J E@ ;FDE:7J A@DEA@?:?8 E9C62E6?65 2EE24<D @? xC2?:2? 6?6C8J :?7C2DECF4EFC6 >:89E =625 E@ 2 566D42=2E:@?]k^Am
kAmQ(:E9 E96 &<C2:?6 4@?7=:4E :? a_aa :E E@@< 7:G6 H66<D E@ C62=:K6 E92E :E H2D?VE E6>A@C2CJ 2?5 H2D 364@>:?8 DECF4EFC2=[Q !:4E6E p|VD s6>3:< E@=5 pu![ C676CC:?8 E@ E96 C:D6 :? 6?6C8J AC:46D EC:886C65 3J #FDD:2VD :?G2D:@? @7 :ED ?6:893@FC]k^Am
kAmQ%@52J[ H:E9 D@>6 EH6?EJ 52JD @7 7:89E:?8[ H6VC6 DE:== :? E96 >:55=6 @7 E96 K@?6 @7 F?46CE2:?EJ[Q 96 25565]k^Am
kAmy24< p==6?\#6J?@=5D[ 56AFEJ 49:67 6FC@K@?6 64@?@>:DE 2E r2A:E2= t4@?@>:4D[ D2:5 Q:7 6?6C8J AC:46D C6>2:? 9:89[ H@CD6 4@F=5 36 E@ 4@>6]Qk^Am
kAm>A2^C=^8:Gk^Am
