Commodities Focus

Is the recent six-day Suez Canal blockage causing a spike in container box freight? And are the canal's misfortunes the only culprit for impending port delays, or the tip of the iceberg? It may be all too easy to blame the Ever Given incident for the latest logistical issues, rate hikes and arbitrage impacts on agricultural, metals and petrochemical commodity markets. S&P Global Platts Americas shipping managing editor Barbara Troner examines the container market with Platts experts Greg Holt in Houston and George Griffiths in London.

S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and S&P Global Market Intelligence midstream finance reporter Allison Good preview with senior digital editor Jason Lindquist the upcoming release of first-quarter earnings results by companies in the North American midstream sector. While weather negatively affected operations in the most recent quarter and seasonal maintenance is expected to be a factor heading into the summer, fundamentals are relatively strong. With vaccines rolling out, the economic recovery driving midstream volumes should continue.

The Mexican government has recently issued a spate of regulations in the midstream and power sectors that have had broad implications. We spoke with Diego Campa of Campa and Mendoza Associates, a law firm in Mexico City, about the most relevant moves, how companies are able to use the courts to halt regulations, and how the recent regulations might fare in the legal system.

Container shortages and high freight rates have proven to be a major hurdle for international trade in the last six months. Nowhere has this been more so than for various agricultural products. S&P Global Platts shipping and agricultural editors come together to discuss the fallout from global container freight shortages and how they have affected the rice, sugar and used cooking oil markets.

The oil market is starting to face a new set of questions as it emerges from the pandemic and as energy transition momentum builds. S&P Global Platts Associate Director Paul Hickin spoke with the International Energy Agency’s Head of Oil Markets Division Toril Bosoni about the outlook for oil demand, the role of OPEC+, US shale and China in the new reality and the challenges for energy security.

Canada enters the natural gas injection season with below-average storage levels as demand from resurging activity in the oil sands as well as coal-to-gas switching and higher exports look to boost AECO prices in relation to major market centers in the US Upper Midwest. The NGTL pipeline and storage system also looks to play a role in the market this year. S&P Global Platts natural gas editor Brandon Evans and analyst Richard Frey look at the issues driving the market.

A long-standing regional supply shortage, aggravated by COVID-19 impacts, has prompted steel prices in Mexico to jump to 13-year highs, while local demand is yet to recover. Higher raw materials prices, coupled with a strong US dollar, were also drivers of a trend that is not expected to end in the short term. Adriana Carvalho, S&P Global Platts managing editor for Latin American metals, and Claudia Cardenas, pricing specialist of Mexican metals pricing, examine the trends influencing the markets and present the latest updates on Platts methodology and specifications for Mexican flat steel pricing.

Mexico's Pemex, the state oil company, is facing challenges to increase production, as the government desires, and also internationally to meet its environmental commitments. We spoke with Andrew Rudman, director of the Wilson Center's Mexico Institute, about these challenges and the relationship between Pemex and the United States under the Biden administration. Related coverage PODCAST: Mexico's Pemex announces large oil discovery, but faces challenges in reaching production goals Mexico's Pemex discovers 1.2 billion boe complex in Tabasco region: CEO

The oil futures market has been volatile on news that a large container ship was blocking the Suez Canal, a key artery for petroleum shipments, but do spot markets give a better indication of the impacts on global trade flows? Why are producers remaining so focused on growth in Guyana, considering softer demand growth expectations? Jeff Mower, head of Americas oil news for S&P Global Platts, discusses the issues with Platts editors Starr Spencer and Chris van Moessner.

Recent dynamics driving unseasonably high JKM and TTF pricing, ranging from elevated carbon pricing and LNG outages creating supply disturbance in Asia, have further illustrated the emerging global links driving natural gas pricing. Beyond these current dynamics, European and US storage exit winter at lower levels than recent years, but what does robust US production, low pricing, record US feedgas and elevated TTF levels mean for global gas prices heading into summer? Ira Joseph, S&P Global Platts head of generating fuels and electricity power pricing, and Ryan Ouwerkerk, manager of Americas natural gas pricing, dive into the trends influencing the markets.