Commodities Focus

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...

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...

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...

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...

The European natural gas market has seen some dramatic changes year on year so far during the final quarter of 2018, with pricing seen volatile after crashing recently with multi-year highs seen at the beginning of the Winter 2018/19 season. In this podcast, S&P Global Platts European gas team...

Why would a refiner keep making gasoline at a loss? That's the situation facing US companies with gasoline cracks dipping into negative numbers against major US and European crude grades. Jeff Bair and Seth Clare of the US gasoline team break down the numbers and take look at what analysts are...

An escalation in tension between Russia and Ukraine following the seizure of three Ukrainian vessels by Russia in the Azov Sea could mean a change to market dynamics. In this podcast S&P Global Platts commodities specialists explore what it could mean for those who use Russian and Ukrainian...

Market expectations for Q4 were sky-high, but has the dry bulk sector delivered on its Q3 promise? S&P Global Platts Sam Eckett and Arthur Richier discuss how geopolitical challenges have affected different commodities around the Atlantic Basin, and how freight rates have been impacted as a...

S&P Global Platts European styrene editor Olu Shaw joins EMEA petrochemicals managing editor Ng Baoying to assess the European styrene market, which has lost close to a third of its value in the two months to mid-November, from $1,422/mt mid-August, to $979.50/mt. While some sources consider...

The US Gulf Coast has become the new crude export hub in the Americas. Brazil and USGC crude exports combined have transformed the VLCC runs from the Americas to the Asia-Pacific region into a front-haul market, attracting ballasters from as far away as Singapore. In recent weeks shipping cost on...