Commodities Focus

The gene editing system is being used extensively by the private and public sectors to develop new traits of interest in crops. To date, more than 500 products are being developed worldwide using the technology and are at different stages of product development, with more than a dozen of gene edited grain and oilseeds having authorization for cultivation in the US. In this episode, S&P Global Commodity Insights' Sophie Byron (associate editorial director, agriculture pricing), Bharti Malhotra (research and analytics manager and lead author of gene editing report), Alan Bullion (special reports and projects director for Agribusiness, co-author of report), and Pete Meyer (crops and feedstock economist) discuss the fast-growing world of gene-edited crops and how this technology is being perceived globally to resolve the biggest challenges of food security, energy security, and sustainability.  Register for the European Biofuels Conference here Register for the Geneva Sugar Conference here

The global petrochemical industry is grappling with the aftermath of COVID-fueled demand. The supply squeeze in 2020 and 2021 that led to soaring prices has been doused by economic uncertainty and oversupply, leaving producers with hard decisions about output and buyers with lots of options.  S&P Global Commodity Insights’ global polymer lead Kristen Hays speaks with Chemical Week editors Rob Westervelt and Clay Boswell to break down how the markets got here and what’s coming up. Don’t miss them at the World Petrochemical Conference in Houston next week as well.    Related: Chemical Week

Algorithmic trading is increasingly a mainstay of European electricity and natural gas trade as major players seek to stay on top of fast-moving, volatile markets. So-called algos, which make hundreds if not thousands of trades a day, are widely used to balance renewable energy portfolios and bring more liquidity to the market. But traders have blamed the automated process for exacerbating volatility during last year's energy crisis, when electricity and gas prices exploded due to tight supplies and regulatory uncertainty.  In this episode S&P Global Commodity Insights’ Kira Savcenko shares fragments of her conversation about this phenomenon with Jürgen Mayerhofer, CEO of algorithmic trader Enspired, and discusses further with Henry Edwardes-Evans, managing editor of S&P Global Commodity Insights’ Power in Europe newsletter. Related price assessments: UK Day-ahead Baseload Power price: AADET00  UK Day-ahead Peakload Power price: AADFC00 UK Block 5 Power price: GTB5G00

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered major supply risks and wide-ranging sanctions that have dramatically changed global oil and gas markets. In a year of price volatility, supply concerns and increasingly harsh sanctions, Russia has accelerated its pivot to Asian markets. As we enter a second year of the conflict, the risk of major security incidents, a decline in Russian production, and even tougher sanctions hangs over global markets.     In this episode of the Commodities Focus podcast S&P Global Commodity Insights experts Paul Sheldon, Stuart Elliott and Sambit Mohanty discuss the impact of the war with managing editor for Russia commodities and energy news Rosemary Griffin. Related price assessments: GTFWM10 - Dutch TTF 1-Mo PCAAS00 – Dated Brent AAWVH00 – Urals FOB Primorsk AAWVI00 – Urals Primorsk v Med Dtd Strip

The Freeport LNG terminal in Texas started exporting LNG cargoes in mid-February for the first time since a fire and explosion in June 2022 forced a shutdown of the facility, marking a milestone in the history of US LNG. In the global LNG market, the Freeport outage initially exacerbated supply shortages that sent sky-high spot prices even higher. In the US, the shutdown took the lid off a really hot domestic gas market, as a key source of domestic demand went offline. But global LNG and US gas market dynamics have changed dramatically in the eight months since Freeport went offline.   In this episode, S&P Global Commodity Insights LNG experts Harry Weber and Corey Paul discuss these issues as Freeport returns, as well as LNG market fundamentals more broadly in the Atlantic.   Also listen: Have LNG and gas markets returned to normality in 2023? Register for CERAWeek by S&P Global here

Prices are closer to lower, volatility has reduced and inter-product price spreads have come in, so are we seeing gas and LNG markets revert to normality? What are the factors that have calmed markets, and is this new-found tranquillity likely to be sustained? In this Commodities Focus podcast episode, S&P Global Commodity Insights experts Kenneth Foo, Allen Reed and Stuart Elliott discuss these topics with global director for LNG Ciaran Roe. Related price assessments: AAOVQ00 - LNG Japan/Korea DES Spot Crg AASXU00 - LNG NWE DES $/MMBtu GTFWM10 - Dutch TTF 1-Mo $/MMBtu  

In this episode of the Commodities Focus podcast, our experts delve into the Black Sea wheat trade situation amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War, from the impact of the Black Sea Grain Initiative on global food security to the challenges faced by the initiative and the future of wheat exports in the region. Additionally, our experts also discuss the impact of sanctions on Russian fertilizer supplies and how it will shape the global demand in 2023. Related content on Platts Dimensions Pro: Grains news and insights Dry Freight news and insights

Copper prices reached six-month high in December on a weakening US dollar and news of China relaxing its zero-COVID control policy, but copper cathode end-users reduced term contracts coverage for 2023. Copper concentrate supply is expected to be in surplus this year, but we saw spot tightness just in the start of the year. S&P Global Commodity Insights’ experts Yuen Cheng Mok, Han Lu and Jesline Tang discuss the driving factors for recent copper market and expectations for the new year. Price assessments on Platts Dimensions Pro: Clean Copper Concentrate CIF China - PCCCB00 Copper Concentrate Producer-Trader Differential - PCCCG00

Adverse weather events due to climate change are increasingly impacting agriculture. In this podcast, S&P Global Commodity Insights reporters Shikha Singh and Mugunthan Kesavan speak to Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig, Senior Research Scientist with NASA, and recipient of the 2022 World Food Prize Award on greenhouse emissions, rising temperatures and their impact on agriculture. James McMahon, CEO of The Climate Service at S&P Global’s Sustainable 1, also joins the discussion and shares his thoughts on global emissions and the modelling of climate risks.  Learn more about climate-related physical risks and transition risks.  

As EU sanctions on Russian crude and oil products come into force, the Baltic and Black Sea shipping markets face uncertainty. In this episode of the Platts Commodities Focus podcast, our EMEA Tanker Editors and Freight Analytics team delve into the challenges and opportunities facing shipowners in these regions. From navigating new strategies to considering the potential impact of these sanctions, join us as we explore what the future holds for shipping in the west. Helpful links: Europe & Africa Crude Oil Dirty Tanker Freight Shipping News & Insights