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Iranian officials warned that Iran still has "unused chips" to counter a U.S. naval blockade.

The People's Bank of China (PBOC) announced today that it conducted 500 million yuan of 7-day reverse repurchase operations, with a bid amount of 500 million yuan and a winning bid amount of 500 million yuan. The operation rate was 1.40%, unchanged from the previous rate.

Shipping intelligence firm Tanker Trackers reports that a supertanker belonging to the National Iranian Tanker Company has arrived in India carrying 2 million barrels of Iranian crude oil, marking the first time Iranian crude oil has arrived in India in seven years.

Mexico's state-owned oil company, Deirpak, reported that a diesel spill at its dock area has been fully contained.

Market news: Trump said that Iran will be prohibited from selling oil under the US blockade plan.

On April 13th, it was learned from the Automotive Industry Research Institute that the "Strategic New Materials Innovation and Application Platform" was officially established in Beijing. This platform was jointly initiated by more than 30 vehicle manufacturers, parts suppliers, materials companies, and research institutions. Its purpose is to establish a collaborative innovation system encompassing vehicle manufacturers, parts suppliers, materials companies, technologies, standards, and the supply chain, promoting the innovative application of new materials in the automotive industry. Furthermore, it provides core support for ensuring the safety of strategic new materials.

On April 13, Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi posted on social media that the recent negotiations between Iran and the United States in Islamabad, Pakistan, were "just one step away" from reaching an agreement. Araqchi said that Iran was engaging in dialogue with the United States in good faith, aiming to end the war. "Just one step away from reaching an agreement, the US demanded too much, kept changing its requirements, and threatened to impose a blockade, without learning any lessons," Araqchi added. He further stated, "Goodwill breeds goodwill, and hostility breeds hostility."

Futures News, April 13th: Oil prices remained volatile, and fuel oil trading focused on lower prices. Geopolitical risks persist, leading to volatile crude oil prices. Some traders replenished their inventories at lower prices, while remaining cautious about purchasing high-priced resources. With unclear directional news, fuel oil trading is expected to see mostly sideways movement after a decline today.

Chart: Speculative Sentiment Index on Monday, April 13, 2026

As of 8:30 AM Beijing time, spot platinum rose 0.27% and spot palladium rose 0.76%.

The South Korean won fell 1% against the US dollar on the day.

Samsung Electronics shares fell more than 3%.

The yield on Japan's five-year government bonds rose 4.0 basis points to 1.900%.

According to South Korean customs, South Korea's imports increased by 12.7% year-on-year from April 1 to 10, while exports increased by 36.7% year-on-year, resulting in a trade surplus of US$3.1 billion for the same period.

On April 13th, oil prices surged, US stock index futures fell, and the dollar strengthened following President Trump's order to close the Strait of Hormuz. This escalation, following the failure of the US and Iran to reach an agreement in negotiations in Pakistan, is likely to disappoint investors who increased their risk asset allocations after the two countries announced a ceasefire last week. Elias Haddad, global head of markets strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman, stated, "Trump's announcement of a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is bound to reignite risk aversion this week." Adding to the potential volatility is the upcoming US first-quarter earnings season. Investors are eager to hear how corporate leadership views the increasing risks, including higher inflation driven by soaring oil prices and the threat of consumers beginning to cut back on spending.

April 13th - "The fuel surcharge used to be adjusted monthly, but it's been adjusted three times since April," a SF Express International customer service representative stated. They explained that international oil prices have fluctuated significantly since April, leading to frequent adjustments to the fuel surcharge for international express shipping. The customer service representative calculated that, based on the 39.25% fuel surcharge rate from April 6th to 12th, a 1kg parcel shipped from Beijing to the UK would have a base shipping cost of 363 yuan and a fuel surcharge of 142 yuan, totaling 505 yuan. However, starting April 13th, the total cost will increase to 508 yuan.

U.S. 10-year Treasury futures fell 10 points.

April 13th - European natural gas prices surged in early Asian trading on Monday after Trump announced the U.S. would begin a full-scale blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Dutch TTF futures jumped as much as 18% to €51.30 per megawatt-hour. The failure of peace talks could trigger sharp fluctuations in the natural gas market and lead to continued tight global supply. Although most of the gas from the Middle East typically flows to Asia, continued disruption to the waterway could intensify competition for limited global liquefied natural gas resources as Europe seeks to build up its reserves before the next winter. European natural gas prices have risen by more than 50% since the U.S. and Israel first struck Iran in late February.