Most Southeast Asian refineries are configured for Middle East medium-sour crude. They cannot easily switch grades, compressing diesel and jet fuel output simultaneously.
Asian local currency bond markets exceeded US$25 trillion in 2024 with limited hedging tools. SGX's upcoming futures contracts aim to close that infrastructure gap.
Laos entered March 2026 with inflation already at 6.2% and limited foreign reserves. A 50% diesel price surge in six days tests the outer limits of subsidy-based price stabilization.