Commodities Focus

US steel and polymer producers rode a wave of soaring prices for their products in 2021 as the economy roared back from the coronavirus pandemic and construction activity boomed. The hot building market brought with it an uptick in demand for steel and polymers. But the fun couldn't last forever. Rising interest rates are tamping down inflation, and the construction industry is feeling the pain. S&P Global Commodity Insights global polymer lead Kristen Hays and US metal news editor Nick Lazzaro dive into recent trends in US construction activity, and how the price swings in polymer and steel markets illustrate that after two red-hot years, the economy might be finally cooling down. Subscribe to Platts Dimensions Pro for access to assessments and premium content covering US hot-rolled coil (STHRI00), US polyvinyl chloride (AAGZR00), and much more.

US summer power markets are just warming up. A heat wave hit the central US in mid-July, leading to multiple alerts and records across two grid footprints, and a late July heat wave brought triple-digit temperatures to the Pacific Northwest, shrinking power exports to neighboring regions in the West. But the summer demand season is far from over, as forecasts for summer-like temperatures now extend into September, which means there’s likely much more on the way before things cool off. US power news editor Kassia Micek, power pricing analyst Karen Rivera, senior power and gas editor Mark Watson, and North American power analytics manager Morris Greenberg discuss what’s happened this season to date, and how things look down the curve. Subscribe to Platts Dimensions Pro for access to assessments and premium content covering ERCOT North Hub day-ahead on-peak (IERNM00), SPP South Hub day-ahead on-peak (ISSOM00), and much more.

Australia’s ban on export of alumina to Russia following the war in Ukraine sent prices on a rollercoaster ride in the first half of 2022. Uncertainties surrounding the supply-demand dynamics and policies continue to loom ahead. In the aluminum markets, Chinese smelters have been ramping up production but are facing operational losses, while elevated energy prices and operational challenges threaten further smelter curtailments in the Atlantic basin. In this podcast, S&P Global Commodity Insights' senior managing editor Mok YuenCheng discusses with pricing specialists Jenson Ong and Germaine Lee, and analyst Lucy Tang on what lies ahead for the alumina and aluminum markets this year.  Subscribe to Platts Dimensions Pro for access to assessments and premium content covering Platts Alumina FOB Australia (MMWAU00), FOB Brazil Atlantic Differential (MMWAD04), China ExWorks (MMXCY00), as well as the Aluminum Premium CIF Japan (MMANA00) and much more.

Amid geopolitical risks threatening the key wheat-growing Black Sea region, Canadian wheat is taking on a bigger role in the global spotlight for this key food crop as recently launched CME futures give additional tools for those looking at FOB Vancouver wheat. Join agriculture managing editor Josh Pedrick and senior pricing specialists Luke Lundgren and Alexandre Bobylov as they talk through the current market dynamics in global wheat, while head of grain analytics Pete Meyer discusses the supply and demand picture. This Commodities Focus podcast was produced by Jennifer Pedrick in Houston.

India’s imposition of steep tariffs on steel exports has put global markets in a tizzy, with unanswered questions on the longevity of the policy, immediate benefits to domestic end-users and strategies that local mills could adopt to manage excess inventories. In this podcast, S&P Global Commodity Insights' experts, Senior Editor Ashima Tyagi and Lead Analyst Paul Bartholomew, discuss with Aruna Sharma, Former Secretary, Government of India the immediate and long term implications of this decision. They also weigh in on India’s diminishing role as an exporter of prominence and its future pace of capacity additions. 

As hurricane season 2022 unfolds in the US Gulf of Mexico, the implications for oil and gas infrastructure in the region are wide-ranging. More than ever, the whole world is watching the US Gulf as energy from the United States grow their presence in global markets. Americas gas news manager Joe Fisher sits down with natural gas editor Alan Lammey and oil editor Jordan Blum to discuss what the forecast says and what tropical activity could mean for natural gas, LNG and oil. This Commodities Focus podcast was produced by Jennifer Pedrick in Houston.

European and Asian buyers of liquefied natural gas have increasingly been turning to US supplies as Russia’s gas is spurned. This has reinvigorated contracting and LNG terminal development activity in the US, where the midstream and upstream sectors, and regulators in Washington, are keenly aware of the developing market opportunity for global gas. S&P Global Commodity Insights’ Americas gas news manager Joe Fisher speaks with LNG editor Harry Weber, natural gas editor J. Robinson, and government/regulatory editor Maya Weber about how shifting natural gas trade flows caused by the war in Ukraine are affecting the US natural gas industry now, and what industry participants and regulators are saying about growing opportunities in global gas. This Commodities Focus podcast was produced by Jennifer Pedrick in Houston.

The lockdowns in Shanghai have caused significant supply chain disruption around the world, but also falling container rates from their all-time highs. In this episode of the Commodities Focus podcast, Americas containers editor David Lademan speaks with Asia containers specialist Ayush Verma and managing editor George Griffiths about how the ongoing lockdowns in China amid their 'zero-COVID' policy have impacted global trade flows, and what to expect once the shutters reopen on Shanghai’s production facilities. Tell us more about your podcast preferences so we can keep improving our shows. Take our two-minute survey here: https://bit.ly/plattspod22

Sulphuric acid prices have been rising strongly since the start of COVID-19. Copper prices are also showing a similar trend. What are the factors behind the strong uptrend in demand? What is the impact on copper and sulphuric acid from the ongoing Russian-Ukraine war and China's "zero-COVID" strategy? S&P Global Commodity Insights' experts--Mok Yuen Cheng and Han Lu from the Platts pricing team and Hui Min Lee from Fertecon-- discuss in this podcast.

Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine has triggered a shift in European power production as gas prices have risen to new heights. With Russian supplies accounting for about 40% of all European gas imports, can natural gas have a future as a key generation fuel in Europe? Can it remain a bridge between high-carbon fuels and green sources of energy as planned to meet ambitious climate targets?   Tell us more about your podcast preferences so we can keep improving our shows. Take our two-minute survey here: https://bit.ly/plattspod22