From the Iran war to tariffs: how global shocks impact industry | Oxford Economics Skip to content English Request a trial Menu Capabilities Why Oxford Economics? 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Abby Samp Director, Industry Subscription Services I’m pleased to share that Oxford Economics’ Global Industry Forecasts are now being updated monthly. With more frequent updates, our clients can anticipate changes earlier and respond sooner—adjusting sourcing, pricing, inventories, and capex plans before competitors do. Each update also stays fully aligned with Oxford Economics’ global macro baseline, ensuring sector outlooks reflect the most current view of the global economy. This enhancement comes at a time of heightened global volatility. When major shocks hit—like the Supreme Court’s ruling affecting the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs or the escalating conflict in the Middle East—we will incorporate the macroeconomic implications into our sector models. The rest of this blog post explores the sectoral implication of these two major developments. New baseline forecasts, incorporating these changes, will be published to our industry databank at the end of the month. Trump’s new tariffs: little sectoral relief for now, potential reshuffle ahead The latest turn in President Trump’s trade war sees a messy grid of IEEPA rates (ranging from 10%–50%) replaced by flat 15% tariff on all goods. In our upcoming March baseline forecast, we assume that President Trump will impose the 15% tariff threatened on Truth Social, going beyond the 10% duty that has been authorised under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. While this new tariff regime is simpler on paper, the net change across sectors is far from uniform: because the US buys different products from different regions, the effective change in the tariff rate varies across sectors (see chart). Unlock exclusive economic and business insights—sign up for our newsletter today Subscribe About half of imports see no change to their effective tariff rate, roughly 45% of products get a cut, and duties for just over 5% of goods tick up—with a +5.0ppt rise on lard being the largest increase. The tariff relief is sharpest where rates were already high: leather (-3.8ppts to 25.5%), apparel (-1.9ppts to 30.7%), and textiles (-2.0ppts to 20.9%). These sectors benefit from lower baseline tariffs on key Asian suppliers, like Bangladesh, China, and Vietnam. Some of the steepest decreases can be seen in transport equipment, including in railway freight cars (-20ppts). US industrials also catch a break as tariffs on key inputs to production—including intermediate metals from major suppliers like Brazil and Canada—come down. Existing product carve-outs remain in place, including USMCA goods, pharmaceuticals, key agricultural products, and the computers and electronics powering the AI data-centre buildout. The new tariffs also don’t apply to goods that are already subject to additional Section 232 tariffs such as steel and aluminium. Tariff-related uncertainty has surged since the Supreme Court decision, posing an important downside risk to our investment forecast if it persists. While the president can no longer make sudden changes to tariffs, firms are now in the dark as to where tariffs will settle once the Section 122 tariffs sunset in 150 days. Expedited reviews under Section 232 and 301 could result in tariff hikes for specific sectors or countries. If these come online as the Section 122 tariff expires, the sectoral burden may rotate toward robotics, critical minerals, and pharma. Iran war: large impacts in the Middle East and on oil-intensive sectors Global energy prices are climbing as tensions in the Middle East intensify. At the time of writing, the Brent Crude oil price was up nearly 50% from the start of the year, and European and Asian natural gas prices have risen even more sharply. Assuming the disruption to the Strait of Hormuz is relatively short-lived, the impact of these higher energy costs on global GDP should be relatively modest. However, the impact on different sectors is far from uniform. The cost pressures from rising energy prices are concentrated in a specific set of energy-intensive industries. Industry exposure to higher energy prices is highly uneven (see chart). Although transport sectors—shipping, road, and aviation—sit at the top of the energy intensity distribution, their overwhelming reliance on oil leaves them slightly less exposed to the current shock than gas-intensive sectors. The global gas market currently lacks the buffers needed to absorb disruptions, leaving gas-intensive sectors extremely vulnerable. The chemical sector stands out as the key loser: hydrocarbons are not only an energy source but also a key feedstock, magnifying the cost squeeze. While refining is also an energy-intensive industry, it largely acts as an intermediate sector, passing through costs as it converts crude oil into fuels and petrochemical inputs that are ultimately consumed elsewhere in the economy, most notably in transport and chemicals. Where gas‑fired plants set the marginal power price, higher gas prices will also push up electricity costs, adding pressure to electricity‑intensive industries such as metals and non‑metallic minerals. On a regional basis, Europe’s chemical sector is especially exposed. Europe’s natural gas prices have risen nearly 70% in recent days—still far below the 2022 peak, when prices were roughly six times current levels—but high enough to chip away further at the competitiveness of Europe’s chemical sector. Several Asian chemical hubs also face elevated risk, given reliance on LNG feedstocks imported from Qatar that transit the through the Strait of Hormuz. By contrast, US chemicals—though more gas‑feedstock‑reliant than Europe—are cushioned by a smaller response in the Henry Hub gas price. China’s use of coal‑based feedstocks also leaves it relatively insulated, potentially widening the ongoing competitiveness gap with Europe. We have run our new commodity price forecasts through Oxford Economics’ Global Economic and Global Industry models to calibrate the sectoral response in our upcoming forecast. Relative to our previous baseline, most sectors see only small trims rather than steep declines, with deviations generally measured in tenths of a percent. The sectors that experience larger changes are consistent with the energy intensity patterns discussed above. Refining falls 0.6% relative to baseline as higher prices trigger some demand destruction. Several chemical subsectors register the next‑largest dips, and transport sectors also soften. Non‑ferrous metals face additional risk given the Gulf’s roughly 10% share of global aluminium supply and the volume of shipments that transit through the Strait. Agricultural production also faces downside risks, as disruptions to trade through the Strait could tighten fertiliser supply chains and raise input costs for agricultural producers. Navigating industry risk in a volatile global economy In today’s volatile environment, global shocks affect industries through different transmission channels: Trade‑exposed industries, such as autos, electronics, machinery will see a reassessment of demand, pricing, and supply-chain risks. Energy-intensive sectors, such as refining and chemicals, see timely updates tied to oil price developments. Consumer sectors benefit from up-to-date changes to confidence, inflation, and incomes. In this environment, foresight is no longer an add-on, it is essential. Businesses must anticipate what lies ahead and continually reassess demand conditions, supply chains, cost pressures, and investment plans as the global landscape evolves. Our Global Industry Service provides this forward-looking perspective, so you can plan with accuracy and adapt with confidence. With monthly sector forecasts, rapid analysis of global disruptions and a unified macro-to-industry decision framework, we help you stay ahead in the era of global change and unlock the power of economics. To experience the service and explore our latest forecasts and analysis, request a trial of the Global Industry Service. Request a trial To learn more about our latest analysis on the Iran war, Trump’s new tariffs and global sector outlook: Download our Iran war analysis Join our industry outlook webinar Tags: CommoditiesCommodity MarketsCommodity Pricesmonthly resource hub Share: Subscribe to our newsletters You might also be interested in Iran conflict adds cost pressure to energy-intensive industries The chemicals and transport sectors are likely to be among the biggest... Shock to LNG supply is the bigger war risk in Asia Disruption to LNG flows through the Strait of Hormuz poses a bigger... How will central banks respond to the Iran conflict? Energy prices are pushing inflation higher in the UK and Eurozone, undermining... Wage growth should slow, but upside risks persist in Australia RESEARCH BRIEFING Wage growth should slow, but upside risks persist in Australia... 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