• Supply shocks drive manufacturers’ stockpiling, push shortages to a three-year high and transport costs to a four-year peak
• Asia reports weaker demand and soaring transport costs
• Cost pressures build in North America as demand remains soft
• European manufacturers safety-stockpile the most aggressively

CLARK, N.J., April 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index — a leading indicator tracking demand conditions, shortages, transportation costs, inventories and backlogs, based on a monthly survey of 27,000 businesses — signaled that global supply chain pressures rose to a three-year high in March, reflecting the immediate economic impact of the energy price shock and maritime disruption caused by the war in the Middle East.

GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index April 2026 Breakdown

The GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index soared from 0.09 in February to 0.57 in March, its highest level since January 2023.

In March, global manufacturers increase safety stockpiling in response to maritime disruption, higher transportation costs and supplier price increases. Reports of inventory buffers being accumulated were the highest in three years, with increases across all major regions.

Uncertainty resulting from the conflict weighed on manufacturers’ input demand, with factories around the world cutting purchasing volumes. Notably, item shortages hit a three-year high despite slowing demand, signaling the emergence of bottlenecks, with the availability of materials such as polymers, PVC and rubber, as well as energy-intensive metals such as aluminum and copper reportedly deteriorating the most.

Surging oil prices pushed global transportation costs to a four-year high in March. The impact was felt globally, but especially strongly in Asia, given its reliance on Middle East oil. Taiwan, Vietnam, South Korea and Japan reported surging producer price inflation during March.

“The war is pushing up costs, triggering stockpiling and creating shortages across supply chains, but it has not yet escalated into a broad-based shock that materially slows global economic growth,” said Mukund Acharya, vice president, consulting, GEP. “Companies need to secure supply where it matters most while avoiding broad stockpiling that can lock in higher costs.”

Interpreting the data:
Index > 0, supply chain capacity is being stretched. The further above 0, the more stretched supply chains are.
Index < 0, supply chain capacity is being underutilized. The further below 0, the more underutilized supply chains are.

Interpreting the data:
Index > 0, supply chain capacity is being stretched. The further above 0, the more stretched supply chains are.
Index < 0, supply chain capacity is being underutilized. The further below 0, the more underutilized supply chains are.

MARCH 2026 REGIONAL KEY FINDINGS

• ASIA: Index jumps to 1.16, from 0.40, the highest since August 2022, signaling significant supply chain pressures for Asian manufacturers.
• NORTH AMERICA: Index rises from -0.26, a level consistent with spare capacity, to 0.42 – a 39-month high and signaling the strongest degree of pressure on North America’s supply chains since December 2022.
• EUROPE: Index increases to 0.64, from 0.05, highlighting the most intense pressure on Europe’s supply chains since January 2023.
• U.K.: Index ticks up to 0.16, from -0.01, pointing to the emergence of supply bottlenecks across the U.K.

MARCH 2026 KEY FINDINGS 

• DEMAND: After rising to its strongest level in four years in February, the global input demand indicator – which tracks purchases of raw materials and intermediate goods by factories – weakened in March, signaling a tapering of worldwide manufacturing buying activity. This was principally led by a pick-up in retrenchment across Asia as purchasing picked up slightly in North America and Europe, reflecting stockpiling here ahead of further anticipated price rises and supply chain disruption.
• INVENTORIES: Reports of stockpiling due to price or supply concerns shot up to their most prevalent in three years during March. Whilst greater inventory building was witnessed in all major markets, it was Europe where reports were their most common. 
• MATERIAL SHORTAGES: The items in short supply tracker rose sharply in March, signalling an immediate emergence of bottlenecks across global supply chains following the outbreak of war in the Middle East. According to the measure, businesses reporting item shortages were their greatest since April 2023.
• LABOR SHORTAGES: Reports of backlogs accumulating due to inadequate labor supply ticked up to a three-month high in March and were slightly above the historical average.
• TRANSPORTATION: The oil price shock caused by the war in the Middle East sent global transportation costs surging in March, rising to the highest level in nearly four years.

For more information, visit www.gep.com/volatility.

Note: Full historical data dating back to January 2005 is available for subscription. Please contact economics@spglobal.com.

The next release of the GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index will be 8 a.m. ET, May 12, 2026.

About the GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index

The GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index is produced by S&P Global and GEP. It is derived from S&P Global’s PMI® surveys, sent to companies in over 40 countries, totaling around 27,000 companies. The headline figure is a weighted sum of six sub-indices derived from PMI data, PMI Comments Trackers and PMI Commodity Price & Supply Indicators compiled by S&P Global.

• A value above 0 indicates that supply chain capacity is being stretched and supply chain volatility is increasing. The further above 0, the greater the extent to which capacity is being stretched.
• A value below 0 indicates that supply chain capacity is being underutilized, reducing supply chain volatility. The further below 0, the greater the extent to which capacity is being underutilized.

A Supply Chain Volatility Index is also published at a regional level for Europe, Asia, North America and the U.K. For more information about the methodology, click here.

Media Contacts

GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index April 2026

GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index April 2026 Regions

HONG KONG, April 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Leading licensed digital asset trading platform EX.IO today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with one-stop electronic payment platform Payment Asia. The two parties will jointly explore and expand payment, custody, trading, and application scenarios for regulated stablecoins in Hong Kong. The goal is to build robust infrastructure for regulated stablecoin issuers in Hong Kong, enabling rapid real-world adoption and growth once they officially enter the implementation phase. This collaboration aims to further strengthen Hong Kong’s position as a leading hub for the digital asset industry.

As one of the first platforms to obtain a license under Hong Kong’s digital asset regulatory framework, EX.IO has rapidly grown into a leading licensed digital asset trading platform in the city, offering a variety of high-quality tokenized products. As a digital asset trading platform, EX.IO has established a full-chain, high-quality infrastructure covering anti-money laundering (AML), Know Your Customer (KYC), custody, and other essentials. It is well-positioned to provide trading and related services for licensed stablecoins in Hong Kong and is actively advancing these initiatives.

Founded in 1999, Payment Asia is dedicated to providing innovative payment technologies and e-payment solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to multinational corporations across Asia. Payment Asia offers clients a simple and time-efficient online and offline payment system, covering credit cards, debit cards, e-wallets, and tailor-made omni-channel payment solutions encompassing various asset types. Over the past decade, the company has actively innovated by incorporating elements such as digital marketing, e-commerce, and AI advisory services into its offerings to meet the needs of merchants.

This partnership between EX.IO and Payment Asia seeks to leverage each party’s strengths in their respective domains. The collaboration aims to cover multiple scenarios for licensed stablecoins and other digital assets, including offering and payments, with the aim of building a complete and practical full-chain ecosystem for licensed stablecoins in Hong Kong. Key collaboration directions include:

(1) Custody and Exchange

Once licensed stablecoins in Hong Kong are traded on the EX.IO platform, EX.IO will support Payment Asia in providing custody services for holding licensed stablecoins in Hong Kong. The parties will also explore convenient subscription and trading,  between licensed stablecoins and fiat currencies (such as USD and HKD). In the long term, both sides will work together to promote application scenarios for licensed stablecoins and accelerate market adoption.

(2) Development of Licensed Stablecoin Merchant Acquiring

The two parties will collaborate to integrate technology and merchant service resources, and jointly explore subsequent compliance arrangements for regulated stablecoins. Leveraging Payment Asia’s extensive merchant network and combining it with EX.IO’s digital asset trading and custody capabilities, they will provide merchants with stablecoin payment and settlement solutions. This will help merchants achieve end-to-end integration from acquiring to settlement, enhancing payment efficiency and reducing transaction costs.

Both companies believe that this strategic collaboration will integrate their core strengths, promoting the efficient integration and widespread implementation of Hong Kong’s licensed stablecoins in both the digital asset industry and the real economy. This will truly empower the digital asset and payment sectors, fostering further growth in Hong Kong’s fintech industry.

Significant Potential in Hong Kong’s Licensed Stablecoin Market – Ideal Timing for Cooperation

This collaboration arrives at a pivotal moment as Hong Kong’s stablecoin regulatory framework reaches maturity. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) officially announced this afternoon (April 10) the issuance of two stablecoin issuer licenses. EX.IO and Payment Asia welcome this milestone and ready to leverage their cutting-edge blockchain technology and extensive expertise in payment settlement, to strengthen stablecoin infrastructure, commit to delivering more secure, transparent, and efficient digital asset solutions to the market . Recent reports from major investment banks indicate that the Hong Kong stablecoin market is projected to reach approximately US$16 billion (around HK$125 billion), with substantial room for further growth. Should the total supply continue to expand, market demand rise, and on-chain activity surge, the market size could expand even more significantly.

As such, both parties are confident that issuers, trading platforms, and payment companies will all benefit comprehensively from building the licensed stablecoin ecosystem. Through this collaboration, EX.IO expects improvements in key platform metrics such as asset variety, trading volume, and user retention. Payment Asia believes that with its vast merchant network and acquiring service capabilities, it can further broaden the scenarios for future licensed stablecoins, driving widespread adoption among merchants and end-users. Together, the two aim to actively promote widespread adoption of licensed stablecoins in real-world payment and real-world asset (RWA) scenarios, seizing the tremendous opportunities presented by the explosive growth of Hong Kong’s licensed stablecoin ecosystem.

Ms. Chen Wu, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of EX.IO, stated:

“The issuance of Hong Kong’s inaugural licensed stablecoin marks a significant and positive milestone for the local digitalasset ecosystem. The current timing of EX.IO’s strategic partnership with Payment Asia is exceptionally opportune. Through a comprehensive suite of full-chain services—including subscription, trading, exchange, custody, and wealth management for licensed stablecoins—the two parties will collaborate to establish a seamless, one-stop ecosystem spanning from product offering to practical, real-world implementation.

Looking ahead, EX.IO remains committed to deepening cooperation with all relevant stakeholders to provide secure, efficient, and premium user experiences in relation to licensed stablecoins and other digital assets in Hong Kong. This ongoing effort will further reinforce the city’s position as a preeminent international hub for digital assets.”

Mr.Paul Tang, Chief Operating Officer of Payment Asia, said:

“Payment Asia has always been committed to leading innovation in the payment industry. This strategic partnership with EX.IO marks a crucial step forward in building a licensed stablecoin application ecosystem. By combining EX.IO’s compliance strengths in the digital asset space with our deep experience in payment acquiring, we are confident in creating a closed-loop stablecoin infrastructure from trading to payment for the Hong Kong market, enabling the real economy to more effectively access the opportunities of the digital asset era.”

About EX.IO

EX.IO is a strictly regulated Virtual Asset Trading Platform (VATP). Since December 2024, it has been approved by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC). As one of the first platforms to pass the “deemed licensed” regime under Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) and Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (Cap. 615), EX.IO has established itself as a leading licensed exchange. It is also the only VATP included in Hong Kong’s Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES) system.

About Payment Asia

Established in 1999 and based in Hong Kong, Payment Asia is a leading e-payment technology and e-commerce management company specializing in offering the most secure and prompt payment processing network to local and global businesses. Driven by professionalism, dedication, and innovation for over 25 years, Payment Asia is committed to growing together with our clients.

SCA-Certified Juni Brings Precision Engineering to the Pour-Over Coffee Experience, Debuting at World of Coffee 2026

SAN DIEGO, Calif., April 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Cosori, the kitchen appliance brand known for precision-engineered products, today announced Juni™, its first automatic pour-over coffee machine. Juni makes its debut at the World of Coffee Show (April 10–12), marking the brand’s entry into the specialty coffee category. World of Coffee attendees can visit Cosori at booth 738 for a live product demo.

Juni automates the pour-over process through a precision brewing system that recreates the technique of a skilled barista — without the manual effort. The result is specialty-grade, on-demand pour-over, from a single cup to a full carafe.

SCA Certification & Quality Standards

Juni is a Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Certified Home Brewer, meeting rigorous standards for brew temperature, water volume, and extraction quality, including the Golden Cup Standard for optimal extraction yield.

Precision Engineering, Applied to Coffee

Juni is built on Cosori’s decade-long foundation in kitchen appliance innovation. The brand’s signature approach — translating complex culinary technique into reliable, repeatable performance — extends naturally into specialty coffee, one of the most precision-dependent categories in the kitchen.

Availability

Preorder information is available at Cosori.com. Additional availability details will be announced ahead of the product’s launch later this year.

The press kit with images can be found HERE.

About Cosori

Launched in 2016, Cosori offers award-winning kitchen products with advanced smart technology. As long-time leaders in precision engineered products including air fryers, food dehydrators and more, Cosori has become a trusted and reliable option for families and individuals that want the best culinary products for their home. As part of the VeSync family of brands, Cosori has received global recognition for its award-winning, innovative designs, and has garnered millions of satisfied customers worldwide. Awards include Red Dot Design Award 2025, Newsweek America’s Best Home and Garden Brands 2022, Future Innovation Homes & Gardens Innovation Award 2024, iF Design Award, German Innovation Award, and more. To learn more, visit Cosori.com.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, April 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — GIBO Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ: GIBO) today announced a major technological advancement under its GIBO WATCH framework, addressing one of the most critical limitations in AI-generated filmmaking: continuity and contextual consistency across scenes.

As AI-generated video production rapidly scales, maintaining visual coherence—such as consistent character appearance, scene transitions, and narrative flow—has emerged as a fundamental challenge. GIBO’s latest proprietary system directly tackles this issue by introducing a suite of engines designed to ensure persistent context awareness, version traceability, and automated quality assurance throughout the content production lifecycle.

This development represents a significant milestone toward achieving production-grade AI filmmaking, where large-scale content generation can meet professional storytelling standards.

Solving the “Continuity Problem” in AI Video Production

Traditional AI video generation systems often struggle with maintaining consistency across frames and scenes. Issues such as changing character outfits, inconsistent environments, and visual artifacts have limited the scalability of AI-generated content for professional use.

GIBO WATCH introduces a new layer of intelligence that enables AI systems to “remember” and enforce continuity rules across the entire production process.

At the core of this advancement is GIBO’s proprietary Context-Retention Engine, which tracks key narrative and visual elements—including character attributes, styling, scene composition, and storyline progression—ensuring that generated content remains consistent from start to finish.

Integrated Engines Powering Next-Generation AI Filmmaking

The GIBO WATCH framework integrates multiple specialized components to deliver a fully controlled and scalable AI production environment.

The Version Control & Collaboration System allows creators and production teams to track iterative changes across scripts, scenes, and edits, enabling structured workflows and collaborative content development. This ensures that every version of a project can be reviewed, refined, and reverted with precision.

The Context-Retention Engine serves as the backbone of continuity management, preserving character identity, wardrobe, visual styling, and environmental consistency across multiple scenes and episodes.

The Automated QA Engine continuously scans generated content for visual inconsistencies and technical defects, such as background morphing, rendering artifacts, or scene misalignment. This system significantly reduces manual review requirements while improving overall production quality.

In addition, GIBO WATCH incorporates UGC Moderation Tools, enabling platforms to manage large volumes of user-generated content by automatically detecting policy violations, inappropriate material, and quality issues, ensuring a safer and more reliable content ecosystem.

Advancing Toward Industrial-Grade AI Content Production

With these advancements, GIBO is positioning GIBO WATCH as a critical infrastructure layer for the next generation of AI-driven content platforms.

By combining continuity control, collaborative workflows, and automated quality assurance, the system enables creators and platforms to produce high-volume, high-quality short-form content without sacrificing narrative integrity or visual standards.

This breakthrough is particularly significant for short drama ecosystems, where rapid production cycles and episodic storytelling demand both speed and consistency.

Redefining the Standard for AI-Generated Storytelling

GIBO believes that solving continuity and context is essential to unlocking the full commercial potential of AI-generated filmmaking. The introduction of these capabilities marks a transition from experimental AI content generation to scalable, production-ready storytelling infrastructure.

As the demand for short-form video continues to grow globally, GIBO WATCH is expected to play a central role in enabling platforms, studios, and creators to deliver consistent, high-quality narratives at scale.

About GIBO Holdings Limited

GIBO Holdings Ltd. is a unique and integrated AIGC animation streaming platform with extensive functionalities provided to both viewers and creators that serves a broad community of young people across Asia to create, publish, share and enjoy AI-generated animation video content. With over 83 million registered users and advanced AI-powered tools, GIBO seeks to redefine the landscape of digital content creation.

Contact Information

Investor Relations:
Bill Zima
ICR, Inc.
William.zima@icrinc.com 

Media Relations:
Edmond Lococo
ICR, Inc.
Edmond.Lococo@icrinc.com

For more information and the latest updates, please visit:
https://www.globalibo.com/

HONG KONG, April 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — OSL Group (863.HK), a global stablecoin payment and trading platform, welcomes the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s (HKMA) announcement today of the first stablecoin issuer licensees. Following this regulatory milestone, the company will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to participate actively in the development of Hong Kong’s compliant stablecoin ecosystem.

The issuance of these licenses is a significant step in building Hong Kong’s regulatory framework and digital asset landscape, reinforcing its position as a leading international financial center. OSL Group remains committed to advancing global industry compliance. By leveraging its role as a compliance benchmark and its expertise as a leading stablecoin trading and payment hub in Asia, the company will join forces with all parties to drive the industry forward.

OSL Group has always been a steadfast advocate for regulated development of digital assets in Hong Kong. Since commencing regulated operations in Hong Kong five years ago in 2020, the company has evolved into a leading global stablecoin payment and trading platform. It has obtained or is applying for over 50 licenses and registrations for digital asset trading and payments in more than 10 countries and regions globally.

In 2025, OSL Group completed a strategic and brand upgrade to focus on the stablecoin trading and payment ecosystem. This included the acquisition of Banxa, a leading global Web3 payment infrastructure provider; the launch of OSL BizPay, a B2B payment service serving the real economy and institutional clients; and the release of USDGO, a regulated US dollar stablecoin serving as the cornerstone of the company’s global payment infrastructure.

To cultivate a robust and compliant digital asset ecosystem, and to facilitate more seamless flow of value movement, OSL Group has integrated travel rule solutions into its infrastructure. This global regulatory standard ensures the secure exchange of transaction identity information—a critical step in facilitating seamless stablecoin trading and payment while upholding the highest levels of financial integrity.

About OSL Group

OSL Group (HKEX: 863) is a global stablecoin payment and trading platform that strives to provide compliant and efficient digital financial infrastructure services globally, empowering enterprises, financial institutions and individuals to seamlessly exchange, pay, trade, and settle between fiat and digital currencies. Grounded in the core values of Open, Secure, and Licensed, it is committed to building a more efficient ecosystem that connects global markets and enables instant, seamless and compliant value movement worldwide.

For media inquiries, please contact: media@osl.com

Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute, and shall not be construed as, an offer, solicitation, invitation, recommendation, or inducement to buy, sell, subscribe for, or otherwise deal in any digital assets, securities, or financial products. It does not constitute financial, investment, legal, tax, accounting, or other professional advice and should not be relied upon as such. The views, statements, and information contained herein do not necessarily reflect the official positions or commitments of OSL Group or any of its affiliates. Any descriptions of products, services, promotions, or programmes are for general reference only. Participation in any products, services, or promotions mentioned is subject to applicable terms, conditions, and regulatory requirements. This article may contain forward-looking statements or indicative information. Actual outcomes may differ materially, and OSL Group assumes no obligation to update such information.