The September 2026 edition of our Cargo & Capital newsletter examines the impact of the US’ ongoing retreat from global alliances, in particular, Asia-Pacific and its Quad Alliance partners. The US’ retreat is resulting in efforts by non-American members, Japan, India and Australia to deepen bilateral trade and defence. The US’ departure from Quad holds ... Cargo & Capital (Issue 4)
Outbound investment screening impacted corporate investment and M&A activity in recent years, but it now is also fundamentally altering how private capital operates across Asia. With strict legislative screening targeting critical technology sectors—including artificial intelligence, quantum information technologies, and semiconductors—private equity fund managers face a trade-off: offer binding covenants that restrict investment discretion or face ... Capital controls: a catch-22 for Asian private equity
As the US-Iran conflict enters its sixth month, the fallout across the region is redrawing Asia’s economic map. Shipping bottlenecks, grounded air corridors and energy shocks are no longer transient disruptions but deeply impacting regional trade, technology and capital flows. In this August 2026 edition of Cargo & Capital, we examine how geopolitical fragmentation is ... Cargo & Capital (Issue 3)
Asia was supposed to be weaning itself off coal. Instead, it is buying more of it. Seaborne thermal coal imports across the region recorded its highest level in July since the Middle East conflict disrupted global energy supply chains in March. China, India and Indonesia are all leaning harder on coal, even as they continue ... Asia’s coal conundrum
Asia’s sovereign debt burden is not a background concern any longer. A volatile mix of the Iran war energy shock, a higher global rate environment and localised currency stress has drained fiscal headroom across the region just when the governments require more of it. This report examines the fallout, why this shock looks different from ... Asia’s sovereign debt burden
In this edition of StoneBench’s Cargo & Capital newsletter, we take a closer look at how new routes are being carved in and around Asia, influenced by a convergence of geopolitical shocks and policy moves. The Hormuz crisis has highlighted the cracks in Asia’s energy priorities. Click below to read more.
Cargo & Capital is StoneBench’s new monthly bulletin on how geopolitics and policy are redrawing Asia’s trade, capital and wealth flows. This first edition examines the Hormuz Shock—and the gold rushes, capital flight and realignments it has set in motion
Amid growing fears of an AI bubble, the possible impacts for Southeast Asia could be significant. This paper by Samantha Cheh, senior editor at StoneBench, looks at who wins — and who loses — if the AI crash does come to fruition
In the global rush to secure critical minerals supply and rare earth supply chains, ASEAN has entered the limelight as an alternative source, a new position that could position the region as a new geopolitical powerbroker, but at what cost? This paper by Samantha Cheh, senior editor at StoneBench, explores how these shifting dynamics could have a transformative impact on the region
Nepal’s dramatic fall in poverty defies conventional wisdom, driven less by growth or remittances than by hundreds of small, community-level interventions. This StoneBench paper, written in partnership with John Donaldson, associate professor of political science at Singapore Management University, explores the issue