00:00Germany's autobahn could soon start looking like this.
00:03Because the Iran war is now affecting Germany's world construction industry.
00:09Why? The reason is bitumen, the black binding agent that holds asphalt together.
00:15Bitumen is made from crude oil, and since fighting escalated around Iran, oil markets have been shaken.
00:21Bitumen prices in Europe have nearly doubled since the war began, from around 350 to almost 700 euros per metric
00:30ton.
00:31One key risk? Supply disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil shipping route.
00:37This is a problem because road construction contracts are usually signed months in advance with fixed prices.
00:45That means builders and suppliers can't adjust their prices when costs suddenly explode.
00:50Such a huge price increase in terms of a war scenario is impossible to calculate and impossible to plan.
00:58That's why we stay at the prices.
01:01At this company, in southern Germany, around 70.000 tons of asphalt are produced every year.
01:09For many producers making asphalt is now barely profitable.
01:23That puts smaller construction firms at risk.
01:27Projects get delayed, repairs don't happen.
01:29Then the workloads aren't repaired, ...
01:34Projects gets delayed by door.
01:35With a Huge
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