Argus Bitumen & Roads Asia Conference

Morning networking and breakfast

Chairperson's opening remarks

Argus spotlight session

Refineries spotlight

Road authorities: Structuring the markets with smart investment, partnerships and policies

- Where are the biggest funding gaps in national road programs, and how can smarter investment planning close them?
- How can governments ensure that infrastructure policies support both innovation and affordability in bitumen supply and road construction?

Morning networking and refreshments break

Regional spotlight: Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand

- How can Vietnam secure a stable bitumen supply chain amid rising demand and heavy reliance on imports?
- How can Australia balance its strong domestic production capacity with growing export demand, especially as regional infrastructure projects ramp up across Oceania and Southeast Asia?
- How can New Zealand foster competition and innovation in a market dominated by a few players?

Regional spotlight: Southeast Asia’s infrastructure surge and China’s export challenges

- Asia’s infrastructure boom: What’s next for roads?
- China’s internal demand recovery and exports
- What are the key logistical and pricing challenges Chinese suppliers face when exporting to Southeast Asia and the Middle East?

Networking lunch

Demand and business in Africa: Coverage of growing imports

What’s happening in Iraq and India?

- Is Iraq becoming a dominant player in the regional bitumen market, and how is its growing export capacity reshaping trade flows in the Middle East and Asia?
- How are Iraq’s refinery upgrades and increased crude distillation capacity impacting bitumen availability and pricing?
- What procurement and logistics challenges do buyers face when sourcing from Iraq?
- How is India balancing its reliance on imports, currently covering nearly 50% of demand, with rising investments in domestic production and bio-bitumen integration?
- With India’s bitumen demand projected to exceed 10 million metric tons in 2025, how are suppliers preparing to meet the surge driven by Bharatmala, PMGSY, and smart city projects?

Designing for 2025-26: What are the priorities for construction sector?

- How are governments across Asia-Pacific prioritizing road infrastructure in their national development plans and what does this mean for bitumen demand through 2030?
- How are sustainability goals such as carbon reduction and circular construction adding complexity to already strained supply chains?

Chairperson's closing remarks

Conference concludes

Morning registration and networking breakfast

Chairperson's opening remarks

Speaker:

Jonathan Weston

Europe & Asia Bitumen Lead

Argus

Sustainability hour

Brokers and Traders hour: What do you need to know about the current market dynamics?

- How are traders adapting to changing trade flows, especially with new supply hubs emerging in the Middle East and Southeast Asia?
- How are buyers managing procurement amid volatile bitumen prices, shifting freight rates, and currency fluctuations in 2025?

Morning networking and refreshments break

Contractor roundtable:

What do we need from bitumen suppliers?

Shipping and freight trends: Industry and Argus

Poll for rating trends to gather real-time insights from attendees on how freight rates are impacting their operations, and to use this data to guide discussion during the session:

- What are the top 3 cost drivers in bitumen freight across Asia-Pacific?
- What is the upcoming season’s scenario for shipping reliability and pricing?
- What role can blockchain or digital freight platforms play in reducing fraud or delays?
- How are companies measuring and reducing Scope 3 emissions in bitumen logistics?
- What are the trade-offs between bulk shipping vs. containerized bitumen transport?

Chairperson's closing remarks and day two concludes

Networking lunch