Asian nations face the prospect of prolonged strain on crucial energy supplies as the conflict in the Middle East grinds past the two-month mark, with the Strait of Hormuz still largely off-limits to shipping.
Governments have already raided their policy toolkits by amping up subsidies to keep a lid on energy prices, restricting fuel use and ordering public officials to work from home. Officials have shuttled across the globe to secure alternate oil and gas supplies, including from sanctions-hit Russia. It¡¯s all coming at a cost to their budgets.
The disruption has laid bare how reliant the region is on Middle East energy, and how dwindling stockpiles may hit everything from Taiwan¡¯s chip supply chain to rice harvests, Asia¡¯s biggest food staple.
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