Daily Briefing · 2026-09-30

The US-Iran indirect talks over Iran and the Strait of Hormuz have reached a stalemate. This has heightened the risk of a closure of the Strait of Hormuz, expanding concerns over rising crude oil prices. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's major oil export pipeline has been repaired, and transport capacity has recovered to 50%. This is expected to advance the stabilization of crude oil supply, potentially leading to downward pressure on prices. Mitsubishi Corporation announced it will invest an additional approximately 500 billion yen in an LNG production project in Canada. The aim is to reduce dependence on the Middle East and diversify energy procurement sources. Next, diplomacy and defense news. The UK's Labour Party has acknowledged the economic harm caused by Brexit and stated its policy toward strengthening relations with the EU. An arson incident that occurred in Estonia has been determined to be sabotage by Russia. There are concerns over the expansion of attacks on Europe's defense industry, and defense spending and corporate defensive investment are expected to accelerate. At the UN nuclear disarmament conference, Secretary-General Guterres warned that the world is at its most dangerous nuclear phase since the Cold War, and urged a resumption of dialogue. Between Japan and China, talks between former Foreign Minister Iwaya and Vice Premier He Lifeng were held for two consecutive days, with progress being made toward improving relations. North Korea is preparing to send additional troops to Russia, expected to reach a scale of 10 thousand. A prolongation of the Ukraine conflict and a surge in defense-related demand are anticipated. The Trump administration in the US is prioritizing competition with China and showing reluctance toward AI regulation. While this is expected to strengthen corporate competitiveness, concerns remain over risks stemming from a regulatory vacuum. Next, corporate and economic news. It has come to light that Don Quijote will acquire Toys"R"Us's Japan business. The competitive structure of the toy retail market is expected to change, with anticipated expansion in business scale. At Nidec, Chairman and President Kishida Mitsunari has resigned following a fraud issue. Concerns have been raised over confusion in corporate governance and the risk of erosion of shareholder value. Ito En announced it will abolish its shareholder benefit program. An improvement in operating profit margin is expected due to reduced costs for shareholder returns. The Chinese government has announced measures to curb excess steel production and strengthen export monitoring. This is seen as leading to price stabilization in the international steel market. Finally, the average salary at private companies reached 4.87 million yen, marking a new record high. The increase in income is expected to support the expansion of personal consumption.