Commodities Blogs and Articles
Commodities Blogs and Articles
Commodities Pulse
EMAIL DIGESTS
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Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
EMAIL DIGESTS
Daily
Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
The Strait of Hormuz channels about 50% of the world’s sulphur, a key feedstock for sulphuric acid used in nickel, copper and cobalt processing. Indonesia, which produces over half of global nickel, imports roughly 75% of its sulphur from the Middle East, while African copper and cobalt plants rely on similar shipments. Sulphur prices, already near $500 per tonne, rose an additional 10‑15% after the regional conflict, tightening an already constrained market. Limited inventory at HPAL plants heightens the risk of production disruptions across critical‑metal supply chains.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz and QatarEnergy’s force‑majeure on LNG have removed roughly 20% of global supply, sending European gas prices soaring to double their previous levels. In reaction, EU policymakers are softening carbon‑pricing mechanisms and methane measurement...
Australian grain markets are holding steady, with wheat around $300‑$330 per tonne and barley modestly firmer, while canola trades in the high $600s‑low $700s. In stark contrast, energy commodities have surged—crude oil sits near $95 a barrel, up about 50 %...
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) released a report attributing the 36% plunge in silver on January 30 to the expanding role of leveraged exchange‑traded funds (ETFs). Retail investors poured into double‑levered products such as AGQ, forcing rapid rebalancing in silver...
Today's agricultural futures market moved in mixed directions before rallying across the board. Soybeans saw spread trading keep spot prices flat while deferred contracts gained, and the whole soy complex later rose on energy support. Corn prices were buoyed by...
Australian mining magnate Gina Rinehart’s rare‑earth holdings have surged to over $2.4 billion, driven by a global push to diversify away from China. The portfolio, once a modest side‑investment, now represents a significant portion of her $25 billion wealth. China still controls...
The uranium market is entering a critical juncture as nuclear power demand accelerates while supply tightens. At the PDAC conference, Cameco’s president and a UxC analyst warned that structural constraints—geopolitical disruptions and project development risks—could reshape pricing and security for...
Gold prices are consolidating around the $5,000 level, trading sideways with no clear directional bias. The 4‑hour stochastic indicator failed to generate bullish momentum, while the daily stochastic is deeply oversold—the most extreme since early November—suggesting downside may be capped...
A significant copper shortage is projected over the next 15 years, with ING Group forecasting a 600‑kiloton refined copper deficit in 2026, extending the shortfall from the previous year. Ongoing mine disruptions and growing tariff anxieties are tightening supply further....
The recent closure of the Strait of Hormuz underscores a decade of heightened geopolitical risk and a shift toward de‑globalization in energy markets. Historical trade data reveals that such disruptions have recurred and eventually subside as the global economy adjusts....
European electricity markets are showing price resilience as wind and solar capacity expands. In Germany and France, power prices fell last week even as oil prices surged, contrasting with earlier spikes driven by natural‑gas volatility. Continued renewable investment is dampening...
Kevin Hassett highlighted on CBS Face the Nation that oil futures are pricing a rapid decline in oil prices, even as spot gasoline prices surge due to current Strait disruptions. The forward curve suggests Brent will not revert to its pre‑war...
Oil markets cooled as a few tankers slipped through the Strait of Hormuz, easing the panic that had driven Brent toward $100 per barrel. The shift from a full‑blow blockade narrative to constrained flow reduced downside risk, but the market...
The Iran‑Israel war has reignited fears of a major disruption to oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, sending shockwaves through global markets. Gold futures remain near $5,013 per ounce while silver hovers around $81, reflecting heightened volatility but limited...
The Gulf region is sliding into recession as refined fuel prices surge amid tightening global energy markets. Distillates such as diesel and jet fuel have risen far faster than crude, with some products nearly tripling in cost. The sharp price...
Kevin Hassett told CBS’s Face the Nation that the US economy will not be harmed by the US‑Israel‑Iran conflict, citing abundant domestic oil production and a steep decline in futures‑based oil prices. He argued the temporary 20% disruption to global...
Brazil is on track for a record 2025‑26 soybean harvest of about 6.5 billion bushels, driven by expanded acreage and strong yields. However, farm margins have collapsed to near‑breakeven levels, the lowest in almost twenty years, as production costs surged to...
Inflation surged to 9.1% in mid‑2022 due to pandemic disruptions and the Russia‑Ukraine war, then fell sharply in 2023 despite unemployment staying low. The traditional sacrifice ratio—unemployment needed to cut inflation—proved near zero, challenging Phillips‑curve expectations. Tariff hikes in 2025‑26...
Australian gas prices have stabilized at $10 per gigajoule, easing short‑term market concerns. Analysts believe the East Coast export cartel is unlikely to repeat the price spikes seen during the Ukraine war, given heightened public scrutiny. However, the author warns...
The article highlights that the Middle East produces roughly 45% of the world’s sulphur, a key input for fertilizers and a broad range of chemicals. Sulphur’s central role in manufacturing and agriculture makes its supply a strategic vulnerability. The piece...
Australian beef exports surged to 130,884 tonnes in February 2026, 11 percent higher than a year earlier and 60 percent above the five‑year February average. The United States remained the top buyer, importing 39,949 tonnes – a 14 percent YoY increase and 130 percent above the...
Governments are scrambling to curb soaring oil prices after Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz cut roughly 20% of global supply. The International Energy Agency authorized a historic release of 400 million barrels from strategic reserves, equivalent to about 20...
Escalating Gulf tensions have reignited a sharp rally in oil, with some analysts speculating prices could approach $250 per barrel. The piece ties this surge to a concurrent rise in gold, arguing that the gold‑oil ratio serves as a key...
The weekly recap highlights a sharp rise in oil to $99 amid the Iran‑Israel conflict, pressuring equities and widening the S&P 500 correction. Gold and silver have pulled back 10% and 33% respectively, but the author views these moves as...
Jeff Currie, chief strategy officer at Carlyle Energy Pathways, told Bloomberg Surveillance that the ongoing Iran war is already disrupting the global oil and gas supply chain. He warned that the damage could take months to unwind and cautioned market...
Rick Rule warns that renewed oil price volatility is inflating mining operating costs and reshaping the sector’s risk profile. He draws parallels to the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo, noting how energy shocks can trigger profound real‑asset cycles. The interview also...
The article highlights the concept of wheat balance‑sheet blind spots, emphasizing that reported inventory figures often ignore physical accessibility and quality constraints. It explains that a grain elevator’s listed wheat may not meet specifications or be readily deliverable due to...
A surge in global oil prices after President Trump’s attack on Iran has pushed Massachusetts gasoline prices up 45 cents per gallon, costing drivers over $2.4 million daily. The state consumes about 6 million gallons per day, so the extra expense totals...
In 1974 Henry Kissinger secured an informal pact that required Saudi Arabia to price oil exclusively in U.S. dollars, creating the petrodollar system that channeled massive dollar surpluses into Treasury securities. The arrangement underpinned America’s ability to run large fiscal deficits...
Oil markets are once again being driven by a fear premium, pushing Brent crude up by roughly $15‑$20 per barrel despite ample global supply. The premium, first noted after 9/11, reflects traders’ risk‑aversion to geopolitical shocks and supply‑chain disruptions. Recent...
The market is adjusting to heightened geopolitical risk after coordinated US‑Israeli strikes on Iran, which have effectively shut the Hormuz Strait and intensified regional drone attacks. These developments are pushing oil prices higher for a longer period, bolstering the U.S....
Sugar futures saw a sharp rally early in the week as rising crude oil prices boosted Brazil's ethanol‑linked support, but the gains evaporated once oil retreated and long positions were liquidated. The market’s focus has shifted to growing surplus expectations,...
The March 13 strategic mineral price bulletin shows a mixed market landscape. Chrome concentrate climbs to $300‑315 per tonne, while lithium carbonate and hydroxide slump to $10,200‑$14,800 and $9,800‑$14,200 respectively. Copper rebounds above $9,750 per tonne, nickel retreats to $14,600‑$17,200, and...
Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR) released its latest gold buying rates for Zimbabwe on March 13, 2026. The fire‑assay cash price for gold above 100 g is $155.80 per gram ($4,845.72 per ounce), while SG 90 %+ gold commands $154.98 per gram. Prices decline...
Rising energy costs are pushing nitrogen fertilizer prices higher as natural gas, the primary feedstock for the Haber‑Bosch process, spikes. The price surge cascades through urea, ammonium nitrate and ammonia, inflating the entire fertilizer supply chain. Higher input costs translate...
Macquarie Group warns that Indonesia's new nickel production quota could push the global market into a deficit this year. The December 2025 policy tightens supply to counter a glut, already lifting prices of nickel metal, nickel pig iron, nickel sulfate...
The recent surge in global natural‑gas prices has laid bare Britain’s over‑reliance on imports, costing households roughly three times what Americans pay. The author argues that a decade‑old decision to ban on‑shore shale fracking has left the UK vulnerable, missing...
Albert Edwards warns that markets are overlooking the inflationary pressure from a new oil price spike, arguing that bond yields could rise if the risk is ignored. He notes that unlike the previous surge, stimulus cash has largely vanished, so...
Oil prices rose despite the International Energy Agency and U.S. government announcing a large Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) release. Analysts say the release was too modest to offset ongoing supply constraints from OPEC+ cuts and heightened geopolitical risk in the...
Futures slipped 60 basis points as oil prices stay elevated, driven by tanker incidents in Iraqi waters, Oman's export‑terminal clearance, and Chinese refiners canceling cargoes. Asian equity markets opened lower, with the Nikkei and Taiwan indices down over 1%, while...
Grocery prices are climbing faster than last year, according to recent CPI‑food‑at‑home data. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows a year‑over‑year increase of about 5% in the first quarter of 2024, outpacing the 2023 rate. The Economic Research Service’s forecast...
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has launched a historic 400 million‑barrel emergency oil release, the largest in its 52‑year history, after the Strait of Hormuz closure removed roughly 20 million barrels per day from global supply. Brent crude rose $6.50 to $98.68,...
Brent crude futures are again nearing the $100 per barrel threshold as market volatility climbs. The United States crude price volatility index has surged alongside spot price gains. Analysts estimate only a 45% chance that Strait of Hormuz traffic will...
Gasoline prices in the United States jumped from $2.98 to $3.58 per gallon within two weeks, with California hitting $5.40. The surge follows a series of geopolitical shocks tied to former President Trump’s foreign‑policy moves, including renewed sanctions on Russian...
The International Energy Agency’s member states voted unanimously to release 400 million barrels of oil from their emergency strategic reserves, a move that more than doubles the 182 million‑barrel drawdown in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. The sizable release is intended to...
Jeff Currie, former head of commodity research at Goldman Sachs, warned that the ongoing disruption of the Strait of Hormuz makes oil prices virtually unstoppable in the near term, and no policy response—such as strategic petroleum reserve releases or government...
Natural gas benchmarks jumped sharply in early March as Middle‑East tensions disrupted LNG supplies. The Asian JKM spot price surged to the low‑$20s/MMBtu, while Europe’s TTF rose to $18.1/MMBtu and the U.S. Henry Hub reached $3.2/MMBtu. The spikes were driven...
The Middle East war intensified with three tankers attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting the International Energy Agency to propose a coordinated release of 300‑400 million barrels from strategic reserves. The G7 will discuss the plan, which dwarfs the 180 million‑barrel...
The European Commission is evaluating a gas‑price cap to dilute gas’s influence on electricity pricing across the bloc, as announced by President Ursula von der Leyen. The measure is intended to curb soaring power bills for households and industry. Critics...
Four years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Moscow’s gas strategy has shifted from dominating Europe to seeking new markets amid a severe EU storage shortfall. The EU’s gas inventories sit at just 30 % of capacity, prompting a short‑term reconsideration of...
