Key facts
- Republicans control both chambers of Congress, and polls suggest they will lose seats, the primary report said.
- Al Jazeera reported that 15 Asia-Pacific countries were hit with tariffs, including 49% on Cambodia and 48% on Laos.
- Trade specialist Steven Okun told Al Jazeera that a Democratic-controlled Congress would not change tariff policy.
- The Philippines relies on the Gulf for more than 90% of its crude oil imports, Al Jazeera reported.
- Al Jazeera reported that fuel costs drained foreign exchange reserves in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and East Timor.
US voters cast ballots in midterm elections on November 3, 2026, with Republicans defending majorities in both chambers of Congress. The primary report said polls suggest the Republicans, who control both chambers, will lose seats, and that voters are responding to inflation and the cost of living.
An Al Jazeera report said Asia-Pacific governments and businesses are watching the elections closely after the energy shock from the US and Israel's war on Iran. It said Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in response to US and Israeli strikes, leaving much of the region facing shortages. The Philippines, which relies on the Gulf for more than 90% of its crude oil imports, has been under a national energy emergency since March, Al Jazeera reported, citing the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.
On trade, Al Jazeera reported that Trump imposed reciprocal tariffs of 10% to 50% on some 90 countries in 2025, with 15 Asia-Pacific countries hit, including 49% on Cambodia, 48% on Laos, 46% on Vietnam and 45% on Myanmar. After the Supreme Court struck down those tariffs in February, the administration imposed tariffs of 10% and 12.5% on goods from 60 trading partners in July, accusing them of failing to stop imports made with forced labor, Al Jazeera reported.
Steven Okun, chief executive of Singapore-based consulting firm APAC Advisors, told Al Jazeera that a Democratic-controlled Congress would have little effect on trade policy. "Tariffs don't change. The war doesn't change," Okun said.