Hong Kong, 15 April 2026: The domino toppling world record stands at 4,491,863 and was achieved in 2009. A team of 90 builders from 14 nations worked for two months setting up the display in the Dutch town of Leeuwarden. When the first piece was pushed over, it triggered a 90-minute chain reaction in which dominoes climbed stairs, unveiled paintings and set off a variety of surprise events. Similar stunts – with much lower numbers, of course – have been done with bricks, books, cereal boxes and even bales of hay.
Hence the term “domino effect”, where one action sets in motion a series of events. We’re seeing it with the worldwide oil crisis, which is impacting global supply chains. Hong Kong, entirely reliant on fuel imports, is feeling the pinch. We’re used to having the highest petrol prices in the world, even more so after a 23% increase in the past six weeks. My friends in the US wince at US$4 a gallon, how about four times as much? It’s enough to make some drivers top up their tanks across the border, where mainland prices are a third of those here.
But the pain goes far beyond the pumps, affecting aviation, freight and logistics, public transport, fishing and agriculture, F&B and even commercial laundries. Diesel theft from parked trucks has become a thing. The domino effect in – erm – full effect. “As energy prices form the most basic component of production, an increase in production costs will reduce supply, which will cause stagflation, and this is the most worrying,” explains Shue Yan University economics expert Lee Shu-kam.
Our government has stepped in with a string of short-term measures to help the commercial transport sector. Diesel subsidies of HK$3 per litre – roughly 10% of the cost – will benefit franchised and non-franchised bus operations, ferries and fishing boats, while tunnel tolls are being halved for non-private vehicles including buses, minibuses and taxis. The fuel subsidies will cost the government HK$1.8 billion, while it will lose around HK$160 million in tolls.
The initiatives have been welcomed. Taxi and Public Light Bus Association chairman Chau Kwok-keung praises the “swift response”, pointing out the reduced tolls will help taxi drivers with their operating costs. The government has stressed the discount will not be transferred to passengers, who must still cover the full toll. Roughly 100,000 trucks and light goods vehicles will also benefit from the measure.
But there is no such relief in other sectors, leading to some discord. Association of Freight Forwarding and Logistics chairman Gary Lau has accused some airlines of using the energy crisis as an excuse to raise fuel surcharges fourfold. This will trigger a “disastrous domino effect” (that phrase again) and is “clearly disconnected from actual operating cost increases”, he argues.
F&B? Catering sector lawmaker Jonathan Leung says rising prices are hitting restaurants that rely on premium airfreighted ingredients. Even non-food essentials like napkins and disposable cutlery are becoming more expensive while a hike in electricity and gas tariffs is looming, “making menu price increases an inevitable necessity”, he predicts.
Restaurants are also at risk of paying more for their table linen. Up to a third of laundry companies serving corporate clients could shut down due to soaring fuel costs, Laundry Association of Hong Kong chairman Lee Lam believes. The industry relies heavily on diesel-powered boilers to generate steam for washing and sterilisation, particularly for hospitals, hotels and eateries.
Federation of Hong Kong Industries chairman Anthony Lam is another with gloomy news. He warns that after cost increases on logistics and family goods, a third wave of inflation on food will continue to push up the consumer price index, squeezing household budgets. Looking on the bright side, however, he believes the government should turn the crisis into a green opportunity by extending its just-concluded electric vehicle replacement scheme.
Which brings us neatly to our most affordable, convenient and greenest mode of public transport, one we’ve enjoyed since 1904: the humble tram. Good news here, at last. Hong Kong Tramways has launched a new mobile app for passengers, offering real-time arrival estimates and service updates, thus improving daily commutes and sightseeing experiences. Also, no fare increases this year, promises managing director Paul Tirvaudey. Add in a new programme of gourmet tram tours featuring local delicacies and cocktails (yes!) and your correspondent is fully on board.
From slow track to fast lane. Sports law is evolving rapidly here as we build world-class sports facilities and host an increasing number of elite international sporting events (including the iconic Hong Kong Sevens, which this weekend celebrates its 50th anniversary). Many thanks to barristers Yang-Wahn Hew and Azan Marwah who join me on our latest episode of Law & More to discuss the multiple governance, regulatory and compliance issues facing sports stakeholders.
More economic news to finish. We are told IPOs here have raised almost US$14 billion in the first quarter of 2026, a jump of almost 490% year-on-year, thus keeping this city top of the global IPO league table. Many more listings are in the pipeline, including F&B giant Big Catering, operator of mainland China’s largest domestic pizza brand, which has shaken up the market with its “all you can eat” buffets and (yikes!) fruit-topped pizzas. In fact, China’s pizza consumption is booming, with some 60,000 outlets and a market value that is predicted to double from 2024-30, reaching almost US$14 billion.
Impressive growth for a dish which was only launched in the mainland in 1990. It must be the Domino’s effect.
Until next time, everybody!
Colin Cohen
Senior Partner
Boase Cohen & Collins
