Know What's Happening in Commodities
Know What's Happening in Commodities
Ireland launches €250M relief package as heating oil prices double
Heating oil prices in Ireland surged from about $545 to over $1,090 per fill within a month amid the Middle East conflict. The government responded with a €250 million ($273 million) relief package that includes excise cuts and a diesel rebate, though experts say a national energy‑security strategy is still lacking.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Oil majors acquire $164M of Alaska oil leases
Florida experienced an unprecedented freeze from late December 2025 through early February 2026, inflicting over $3 billion in agricultural losses. Key commodities such as tomatoes, squash, and bell peppers saw up to 50% crop loss, while strawberries, blueberries, and citrus also suffered significant damage. The sudden scarcity triggered a sharp, short‑lived surge in refrigerated freight demand, pushing rates up 20% before volumes collapsed 20‑32% as salvage shipments ran out. Going forward, the state’s reduced produce output is redirecting supply chains toward Mexican imports, leaving Florida‑based reefer carriers with fewer loads and tighter margins.
VLCC charter rates surged to a record $424,000 per day after the U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran, as the Strait of Hormuz was officially closed to traffic. Spot rates for Middle‑East‑to‑China voyages jumped well above $400,000, dwarfing the recent $100,000‑plus benchmarks....
EU consults on aluminium scrap export limits as shipments rise and secondary producers face margin pressure. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/03/eu-aluminium-scrap-export-restriction.html
$VLO rising to near nose-bleed territory in the short run, but w/ Crude likely to approach high 70's before a peak, i expect another 1-2 weeks of strength out of VLO before this stalls out @IBDinvestors @marketsurge Big push...
Gold futures surged roughly $100 on Monday, briefly topping $5,400 as investors fled to the traditional safe‑haven amid a new Middle East conflict. In contrast, silver futures slipped $3.62, ending near $89.80 after a volatile swing between $86.73 and $97.30....
Can you believe that all of the people down there are unaware that the world’s largest LNG plant is offline? https://t.co/nG6uMfgyuH
SQM’s quarterly price results remain a bellweather of the market price trend. The big question is how much higher will this quarter be? SQM’s 2026 LCE production won’t come close to the market growth for the year. Let...
The United States and Israel launched a strike against Iran, dominating global headlines as China prepares for its annual Two Sessions. Beijing’s response has been limited to diplomatic condemnations, mirroring its usual stance in such crises. Iranian crude accounts for...
Some basic oil shock math, focusing on the impact on global trade ... Remember that we are starting from an unusually low surplus in the fuel exporting economies ... 1/ https://t.co/WIeQBspqCY
The US‑Iran conflict has driven NYMEX heating‑oil futures up more than 12%, causing diesel premiums at Brazilian ports to more than double within a day. Spot‑market diesel deals are expected to grind to a halt as import costs surge and...
The Australian Government’s 2025 edition of Australia’s Identified Mineral Resources (AIMR) highlights a surge in critical mineral reserves and production, reinforcing the nation’s role as a reliable supplier for high‑tech manufacturing, defence and clean‑energy sectors. Eleven critical minerals, including fluorine,...
Oil prices continued to rise as the United States and Israel escalated military actions against Iran, prompting Tehran to threaten to close the Strait of Hormuz and launch drone attacks on the U.S. embassy in Riyadh. Brent crude climbed above...
Oil prices jumped nearly 10 % after Iran’s retaliatory strikes, prompting JPMorgan to warn that Brent could reach $120 per barrel if Strait of Hormuz disruptions persist. Pakistan, which imports 85 % of its crude, faces a current‑account deficit increase of $1.5‑$2 billion...
Venture Global, one of the United States' leading LNG exporters, has signed a five‑year supply agreement with global commodity trader Trafigura, effective from this year. The contract locks in a steady volume of U.S. liquefied natural gas for Trafigura’s worldwide...
Revenue protection guarantees are rising for soybeans and slipping for corn as the 2026 spring price outlook solidifies. Soybean prices hit $11.09 per bushel, roughly five percent above last year, while corn settled at $4.62, just eight cents lower. Higher...
Israel announced a precautionary shutdown of production at its major offshore gas fields, including Tamar and Leviathan, as hostilities with Iran intensify. The move follows a wave of attacks on energy infrastructure across the Middle East Gulf region. Officials say...
US‑Israeli attacks on Iran have halted vessel traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, threatening paraxylene (PX) shipments from Saudi Arabia's Jubail port to the US Gulf Coast. While 56% of US PX imports come from Saudi Arabia, roughly half load...
Brazil is accelerating toward becoming the world’s fourth‑largest oil producer, buoyed by its 2025 entry into OPEC+ and a massive offshore pre‑salt development program. The pre‑salt basins, which contain 81% of the nation’s proven reserves, are driving a 14.6% jump...
The University of Missouri’s Food and Ag Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) projects that expanding year‑round E15 gasoline could lift corn demand, nudging corn prices up 2 to 7 cents per bushel, while pushing soybean prices down 9 to 22 cents...
Oil, LNG Prices Spike as Iran Conflict Continues Ron Bousso, senior columnist for Thomson Reuters, discusses oil, LNG markets and the likelihood that Middle Eastern tensions will keep prices high. #IranWar #IranIsraelWar https://youtu.be/TyuJU-0pvIo
Missouri farmer Brian Willott warns that Brazil’s expanding double‑cropping of corn and soy is intensifying global competition for U.S. grain. He argues that U.S. corn’s quality edge must be leveraged to secure premium prices and new export markets. Willott also...
Western Canadian feeder cattle markets held firm for the week ending Feb. 21, with yearling prices climbing about $10 per hundredweight and calf values showing mixed movement. Improved short‑term feedlot margins bolstered the yearling segment, while unusually cold Alberta weather...
Re‑export demand for diammonium phosphate (DAP) at New Orleans lifted prices to $650 per short tonne, a 4% rise from the previous week. About 30,000 st were sold for re‑export, mainly to a Latin‑American distributor, while 170,000 t of DAP arrived at Nola...
Middle‑East hostilities have forced Qatar to shut its flagship LNG export plant and Saudi Arabia to pause operations at its largest oil refinery, while tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has nearly stopped. The disruptions arrive amid a global...
Spot ammonia prices in the US Corn Belt surged on March 2, with CF Industries raising offers to $760‑$850 per short ton at inland locations. The jump reflects strong pre‑plant fertilizer demand and a tightening nitrogen market influenced by the Middle...
US Oil Fund (USO) and Brent Oil ETF (BNO) are both rated hold as traders navigate heightened volatility from the Middle‑East conflict. Brent and distillate futures present greater upside risk than WTI, while seasonal demand backs gasoline and WTI. Both...
Former Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that the Iran‑Israel conflict threatens to choke oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, sending crude futures to their highest level in over a year. Higher energy prices could lift inflation and undermine the...
Fastmarkets issued a correction for its February 27 pricing data, raising the Bleachable Fancy Tallow – Packer Chicago price from 57 to 58 cents per pound. The weekly tallow average was adjusted to 57.20 cents and the monthly average to 55.63 cents. The Fat...
Fastmarkets announced that while the scheduled price publications for 2 mm grade 316 stainless‑steel cold‑rolled sheet in North Europe proceeded as planned, the associated average price data were delayed. The pricing database has now been updated to reflect the corrected averages. The...
The cost of leaching copper oxide ore in the Central African Copperbelt is about to get even more expensive. In the past few days a number of Middle Eastern Oil refineries have been attacked / closed. In addition, exports through...
Is the market already done with the US-Iran war? Wall Street erased early losses while gold and crude oil recoiled from panic highs. Now what? #OilPrices #Crude #Iran #IranWar #stockmarkets #Dollar #Macro https://t.co/sUv93zfPtT
Geopolitical tensions sparked a roughly 6% jump in WTI crude, pushing the benchmark above the $68 resistance level. The monthly MACD has turned bullish, suggesting a multi‑month turnaround for oil prices. Energy giants Baker Hughes and Exxon Mobil have rallied...
Kharg Island is a 'choke point' for Iran's oil exports, says VanEck Funds CEO https://t.co/rI4JYhLG71
"Sell the News" even works for tanker stocks when the most important waterway for oil is practically (if not actually) closed. https://t.co/1Blk1tLMqJ
The USDA’s Farm Service Agency will automatically add up to 30 million new commodity base acres for the 2026 crop year, making them eligible for ARC and PLC payments. Farms qualify if they planted or were prevented from planting a covered...
European gas just posted its biggest one-day jump since the Ukraine invasion. Up ~50% as Hormuz security stalls LNG shipping. Energy shocks don’t disappear — they compound. Just when inflation felt contained, volatility returns. Cost-of-living isn’t gone. It was dormant. #NaturalGas #TTF #Hormuz #EnergyCrisis...
US Senator Steve Daines on Montana palladium mine, in the wake of US tariffs on Russian supplies of the metal used to make semiconductors and other materials:
Oil prices surged after US‑Israeli air strikes on Iran and the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei, pushing Brent crude above $80 a barrel. The conflict threatens the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for roughly 20% of global oil, adding a risk...
Despite the strike on Saudi Arabia’s largest oil refinery, Aramco’s Ras Tanura facility, the oil market remained relatively calm throughout the day. Stay tuned. https://t.co/HzbD8gLZNn
Crude drilling into a pivot that’s been in play since 2006. Pressure builds here. $USO $USOIL $OIL $XLE $XOP $OIH https://t.co/g5XbBkgmCd
Iran commander says Strait of Hormuz closed, vows to hit ships trying to pass, report says: CNBC $USO $XLE
Oil jumping to 8-9% gains this afternoon.. gasoline futures up 12 cents. US stocks ~unch with the 10yr 3bps off the HoD.. now near 4.04% https://t.co/XkTx1P5k8G
Today marks the day the #gold bull market is two years old (by the way I calculate them). If it ended now it'd be the shortest in modern history. Said differently, it ain't over and we must remain invested... https://t.co/UHqF9IBGvY
Tokenized gold provided access to a safe-haven asset when traditional exchanges were closed this weekend. My research paper updated today. @DukeFuqua @RA_Insights https://t.co/yA7PGaTTgf
Strait of Hormuz Enters Active Crisis: Five Ships Hit, Traffic Collapses, Tanker Markets Brace for Historic Shock https://t.co/QozOvFyHte
🇺🇸Last week's U.S. corn and soybean export inspections topped all estimates. 65% of the inspected bean volume was to China. https://t.co/pdWgCErVIi
Marketing year to date #wheat export inspections exceed the seasonal pace needed to hit USDA's target by 57 million bushels, versus 62 million bushels the previous week. #oatt
Just last week the German government gutted the heating law which was supposed to drive a transition away from gas. The timing could not have been worse: Gas prices are up 50% today & this crisis could worsen significantly. This will...
Why on earth would Canada (or anyone) have that much spare LNG capacity? The reason many terminals weren't built is because they couldn't secure long-term offtake deals. No one was building terminals on a purely merchant basis.
Export inspections for the week ending Feb. 26 (mln bu): #corn 73.2, grain sorghum 9.4, #soybeans 41.8, #wheat 12.6 #oatt
