Commodities News and Headlines
Commodities News and Headlines
Commodities Pulse
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Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
China has imposed strict limits on fertilizer exports, banning nitrogen‑potassium blends and many phosphate varieties while allowing only a few products such as ammonium sulphate. The curbs affect up to 40 million tonnes, roughly half to three‑quarters of last year’s shipments, tightening global supply amid price spikes from the US‑Israeli war on Iran. Major importers including Thailand, India and Brazil now face reduced availability and higher costs. Analysts expect the restrictions to stay in place through August, covering the peak June‑August export window.
Oil prices have surged above $100 a barrel, up from $60 earlier this year, as the Hormuz Strait bottleneck intensifies amid the US‑Israeli conflict with Iran. The spike mirrors the 2022 oil‑gas crisis, prompting governments to adopt emergency measures like...
Oil prices jumped to roughly $115 a barrel after fresh attacks on Middle Eastern energy infrastructure, while European natural‑gas futures surged more than 20% following reports of extensive damage at Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG plant. The price spikes triggered broad equity...
A Common Wealth think‑tank report proposes decoupling fossil‑gas prices from UK electricity pricing, estimating household bill reductions of up to £203 per year. In 2024 gas set the wholesale electricity price 85% of the time despite supplying only about 25% of...
Coffee prices, which surged to record highs in early 2025 due to adverse weather and U.S. tariffs, are now sliding toward $2 per pound as production forecasts improve. Analysts at the National Coffee Association convention warned that the commodity could...
Minister Julie Collins warned that fertiliser shortages could hit Australian growers by late May or June if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked. While current stocks cover the early cropping season, 95% of Australia’s urea—65% shipped through the Persian Gulf...
Crude prices rose on Wednesday as Iranian strikes hit the South Pars gas field and Asaluyeh processing facilities, shifting market concerns from shipping‑lane disruptions to direct infrastructure risk. Brent closed above $107 a barrel, while WTI settled at $96.32, widening the...
Spot natural gas prices fell on Wednesday as warmer weather forecasts for the eastern United States are expected to curb heating demand. The modest price decline outweighed a slight uptick in demand driven by a heatwave in the western region....
Australia’s bitumen stocks are dwindling as Middle‑East conflicts disrupt supplies from Asian refineries, prompting the Australian Flexible Pavement Association (AFPA) to warn of possible depletion within weeks. Exporters have invoked force‑majeure clauses, cancelling contracts and driving price forecasts above a...
Crude oil prices slipped modestly on Wednesday, with WTI for April delivery down 0.19% to $96.39 a barrel, as traders booked profits after a prior rally. Iraq announced the resumption of oil exports from Kirkuk, limiting shipments to 250,000 barrels...
Cocoa futures have rebounded sharply, climbing to $3,349 per metric tonne after hitting a three‑year low of $2,886 in late February. The rally reflects a market correction from oversold conditions and a temporary easing of supply pressures after farmgate price...
Stanford economists estimate that rising gasoline prices could cost the average U.S. household about $740 this year, roughly matching the projected $750 boost from the 2023 tax refund legislation. Their model assumes a brief Strait of Hormuz closure, with gasoline...
The Democratic Republic of Congo, responsible for over 70% of global cobalt, imposed an export ban in February 2025 and later introduced strict quotas, slashing refined output by roughly 20%. The curbs created an 82,000‑ton deficit in 2025 and drove...
Copper prices are hovering near historic highs, driven by electrification, AI‑related demand and limited new mine supply. However, treatment and refining charges for smelters have collapsed from about $80 per tonne in 2024 to near‑zero levels, with spot terms expected...
Markets entered the day in a low‑volatility mode as investors waited for the Federal Reserve’s rate decision. The calm evaporated when reports of Israeli and U.S. air strikes on Iran’s South Pars gas field sent oil prices sharply higher and a...
U.S. diesel prices broke the $5‑per‑gallon barrier, reaching a national average of $5.07, while gasoline edged toward $4 at $3.79. The surge stems from heightened Middle‑East tensions, notably the war against Iran, which have pushed crude oil above $100 a...
The global tungsten market entered 2026 amid extreme volatility driven by geopolitics, export controls, and resource nationalism. China’s February 2025 export controls on ammonium paratungstate (APT) and other tungsten products triggered a supply shock, pushing APT prices from $900‑$940 to...
Vietnam’s government forecast shows domestic crude production falling to 5.8‑8.0 million metric tons annually between 2026 and 2030, down from an eight‑year average of 8.6 Mt. Imports already rose 5.3% last year to 14.2 Mt, with roughly 80% sourced from Kuwait, now constrained...
The Philippine Department of Agriculture is negotiating fertilizer supply agreements with China, Russia, India and Belarus as Middle‑East tensions threaten the flow of nitrogen‑based inputs. While the agency has already secured more than 80% of its annual fertilizer requirement, rising...
Mitsui & Co secured a 40% off‑take right to copper concentrate from Argentina’s Josemaria deposit, a BHP‑Lundin joint venture containing roughly 4.6 Mt of copper and slated to start production by 2030. The right was purchased from JOGMEC via a public...
Recent fintech developments highlight rapid innovation and regulatory friction. A new study shows traders are already profiting from stablecoin yield strategies while U.S. lawmakers debate the practice. Ortec Finance unveiled GLASS PRISM, a strategic asset‑allocation platform, as the U.S. pushes...
Fastmarkets will introduce three new global spot prices for dysprosium oxide 99.5%, terbium oxide 99.99% and ferro‑dysprosium 80% on March 19. The move responds to Chinese export controls and dwindling non‑Chinese supply, which have forced Japan and other magnet‑dependent economies...
The Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) warns that domestic diesel distribution bottlenecks are hampering remote Australian mining projects, especially junior operators. While fuel imports remain steady, major wholesalers are rationing supplies to independent distributors, creating uncertainty for smaller...
Benchmark crude oil prices surged to multi‑year highs on Tuesday after Iran struck a critical Gulf oil terminal and Israel reportedly killed Iran’s security chief in a bombing. The attacks heightened concerns over regional supply disruptions, prompting traders to bid...
April natural‑gas futures on the NYMEX edged up 1 cent to $3.033 per million Btu, keeping the contract near the psychologically important $3 handle. Gelber & Associates highlighted a tug‑of‑war between brief late‑season cold snaps and a broader spring‑warming trend,...
Oil prices surged on Tuesday, with Brent climbing to $103.42 a barrel and U.S. crude reaching $96.21, reflecting a 2‑3% jump amid heightened geopolitical tension. President Donald Trump warned that NATO allies are unwilling to join a U.S.-led naval escort...
A Transport & Environment study finds that a sustained oil price above $100 per barrel would make gasoline drivers in Europe pay roughly five times more per 100 km than electric‑vehicle owners. The analysis, based on the 2022 Russia‑Ukraine shock,...
China is grappling with a global energy shock that has widened the price gap between its domestic fuel and the higher rates in neighboring Hong Kong. The disparity, driven by lingering subsidies and import dependence, prompts Hong Kong motorists to cross the...
Fastmarkets announced a delayed publication of six European magnesia price indices, covering calcined agricultural, Greek raw, dead‑burned (90% and 95% MgO), fused (97% MgO), and lump forms (90% and 97% MgO). The notice lists the specific product codes (MB‑MAG‑0012, 0013,...
The U.S. Treasury is expanding sanction waivers to allow imports of Venezuelan fertilizer as part of a broader effort to curb soaring input costs for American farmers. The move follows comments from Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins that the administration is...
The UK Department for Business and Trade is poised to slash tariff‑rate quotas for steel imports by up to 50%, targeting hot‑rolled coil (HRC) and hot‑dip galvanized (HDG) products. Argus estimates the cuts would create annual shortfalls of roughly 488,000 t...
Moody's chief economist Mark Zandi warned that a 49% chance of a U.S. recession looms within the next year as crude oil prices surge amid the U.S.-Iran conflict. Brent crude jumped nearly 40% in March, reaching $119.50 per barrel, while...
A poll by the Angus Reid Institute finds Canadians in the cheapest‑gas provinces—Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba—are the most vocal about the financial strain caused by rising pump prices. Nationwide gasoline has jumped 23% to $1.74 per litre since the Iran‑related...
U.S. steel prices remain elevated because tariff uncertainty adds a risk premium that outpaces weak demand and softening industrial indicators. Reduced imports have pushed buyers toward higher‑cost domestic mills, providing short‑term price support despite limited capacity. Ongoing legal challenges to...
Liontown Resources CEO Tony Ottaviano says large‑scale stationary energy storage is emerging as a second engine for lithium demand, reducing reliance on electric vehicles alone. Fastmarkets forecasts global storage installations will grow ~25% annually, reaching about 800 GWh by 2030 and...
CME Group’s economic research maps the long‑term drivers behind the Bloomberg Commodity Index (BCOM) and its six sectors. Historical analysis shows energy’s early‑2000s surge tied to China‑India demand and geopolitical shocks, while precious metals have led recent performance, with silver...
EU climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra signaled a soft price cap for the EU Emissions Trading System could be introduced before the third quarter, ahead of the scheduled ETS review in July. The Commission will first tackle the market stability reserve...
Gold rose to $5,049 per ounce and silver to $82.76 per ounce on 17 March as the U.S. dollar eased from a 10‑month high. The rally was fueled by the weaker dollar, central‑bank meeting anticipation, and a concurrent jump in crude‑oil...
U.S. diesel prices broke the $5 per gallon barrier on Monday, reaching a nationwide average of $5.044, the highest level since December 2022. The surge represents more than a 33% increase since the Iran‑related conflict began, outpacing gains in other...
Egyptian fertilizer producer NCIC announced the award of its latest tender, selling the full 25,000 t of single superphosphate (SSP) at $335 per tonne FOB and 1,200 t of sulphate of potash (SOP) at $620‑630 per tonne FOB. The SSP, containing 20.8%...
Pyth Network has launched the Pyth 24/7 Oil Index, a proprietary price feed that delivers continuous, real‑time oil pricing across global markets. By aggregating first‑party data from exchanges, institutions and trading firms, the index eliminates traditional overnight and weekend price gaps...
South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy imposed mandatory caps on refined fuel exports, limiting shipments to 100 % of the monthly 2025 volumes and introducing wholesale price ceilings for gasoline, diesel and kerosene. The measures, effective 13 March, aim to...
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) convened an emergency meeting with major fuel producers, wholesalers and motoring groups in Sydney and Melbourne to address sharp price spikes and regional supply shortages triggered by the Middle East conflict. ACCC Chair...
Governments across Asia and Europe are rolling out fuel subsidies, price caps, and emergency stock releases to blunt the surge in energy and food costs triggered by the US‑Israeli war on Iran. The conflict has cut roughly one‑fifth of global...
Since the third Gulf war erupted three weeks ago, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has immobilized roughly 10‑15 % of global oil supply, pushing Brent crude above $106 a barrel. President Donald Trump has ordered the largest-ever strategic reserve...
U.S. hog carcass prices climbed to $92.77 per cwt on March 10, while weekly slaughter volumes rose to 0.98 million, edging past the same period last year. Canadian hog cash prices showed modest week‑over‑week gains, with the Signature Four price...
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices slipped $5‑10 per cwt in the week to March 7, reflecting a risk discount tied to the escalating U.S./Israel‑Iran conflict. Feedlot operators reported deep‑red feeding margins and signaled lower bids for replacements unless live cattle prices...
Moody’s chief economist Mark Zandi warned that a sustained oil‑price spike—driven by the Iran conflict and a closed Strait of Hormuz—could push the U.S. into a recession. Moody’s machine‑learning recession model, which previously indicated a 49% chance, is expected to...
The U.S. Defense Department has signed a new supply agreement with Australian rare‑earths producer Lynas, marking the latest effort to secure critical minerals for national security. The deal is intended to diversify the U.S. supply chain away from China, which...
U.S. natural gas futures slipped on Monday despite a cold snap that boosted heating demand. A rebound in deeply negative West Texas prices lifted the national average, masking softness elsewhere. European TTF gas and U.S. WTI crude stayed above recent...
