Strait of Hormuz Shipping Crisis Impacts Industrial Metals, BTC Reclaims $71,300 Key Level

Summary: Middle East tensions escalate as U.S. military targets Iranian energy facilities; Iran warns of retaliation. Hormuz Strait traffic declines, shipping risks rise, aluminum supply chains tighten. U.S. Q4 2022 GDP revised down to 0.7%, PCE holds at 3.1%, job market remains resilient. In crypto markets, BTC returns to $71,300 key level.

According to Gate News on March 16, Middle East tensions continue escalating as the U.S. military takes military action against Iranian energy facilities and plans to implement tanker escorts in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran indicates the conflict may persist and warns of proportional responses against U.S.-related facilities in the region should energy targets be struck. With rising shipping risks, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has notably declined, and market concerns about global energy and supply chain stability have rapidly intensified. The spillover effects of the conflict have spread from energy markets to the industrial metals sector. One of the world's largest single-site aluminum smelters has been forced to reduce production by approximately 20% due to raw material supply disruptions, with aluminum supply chains in the Gulf region beginning to face pressure. The International Energy Agency indicates it will release strategic crude oil reserves to Asian markets to ease near-term supply tightness. On macroeconomic data, U.S. Q4 GDP has been revised down to 0.7%, indicating notably slowing economic momentum, but January core PCE (Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index, the Fed's focus inflation metric) remains at 3.1% year-over-year, while the job market maintains resilience with job openings rebounding to 6.95 million. In crypto markets, BTC has reclaimed the $71,300 key resistance level, with liquidity concentrated in the $72,700 to $74,000 range above. Below, attention should focus on support liquidity bands near $69,000 and $70,200. #加密市场上涨