{"id":64809,"date":"2026-07-15T00:38:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T04:38:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-update-trump-reinstates-iran-blockade-rio-tinto-cuts-copper-costs\/64809\/"},"modified":"2026-07-15T00:38:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T04:38:16","slug":"global-markets-update-trump-reinstates-iran-blockade-rio-tinto-cuts-copper-costs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-update-trump-reinstates-iran-blockade-rio-tinto-cuts-copper-costs\/64809\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Markets Update: Trump Reinstates Iran Blockade; Rio Tinto Cuts Copper Costs"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-update-trump-reinstates-iran-blockade-rio-tinto-cuts-copper-costs\/64809\/#Key_Takeaways\" >Key Takeaways<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-update-trump-reinstates-iran-blockade-rio-tinto-cuts-copper-costs\/64809\/#Trump_Reinstates_Iran_Blockade_and_Strait_of_Hormuz_Toll\" >Trump Reinstates Iran Blockade and Strait of Hormuz Toll<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-update-trump-reinstates-iran-blockade-rio-tinto-cuts-copper-costs\/64809\/#Rio_Tinto_Reports_Record_Shipments_and_Massive_Cost_Cuts\" >Rio Tinto Reports Record Shipments and Massive Cost Cuts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-update-trump-reinstates-iran-blockade-rio-tinto-cuts-copper-costs\/64809\/#Oracle_Leads_Japans_%22Top-Secret%22_Cloud_Race\" >Oracle Leads Japan\u2019s &quot;Top-Secret&quot; Cloud Race<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-update-trump-reinstates-iran-blockade-rio-tinto-cuts-copper-costs\/64809\/#Ukraine_to_Procure_Chinese_Drone_Parts_with_EU_Funding\" >Ukraine to Procure Chinese Drone Parts with EU Funding<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-update-trump-reinstates-iran-blockade-rio-tinto-cuts-copper-costs\/64809\/#Evergrande_Liquidators_Target_PwC_Partners_Personal_Assets\" >Evergrande Liquidators Target PwC Partners&#39; Personal Assets<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Takeaways\"><\/span>Key Takeaways<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>President Trump reinstates a naval blockade on Iranian ports<\/strong> and imposes a <strong>20% transit fee<\/strong> for all cargo passing through the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>, significantly escalating Middle East tensions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Rio Tinto (<a href=\"\/stock\/RIO\">RIO<\/a>)<\/strong> reports its highest first-half <strong>iron ore shipments<\/strong> from the Pilbara since 2018 and slashes its <strong>copper cost guidance by 43%<\/strong> to 30-50 U.S. cents per pound.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Oracle (<a href=\"\/stock\/ORCL\">ORCL<\/a>)<\/strong> emerges as the frontrunner for a multi-billion dollar contract to provide <strong>top-secret cloud services<\/strong> to the Japanese government.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ukraine<\/strong> is set to utilize <strong>EU funds<\/strong> to procure <strong>Chinese drone parts<\/strong>, highlighting a pragmatic shift in military supply chains despite Western efforts to decouple from Beijing.<\/li>\n<li><strong>China Evergrande<\/strong> liquidators have issued a stern warning to <strong>PwC partners<\/strong>, cautioning that personal assets\u2014including those transferred via divorce\u2014could be targeted to recover <strong>57 billion yuan ($8.4 billion)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Trump_Reinstates_Iran_Blockade_and_Strait_of_Hormuz_Toll\"><\/span>Trump Reinstates Iran Blockade and Strait of Hormuz Toll<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>President <strong>Donald Trump<\/strong> has officially reinstated a naval blockade on <strong>Iran\u2019s ports<\/strong>, reversing a previous 20% toll on the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong> in favor of a more aggressive containment strategy. The move follows a series of missile and drone exchanges in the region, with the U.S. now demanding a <strong>20% reimbursement<\/strong> on all cargo moving through the vital waterway to cover security costs.<\/p>\n<p>The blockade is expected to cost <strong>Iran<\/strong> approximately <strong>$500 million daily<\/strong>, according to White House estimates, as the U.S. Navy begins intercepting vessels. <em>Market analysts warn that this escalation could reignite global inflation fears by driving up energy and shipping insurance costs.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rio_Tinto_Reports_Record_Shipments_and_Massive_Cost_Cuts\"><\/span>Rio Tinto Reports Record Shipments and Massive Cost Cuts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Rio Tinto (<a href=\"\/stock\/RIO\">RIO<\/a>)<\/strong> announced that iron ore shipments from its <strong>Pilbara<\/strong> operations reached <strong>85.3 million metric tons<\/strong> in the second quarter, a <strong>7% year-over-year increase<\/strong>. While the company maintained its full-year production guidance, the standout figure was a sharp reduction in <strong>copper C1 unit cost guidance<\/strong>, which fell from 65-75 cents to <strong>30-50 U.S. cents per pound<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The cost reduction is primarily attributed to <strong>higher-than-expected <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/metal\/gold\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"gold price today\">gold prices<\/a><\/strong>\u2014a byproduct of copper mining at the <strong>Oyu Tolgoi<\/strong> and <strong>Kennecott<\/strong> sites\u2014and significant productivity gains. <em>Despite the strong operational performance, group iron ore production slightly missed consensus estimates due to weaker output from Canadian operations.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Oracle_Leads_Japans_%22Top-Secret%22_Cloud_Race\"><\/span>Oracle Leads Japan\u2019s &quot;Top-Secret&quot; Cloud Race<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Oracle (<a href=\"\/stock\/ORCL\">ORCL<\/a>)<\/strong> is currently leading the competition to supply <strong>Japan<\/strong> with specialized, top-secret cloud infrastructure. This follows the company&#39;s commitment to invest more than <strong>$8 billion<\/strong> over the next decade to expand its <strong>Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI)<\/strong> footprint in the country.<\/p>\n<p>The deal is part of Japan&#39;s broader initiative to ensure <strong>digital sovereignty<\/strong> and secure its national security data. <strong>Oracle Japan (<a href=\"\/stock\/4716\">4716<\/a>)<\/strong> recently reported a <strong>34.3% surge in cloud revenue<\/strong>, underscoring the rapid shift from legacy software licensing to high-security government and defense contracts.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ukraine_to_Procure_Chinese_Drone_Parts_with_EU_Funding\"><\/span>Ukraine to Procure Chinese Drone Parts with EU Funding<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In a notable policy shift, <strong>Ukraine<\/strong> will use <strong>European Union<\/strong> funds to purchase <strong>Chinese drone components<\/strong> for its military operations. While the EU and U.S. have sought to reduce dependency on Chinese supply chains, the immediate demand for <strong>FPV drones<\/strong> on the front lines has necessitated a regulatory exception.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>EU<\/strong> has allocated a <strong>\u20ac6 billion defense loan<\/strong> for these acquisitions, explicitly allowing for Chinese parts when domestic or Western alternatives are unavailable. <em>This development highlights the &quot;strategic paradox&quot; facing Western allies, as the same components are frequently utilized by Russian forces.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Evergrande_Liquidators_Target_PwC_Partners_Personal_Assets\"><\/span>Evergrande Liquidators Target PwC Partners&#39; Personal Assets<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Liquidators for the collapsed property giant <strong>China Evergrande<\/strong> have warned <strong>PwC<\/strong> partners against using &quot;sham divorces&quot; or other wealth-shielding tactics to protect their assets. The liquidators are pursuing a <strong>57 billion yuan ($8.4 billion)<\/strong> lawsuit against the accounting firm, alleging <strong>negligence<\/strong> and <strong>misrepresentation<\/strong> in its audits.<\/p>\n<p>Partners at <strong>PwC\u2019s<\/strong> Hong Kong and mainland China affiliates are reportedly exploring ways to safeguard their wealth as the legal pressure intensifies. <em>The lawsuit represents one of the largest corporate claims in Hong Kong\u2019s history and serves as a critical test for auditor liability in Greater China.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways President Trump reinstates a naval blockade on Iranian ports and imposes a 20% transit fee for all cargo 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