$25 billion and counting: Iran war burns a hole in corporate balance sheets

Summary

The US-Israeli war with Iran is beginning to hit companies across the world, with businesses already reporting losses of at least $25 billion due to rising oil prices, disrupted trade routes and higher operating costs. Company statements from firms in the United States, Europe and Asia showed that businesses across sectors are struggling with the fallout from the conflict, according to Reuters. At the centre of the disruption is Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy routes. The blockade has pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel, more than 50% higher than levels before the war. The jump in crude prices has increased transport and production costs, while shipping delays and supply shortages are affecting industries worldwide. Companies cut costs, raise prices According to the analysis, at least 279 companies have taken steps to reduce the financial impact of the war. These include raising prices, cutting production, adding fuel surcharges and reducing spending. Some firms have also suspended dividends and buybacks, furloughed workers and sought emergency government support. One in five companies reviewed said the conflict had already caused a direct financial hit. The affected businesses range from airlines and carmakers to detergent makers, cosmetics firms and cruise operators. Airlines take the biggest hit Airlines have suffered the largest losses so far, accounting for nearly $15 billion in war-related costs as jet fuel prices have almost doubled. But pressure is now spreading to other industries as well, according to the Reuters analysis. Toyota warned that the conflict could cost it $4.3 billion, while Procter & Gamble estimated a $1 billion hit to post-tax profit. Whirlpool also slashed its full-year forecast by half and suspended its dividend. "This level of industry decline is similar to what we have observed during the global financial crisis and even higher than during other recessionary periods," Whirlpool CEO Marc Bitzer said. He added that consumers were delaying purchases because of rising costs. "Consumers are holding back on replacing products and rather repairing them," Bitzer said. Rising fuel prices hurt consumers McDonald’s said continuing supply-chain disruptions were likely to increase long-term costs. CEO Chris Kempczinski said higher fuel prices were hurting lower-income consumers the most. "Elevated gas prices are the core issue we're seeing right now," he said. Nearly 40 companies in the chemicals, industrials and materials sectors said they planned to raise prices because of their exposure to Middle Eastern petrochemical supplies. Newell Brands Chief Financial Officer Mark Erceg said every $5 rise in oil prices adds about $5 million in costs for the company. German tyre maker Continental said it expected at least a 100 million euro ($117 million) hit from the second quarter because of higher raw material costs linked to rising oil prices. "It probably hits us late in Q2, and then it will come in full-blown in the second half," Continental executive Roland Welzbacher said. Europe and Asia most exposed Most of the affected companies are based in Europe and the UK, where energy prices were already high before the conflict began. Nearly a third of the companies identified in the analysis are from Asia, reflecting the region’s dependence on Middle Eastern oil and fuel supplies. The disruption has also affected supplies of fertilisers, helium, aluminium and polyethylene. Bigger impact may still lie ahead Analysts cited by Reuters said that the full impact of the conflict has not yet appeared in company earnings. FactSet data showed forecasts for second-quarter profit margins have already been cut for industrial, consumer discretionary and consumer staples companies in the S&P 500 since March 31. Goldman Sachs analysts said companies listed on Europe’s STOXX 600 index were likely to face more pressure from the second quarter onwards as passing on higher costs becomes harder. UBS head of European equity strategy Gerry Fowler said sectors such as autos, telecoms and household products were already seeing earnings downgrades of more than 5% for the next 12 months. In Japan, analysts have cut second-quarter earnings growth estimates to 11.8%, nearly half the level forecast at the end of March. Which industry do you think will be most affected by the ongoing conflict?

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TOI Business DeskBy TOI Business Desk

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Jun 22, 2026economicUnverifiedIranChina

High oil prices drive a surge in Chinese electric vehicle sales, but charging networks lag behind

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High oil prices drive a surge in Chinese electric vehicle sales, but charging networks lag behind The war in Iran has helped reshape the global electric vehicle market, giving Chinese automakers an opening across the developing world as fuel prices surge The war in Iran has helped reshape the global electric vehicle market, giving Chinese automakers an opening across the developing world as soaring fuel prices push drivers towards electric vehicles, even as charging infrastructure lags behind a wave of imports.

The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted shipping of about a fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquified natural gas, first hitting Asia — the main destination for the fuels — followed by Africa. This shock accelerated a trend that was already spreading across the developing world.

In April, global exports of Chinese EVs hit a record $9.4 billion, according to an analysis by think tank Ember of Chinese customs data. Shipments surged to countries such as Australia, Brazil and regions like Southeast Asia and East Africa. China exported about 435,000 passenger EVs and plug-in hybrids in May, more than double from a year earlier, according to the Chinese Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

As fuel costs rise, more drivers are switching to EVs to save money, while governments from Laos to Ethiopia are embracing electrification to curb oil imports and reduce costs of fuel subsidies. But faster EV adoption is outpacing the expansion of charging networks.

Governments and state-owned utilities in Africa are taking a leading role in building them — a model analysts say could help other emerging markets, like Asia, speed the shift away from fossil fuels. When a nation lacks sufficient charging infrastructure and EV fleet size, it is a “classic chicken-and-egg problem” regarding what comes first, said Paul Gong, head of UBS bank’s China automotive industry research.

“At that stage, government support for infrastructure could help accelerate adoption,” he said. Fuel shock drives EV use in Asia and Africa Across the developing world, drivers are looking beyond the gas pump. In Southeast Asia, imports of Chinese EVs have surged in Thailand, Laos and the Philippines.

In May, Laos banned the import of fuel-powered vehicles for the rest of 2026 to cut oil import costs and encourage the EV shift. Africa imported around 44,000 Chinese EVs in 2025, a 130% jump from the year before, according to Chinese Commerce Ministry data.

Across Asia and Africa, transport is one of the largest household expenses. Limited public transit, long commutes and a reliance on private vehicles make families vulnerable to volatile fuel prices. In South Africa, transportation accounts for nearly a fifth of household spending, according to a 2024 study by Stellenbosch University in South Africa's Western Cape province.

So, as fuel prices surge, global interest in EVs has been growing, said Mark Wakefield, with the consultancy AlixPartners. One in four new cars sold worldwide last year were electric, according to the International Energy Agency. Global electric car sales are expected to grow further in 2026 and reach 23 million, making up nearly 30% of all cars sold worldwide, according to the IEA’s latest EV outlook.

“In the next five years, we will accelerate (our) overseas expansion,” said Jerry Gan, CEO of Geely Auto, one of China's biggest automakers, at a company event in March as the auto group makes inroad into regions like Southeast Asia including selling EVs.

Chinese automakers supplied around 60% of electric cars sold globally, the IEA said. They have also been targeting Europe, Africa and Latin America. In Vietnam, automaker VinFast also logged stronger sales. Demand from Southeast Asia helped drive a 42% year-on-year increase in the company's January-March quarterly revenue.

On most mornings, Nguyen Thien Bao threads his VinFast electric motorbike through the jammed traffic of Vietnam’s capital Hanoi — ferrying passengers and deliveries. The EV bike has sharply cut his expenses as fuel prices rise. “Before, so much of my income went into fuel,” he said.

“Now, I can actually save some money.” Charging stations aren't keeping up But while EV imports are booming, charging infrastructure is still lagging even as installations have accelerated. Thailand, for instance, has around 4,600 public charging locations to serve more than 424,000 battery EVs and plug-in hybrids, according to the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand — around one for every 92 vehicles.

The country currently has roughly 12,000 public chargers, the IEA said. Chitsanupong Nuamnorm's solution is to keep his gasoline-fueled Mazda 2 for weekend trips, although the Chinese-made MG4 EV he bought on Feb. 27 — the day before the Iran war began — is saving him a lot of money.

Yutthana Samranwong, a 54-year-old driver in Thailand’s northern Phitsanulok province, says booking online for public charging ports to keep his MG4 EV running is a gamble. “It's a bit of a headache,” said Samranwong, who sometimes works with the Grab ride-hailing and delivery service.

In Bangkok, strained charging networks are prompting some drivers to consider returning to fuel-powered cars. In Malaysia, public fast chargers were up more than 70% in 2025, according to the IEA, after the government rolled out incentives to including a tax break for operators of charging points that meet certain investment criteria.

Indonesia has more than 4,500 public charging stations set up the state-owned power utility PLN, the IEA said. Ethiopia, which has banned non-EV imports, had only around a dozen charging stations as of mid-2025, and the government estimates it needs more than 1,170 stations to meet rising demand.

In the capital Addis Ababa, 40 stations are under construction, according to the state electricity utility. “In developing markets, affordability can accelerate the shift, but the pace of adoption will still depend heavily on infrastructure, power reliability and use case,” said Chris Liu, with the technology research and advisory group Omdia.

State utilities take the wheel to build charging stations In Indonesia, more than 4,500 public chargers have been deployed by its state-owned power utility PLN, the IEA said. African countries also are increasingly turning to state-owned utilities to build EV charging networks, betting public investment can solve one of the biggest obstacles to electric vehicle adoption.

“Utilities are recognizing that electric mobility will become a meaningful source of future electricity demand,” said Ndia Magadagela, co-founder and CEO of Everlectric, a South African commercial EV leasing company. There are around 2,000 public EV charging stations in Africa, with South Africa accounting for the largest share.

State-controlled utility Kenya Power plans to build 44 charging stations within the next year. But building networks of charging stations is difficult in developing markets, according to Omidia's Liu, who said grid connections and maintenance are key issues.

While BYD, for example, is expanding its ultrafast EV charging network in places like Europe, large Chinese automakers typically may have relatively little incentive to build networks outside China, he said. State-owned utilities, therefore, can play a larger role in this, according to Liu, since they are closely tied to a country’s grid planning, electricity pricing and distribution capacity.

“You need charging infrastructure to support an even larger fleet size,” said Gong, the auto analyst from UBS. ___ Olingo reported from Nairobi, Kenya, and Delgado reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writer Aniruddha Ghosal contributed to this report.

___ The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.

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