As the U.S. lifted sanctions on related cargoes and permitted more buyers, over 30 mln barrels of Iranian crude flowed to Asia in the past week, including previously blocked cargoes and volumes from Kharg Island, Iran’s largest export terminal in the northern Persian Gulf. The surge — pushing shipments to about 2.0 mln bpd, a recent high for Iran — mainly reflects a clearing of blocked cargoes and may prove temporary; export rates could fall thereafter. In the near term Tehran stands to benefit

President Trump is expected to meet executives from several of the largest U.S. defense contractors on Wednesday, people familiar with the matter said, a meeting that coincides with U.S.-Iran peace talks. The session follows a March 6 White House meeting with executives from Lockheed Martin, RTX, BAE Systems, Boeing, Honeywell Aerospace, L3Harris and Northrop Grumman. The administration has stepped up pressure on contractors to prioritize production and U.S. manufacturing over shareholder payouts. A source said most defense firms have been told to fulfill existing contracts and to ramp up and accelerate production to support the Pentagon.

MOFCOM, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance released an Action Plan to stabilize and improve the quality of foreign investment, committing to a measured increase in financial‑sector openness. Subject to enhanced regulatory cooperation and risk controls, the plan supports more foreign institutions using risk‑management tools including Treasury futures and permits foreign firms to operate fund investment advisory business under law. It promises eased cross‑border rules and cross‑border financing facilitation quotas for priority foreign enterprises, directs domestic banks to offer on‑behalf issuance of international settlement documentation for major foreign clients, and streamlines pre‑IPO exchange communications to support eligible foreign companies listing domestically.