Price movements and fundamentals across major commodities.
Analysis and reporting on commodities such as oil, natural gas, gold, industrial metals, and agricultural products. Focuses on supply-demand dynamics, geopolitical risks, inventory trends, and macro drivers affecting commodity markets.
2,383 total articles
Global crude prices climbed again this week, pushing Brent above $100 per barrel and prompting a pullback in equity markets despite a string of strong results from technology and industrial firms. Tensions between the United States and Iran, including a U.S. maritime blockade and continued Iranian attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, have coincided wit…
The U.N. Development Programme head warned that the Iran war’s disruptions to fuel and fertiliser supplies - compounded by blocked shipping through the Strait of Hormuz - are already reducing agricultural productivity and will push more than 30 million people back into poverty, even if hostilities end quickly. The crisis has eroded global output an…
A Netherlands-based chemicals distributor majority-owned by U.S. private equity firm Advent International is the focus of both criminal and regulatory probes in Brazil over alleged links between its methanol sales and a large fuel fraud operation run by the First Capital Command (PCC). Prosecutors and the national fuel regulator have raised questio…
Brazil’s government projects a 13% increase in exports by 2038 if the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement is fully enforced, with industrial exports potentially rising 26%. The deal, signed in January, phases out tariffs and immediately begins gradual tariff removal, including zero duties on close to 5,000 products from May 1. Legal challenges in the …
European wholesale gas prices climbed as forecasts for colder weather combined with renewed geopolitical strain linked to US-Iran talks. The benchmark Dutch front-month contract at the TTF hub rose to 45.40 euros per megawatt hour, reflecting a modest intraday gain amid continued uncertainty over shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and the status of p…
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has prompted policymakers in Asia to reassess the vulnerability of other critical sea lanes, notably the Strait of Malacca. The 900-km channel is the world’s busiest route for international trade and the largest oil transit chokepoint, carrying significant volumes of crude destined for major East Asian economies.…
Iran seized two commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. president said he would indefinitely hold off renewed attacks while waiting for proposals from mediators. Tehran has not acknowledged any truce extension, and Iranian leaders say a full ceasefire requires lifting what they call a U.S. naval blockade. The blockade and seizures…
Gold prices declined in Asian trade, extending losses and briefly slipping beneath a recent two-week trading band as uncertainty around U.S.-Iran negotiations and prospects for U.S. interest rates supported the dollar and reduced appetite for bullion. Spot gold and futures each fell about 0.7%, while silver and platinum recorded larger percentage d…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's statistical arm plans to survey more farmers for key acreage reports after a marked decline in response rates for its March 31 planting intentions report. Pending Office of Management and Budget approval, the agency aims to boost the June 30 sample by about 35% and increase later survey samples by 10%, while add…
Oil prices moved higher in Asian trading on Thursday after shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remained thin following attacks on vessels this week and with little sign of renewed negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. Brent rose above $102 a barrel and U.S. crude traded near $93.50 as market participants weighed the continued closure risks to a…
Oil prices eased marginally on Thursday following a strong rally the previous session, as negotiations between the United States and Iran remain stalled and both countries continue to limit ship movements through the Strait of Hormuz. Market moves reflected inventory data showing large draws in U.S. gasoline and distillate stocks, a record high in …
Mexico’s Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard acknowledged that tariffs affecting the country’s automotive, steel and aluminum sectors are unlikely to be fully removed, even if the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement is renegotiated. Ebrard said Mexico will aim to reduce duties rather than return to a tariff-free environment as talks with U.S. counterpar…
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told a Senate subcommittee that the Department of Agriculture is in daily contact with the White House and other federal agencies about elevated fertilizer costs and will announce both short- and long-term measures to address the problem. Rollins also said she has been speaking with leaders of major fertili…
U.S. firm Virtus Minerals and Indian partner Lloyds Metals & Energy plan to resume full production at Congolese miner Chemaf in January 2027 after completing a Washington-supported takeover, according to a union executive and company communications. The transaction, which included a $30 million purchase and assumption of about $900 million in debt,…
Canada's prime minister said Ottawa will resist any attempt by the United States to unilaterally impose terms for the scheduled review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Mexico has already engaged Washington in two rounds and plans a first formal negotiation next month, while Canada has not set a date for talks. The USMCA review must be …
The European Commission is evaluating rules that would require member states to hold dedicated jet fuel stocks and allow for regional redistribution of supplies should shortages emerge, EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen said. The move accompanies new EU steps to monitor refinery output across the bloc to maximize capacity amid concerns that the …
Senior executives from two leading maritime groups said safe, sustainable and clearly open passage through the Strait of Hormuz is a precondition for a return to normal shipping flows. Despite a tentative ceasefire two weeks earlier, shipping traffic remains largely halted as safety concerns and warnings of mines persist, leaving fleets anchored an…
European natural gas prices traded unevenly as market participants reacted to Iranian state media claims that two ships were seized near the Strait of Hormuz, alongside President Trump's announcement of an extended ceasefire with Tehran. The Dutch front-month TTF contract ticked up, while broader concerns persist around disrupted tanker traffic and…
Traders executed roughly $430 million of short bets on crude futures in the quarter-hour preceding U.S. President Donald Trump's declaration of an indefinite ceasefire extension with Iran. The trades, placed during post-settlement hours, are the latest in a series of sizable, well-timed directional wagers around major Iran-related announcements thi…
Barclays says the recent US-mediated ceasefire has not reopened the Strait of Hormuz to normal oil and gas traffic. Analysts report more than 50 days of closure, roughly 600 million barrels of crude blocked and more than 10 million barrels per day effectively shut in, while shipping remains exposed to security incidents and thousands of seafarers a…
On April 22 Iranian forces seized two container ships attempting to transit the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz after firing on them and a third vessel. Authorities said the ships lacked required permits and had tampered with navigation equipment. The incidents prompted a rise in oil futures and underscored continuing disruptions to traffic through t…
A broad array of governments have announced measures to protect consumers and key industries from sharp increases in energy prices attributed to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Responses range from tax cuts and temporary export bans to higher subsidies, reserve releases and production mandates designed to secure domestic supplies and ease bills for h…
Shipping executives at the FT Commodities Global Summit said Asian shipowners, including government-linked fleets, are more likely to restart voyages through the Strait of Hormuz before Western companies. The imbalance reflects differing tolerance for sanctions risk, access to government-to-government channels, and the prospect of Iranian tolls and…
The head of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum cautioned that the temporary demand destruction for natural gas triggered by the Iran war could become structural if the conflict endures. Since the crisis began late in February, over 500 million barrels of crude and condensate have been removed from global markets, prompting some gas-importing countri…
President Donald Trump announced a unilateral extension of a ceasefire in the Iran conflict beyond a Wednesday deadline, but participants on the other side have not clearly endorsed the move. Oil markets registered only muted gains, while global equity markets and futures leaned toward optimism driven by strength in technology stocks. Key macro and…
