

Commodities Focus
S&P Global Commodity Insights
S&P Global Commodity Insights analysis of key news and pricing issues from across the global shipping, natural gas, power, petrochemicals, agriculture, and coal markets.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 23, 2019 • 17min
Soybean export markets hold breath on US-China updates
Soybean markets are holding their breath while the US and China discuss a possible resolution of the trade war that shook global trade flows in 2018. As tentative signs of reconciliation begin to emerge, US farmers still hold large stocks of beans while they start planning the coming season....

Jan 16, 2019 • 12min
How fears of a US recession could impact spending in the US natural gas midstream sector
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and Americas natural gas managing editor Joe Fisher discuss the outlook for the US midstream sector as fourth-quarter 2018 earnings reporting season begins, from the appetite for further major pipeline projects to the markets that will be...

Jan 15, 2019 • 27min
IMO 2020: Evolution of the refining landscape
Jason Silber, global head of Platts Ocean Intelligence, is joined by Janet McGurty, senior oil writer at S&P Global Platts, and Richard Joswick, head of oil pricing and trade flow analytics for S&P Global Platts Analytics, to discuss the refining landscape as the marine industry faces an...

Jan 11, 2019 • 16min
Oil market fundamentals: What's driving price sentiment in 2019?
The global oil market has seen major price volatility over recent months and the start of 2019 has proved equally rousing with prices on track to post their biggest weekly gain in over two years. With spot Brent trading over $60/b, the oil market remains acutely focused on the complex balancing act...

Jan 8, 2019 • 8min
Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas link on track despite EU regulation risk
Russia's controversial Nord Stream 2 and Turk Stream natural gas pipeline projects are still on track to come online at the end of this year, despite risks of EU regulation and US sanctions. The 55 Bcm/year link to Germany and 31.5 Bcm/year link to Turkey could between them cover almost all the 87...

Jan 2, 2019 • 10min
The numbers behind Trump's talk of cheaper gasoline in 2019
There's a kernel of truth behind President Donald Trump's tweet on cheap gasoline. S&P Global Platts editors Seth Clare and Jeff Bair look at the fundamentals behind Trump's Twitter prediction that gasoline will take a lower budget bite in 2019. Related content S&P Global Platts Analytics:...

Dec 21, 2018 • 31min
As US-China trade war simmers, impacts felt across many commodities
The US-China trade war has taken a number of twists and turns since July 6, when the US and China put into place 25% tariffs on $34 billion of each other’s goods. Most recently the two sides agreed to a 90-day truce, during which both sides will refrain from increasing or introducing any new...

Dec 19, 2018 • 10min
The fast dismantling of the Venezuelan HBI industry: lack of pellets, credit and confidence
The number of factors hampering trade of Venezuelan HBI seems unlimited, and its relevance to the global industry is disappearing as it has been working at much-reduced rates for years. Moreover, reduced steel production and raw material demand from its main consumers -- Italy and Turkey -- may...

Dec 18, 2018 • 10min
Trade tensions, megatrends, and sustainability in European petrochemicals
Trading relationships are top on the minds of many in Europe, especially with the evolving trade tensions between China and the US, and Brexit. In the longer term however, population megatrends, feedstock developments, and innovative technologies underpin growth in the industry, with sustainability...

Dec 13, 2018 • 14min
Rally in natural gas prices, lower storage throws uncertainty into US winter power outlook
The recent rise in natural gas prices, combined with lower gas storage and a late November cold snap, has added some uncertainty to the US winter power outlook. S&P Global Platts editors Eric Janssen, Kassia Micek and Tyler Godwin discuss the major issues in a roundtable discussion led by...