The first pause of triple-digit tariffs between the US and China prompted a container shipping surge. The second pause? Not so much. The US and China in May took a 90-day breather from triple-digit tariffs that largely halted container ship traffic between the world’s two largest economies. Shippers and buyers raced to get Chinese goods on the water to the US during that window in a supply-driven surge to pump up inventories ahead of the holiday shopping season. Mid-August brought another 90-day pause as trade negotiations between the two nations continued, but this time shippers and buyers largely yawned. Kristen Hays, manager of the Americas freight pricing team, and Aroob Sheikh and Catherine George, reporters for North and South American container freight markets, discuss the ups and downs of the two biggest players in global trade. Links: Platts Container Rate 13 North Asia-WC North America PCR1300Platts Container Rate 5 North Asia-EC North America PCR0500Platts Container Rate 29 North Asia-WC South America PCR2900Platts Container Rate 31 North Asia-EC South America PCR3100
The landscape of gasoline pricing and supply in Southeast Asia is evolving. The rising demand for low-sulfur blend stocks as Australia prepares for its transition, the effects of reduced non-oxygenated gasoline exports from India and Malaysia's upcoming subsidy increase for 95 RON gasoline--all these factors could influence regional demand, despite potential price inelasticity. In this podcast, Jenson Ong, market engagement lead, global refined oil products, Joshua Ong, senior price reporter, APAC Light Ends and Rachelle Teo, associate price reporter, APAC Clean Products PFC, discuss the intricate interplay between domestic consumption, import dependencies, and the geopolitical factors influencing the gasoline market. Stay tuned for an engaging conversation that will shed light on the critical issues affecting one of the most vital commodities in Asia.
Asia's used cooking oil (UCO) market is navigating an upheaval this year as the US, which once used to be the largest buyer, has removed incentives for imported biofuels. However, UCO’s efficacy and commercial viability as a biofuel feedstock is keeping demand steady and prices at record highs. In this podcast, Iris Leung, associate price reporter, Vasu Tripathy, analyst, oils and fats markets join Aditya Kondalamahanty, senior editor agriculture news to discuss how changing policy is reshaping trade flows and the new market opportunities that are opening for Asian UCO.
For months, Japan has been suffering from an extremely low availability of its staple food—rice. Despite Tokyo's efforts to mitigate the supply crisis, local rice prices have touched all-time high levels. Other countries are likely to step in to fill the gap but Japan’s preference for quality remains in focus. In this podcast, Asim Anand, managing editor, price reporting, agriculture & food, is joined by Dipanshi Agarwal, agricultural economist, Arif Islam, price reporter and Tanya Rana, senior price reporter to discuss why Japan is facing tightness in rice supplies and what opportunities lie for the US and Thai farmers in terms of trade.
A new outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease discovered in Germany earlier this year has reshaped trade flows of European pork and led to significant pricing volatility in the region. Varying government responses to the disease have raised questions about how the European market will fare going forward and whether other global exporters will be able to fill the void left by the reduced EU hog supply. Geopolitical uncertainty has further complicated the situation, with US tariffs coming into force and the ongoing antidumping investigation on EU pork by the Chinese government. Heather Pantling leads an indepth discussion with market experts Sarah Reid, Desiré Sigaudo, and Samyak Pandey as they explore the impacts of Foot and Mouth Disease not only on the economy but also on global trading patterns. Links:Platts Protein AssessmentsEU Pork Marker eur/mt UPML00EU Pork Marker $/mt EUPMK00 Pork Belly CFR North Asia GPSEB00
As the demand for sustainable protein sources escalates, seafood production is poised to become the fastest-growing sector in the global animal protein markets in 2025. At the forefront of this growth is shrimp, which stands out as a leading sustainable and healthy protein option, capturing the attention of consumers and reshaping the landscape of the animal protein market. Jason Spaziante, EMEA manager of price reporting for agriculture and food, talks to aquaculture analyst Max Bouratoglou and price reporters Karan Dadure and Felipe Peroni about the evolution and challenges for this growing sector of protein.
Global electric vehicle adoption is increasing the demand for recycled battery raw materials. While the recent slowdown in EV sales growth and an oversupply of battery metals have weighed on battery recycling in some regions, the recognition of black mass as a sustainable source of critical raw materials has cemented its strategic importance in the eyes of global policymakers. In this episode of the Commodities Focus podcast, our experts explore the trends, challenges, and opportunities in battery recycling and black mass markets.
China’s latest round of oil product export quotas had tightened compared to the same tranche a year ago. However, healthy margins and strong aviation recovery have pretty much cemented jet fuel’s position as the king of the barrel for Chinese exporters, though turbulence remains. S&P Global Commodity Insights’ Asia oil news editor, Neo Rong Wei discusses China’s latest export quotas and export plans, as well as its impact on regional markets with Market Specialist Daisy Xu and associate price reporter Lee Shu Ling, who covers Asia jet fuel/kerosene markets.
The global methanol market is seeing emerging demand for low-carbon transportation fuels, with particular focus on marine fuels, driven by a need to decarbonize global shipping without disrupting supply chains. While conventional methanol has a history of being used as a transportation fuel, there are many new technologies designed to produce methanol with lower carbon intensity than conventional, oil-based marine fuels. However, cost of production and supply availability remain barriers to adoption. Global research lead for methanol and derivatives Olivier Maronneaud and chemicals price reporter Andre Mikhail discuss methanol's potential as a low-carbon fuel, the current production landscape, and the need for effective regulation to bridge the cost gap between sustainable fuels and fossil. Links:International Methanol Producers and Consumers Association conference International Maritime Organization 83rd meeting eMethanol FOB Rotterdam $/mt FRGMD00 Marine Fuel 0.5% FOB Spore Cargo $/mt AMFSA00
Will US tariffs reshape aluminum trade flows? How will new alumina capacity out of Indonesia impact prices? In this podcast, Asia nonferrous metals team lead Jenson Ong is joined by Louissa Liau, associate price reporter for Asia nonferrous metals, and Lucy Tang, market news specialist for Asia metals to discuss the latest developments across the aluminum value chain. Related price assessments (subscriber content): MMWAU00 MMWAD04 MMXCY00 MMANA00 AAFGA00 JLCAA00 JLCAD00
Exporters of chicken meat from the US have been mulling what might happen to their trade in the event of a trade war. Mexico is their largest customer, and Brazil is their largest competitor. However, those US exporters supply fresh, brown chicken meat to Mexico, and they’re quietly confident of their ability to hold onto that market. William Bland, EMEA manager of price reporting for agriculture and food, talks to US poultry analyst Kelly Seier and price reporters Luke Lundgren and Beatriz Baltieri about how the market is planning for 2025. Links: Platts Proteins Price Assessments US Chicken Marker USCM - ATALI00 Chicken Leg FCA Brazil – ATALJ00
Copper smelter margins have been facing noticeable pressure in recent months as copper concentrate TC/RCs plunged on tight supply, will this mean more production cuts upcoming? Primary copper prices, premiums, and even byproduct sulfuric acid charges, meanwhile, have been rising. Can these offer enough relief to smelters amid record-low TC/RCs? In this podcast, Asia nonferrous metals senior manager price reporting, Mok Yuen Cheng is joined by Asia nonferrous metals senior price reporter Han Lu, minerals and fertilizer associate price reporter Ong Jia Lun, and metals market news specialist Lucy Tang, to discuss the latest happenings in copper and take a closer look at the key drivers in the market.
Brazil's ferrous scrap exports have undergone a significant transformation, driven by a weakening domestic steel industry and increasing demand from India. Brazil exported a record 800,000 mt in 2023, following a decline in domestic scrap consumption. Looking ahead, the Brazilian recycling sector is diversifying and adapting to international standards while navigating the ongoing challenges of stagnant economic growth and global steel oversupply. Americas senior metals pricing manager Adriana Carvalho is joined by Mayara Baggio and Camila Martinez, price reporters for Latin America metals, and Abdi Salad, price reporter for EMEA low-carbon and base metals, to discuss the evolving role of Brazil in the ferrous scrap trade. Links:Subscribe to Platts Connect HMS 1/2 Containerized FOB Brazil $/mt ABUPA00 Shredded Scrap Containerized FOB Brazil $/mt ABUPB00 Platts TSI Shredded Scrap CFR Nhava Sheva India $/mt AAXRQ04
Beef prices in the US started 2025 at a record high. The world’s largest consumer is also seeing a 63-year low in the size of its cattle herd and is expected to continue calling on supplies from Brazil and Australia, the world’s two biggest exporters. That’s because US farmers have been sending a high proportion of female animals to slaughter before they calved, shrinking their beef operations in response to low prices and higher costs. Luckily, Brazil and Australia are at different stages of the cattle cycle. In this podcast, William Bland, EMEA manager of price reporting for Agriculture & Food, and Ryan Urie, the global head of meat and livestock research, speak to Kevin Coburn and Renan Araujo about how the market is planning for 2025. Links: Platts Proteins Price Assessments Brazil Beef Marker (BBM) - ATALC00 90CL Beef CIF US - ATALB00 90CL FCA Australia – ATALD00
India's rapidly growing energy demand, the shifting focus of oil producers towards the country, and the transition to cleaner energy sources are key themes at India Energy Week. Delegates will seek insights on how Indian energy companies and policymakers can balance the reliance on traditional fuels with a new energy roadmap. In a comprehensive discussion, Dave Ernsberger, Co-President at S&P Global Commodity Insights, Ranjit Rath, Chairman and Managing Director at Oil India Ltd, and Sambit Mohanty, Asia Energy Editor, will explore key market issues of interest to delegates. They will address India's evolving relationship with non-OPEC producers and outline the strategies India plans to implement in its upstream sector to attract global investors.
Within hours of being sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, Donald Trump issued a series of executive orders, and declared a national emergency with the aim of ensuring reliable energy supplies and position the US as a leading minerals producer. Trump also threatened tariffs on Canada and Mexico -- major exporters of crude to the US. How have commodities markets responded to Trump's actions? What powers do these emergency declarations give Trump to boost production? And how will this reliance on emergencies and executive orders play out down the road as new administrations shift energy policy? Jeff Mower, director of Americas oil news, discusses the emergency declaration and the executive orders with senior editors Eamonn Brennan, Taylor Kuykendall, Maya Weber and Kate Winston. Links: Trump’s executive orders on trade, immigration signal dealmaking intent (video) Trump's return to office could raise solar panel production costs (video) FACTBOX: Trump launches round of executive orders to boost energy output (subscriber content)
Amid sustained supply growth out of Indonesia while higher-cost production shuts down, will the focal point of nickel markets continues to be shifted to the country? Markets looks ahead at China’s stimulus for support to nickel demand from the steel and battery sectors, but will it be sufficient to underpin prices? In this podcast, Asia nonferrous metals team lead Jenson Ong is joined by Wang Litian, associate price reporter for Asia nonferrous metals, and Lucy Tang, market news specialist for Asia metals to discuss the latest developments in the nickel space.
As the maritime industry faces a crucial turning point, the adoption of stringent environmental regulations is reshaping fuel consumption and market dynamics. In this episode of Commodities Focus, our Platts experts discuss the implications of the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) on shipping operations and the transition to alternative fuels. With the upcoming FuelEU regulations and the establishment of a new Emissions Control Area in the Mediterranean, we delve into how these changes are influencing supply chain strategies and the demand for traditional versus alternative fuels. Join us as we explore the challenges and opportunities presented by these regulatory shifts, and gain insights into the future of freight markets amidst an evolving landscape. Links: GSI 10 Dirty Tanker Global Index Suezmax (Non-Scrubber Fitted Non-Eco) - GSTDA00 GSI 10S Dirty Tanker Global Index Suezmax (Scrubber-Fitted Eco) - GSTDB00 Dirty Tanker Basis Global Index VLCC (Non-Scrubber Fitted Non-Eco) - VGIBS00 Dirty Tanker Basis Global Index VLCC (Scrubber-Fitted Eco) - VGIBR00 Interactive: Platts global bunker fuel cost calculator Platts to include EU ETS carbon costs in tanker freight assessments, launching carbon-exclusive rates for two benchmark routes Jan. 2, 2025 - Read more
India is at the crossroads of transitioning from Asia's primary corn exporter to a net importer amidst growing ethanol production within the country. Is this trend of corn imports going to continue, and why is the Indian ethanol market a crucial factor? What challenges stand in the way of this transition? In this podcast, grains and oilseeds price reporter Edward Low is joined by Namarita Kathait, associate editor for Asia agriculture and senior editor for biofuels, Rishab Joshi, and global biofuel news editor Samyak Pandey to discuss the latest developments in India's corn and ethanol markets.
The world’s top rice exporter India recently lifted most of the restrictions on its rice exports, which the country placed in July 2023 to control soaring domestic food prices. Price-sensitive rice importers, such as the West African countries, are likely to look towards India as a competitive supplier. However, shipping concerns that impacted the country’s rice exporters recently may continue to add to the trade uncertainties in the coming days as well. In this podcast, Asim Anand, managing editor, agriculture and food and pricing is joined by Tanya Rana, associate editor, agriculture and food pricing, Pranay Shukla, director, head of dry bulk freight & commodities research, and Tanya Kalra, associate editor, Asia container markets, to discuss the factors impacting global rice markets as well as the freight and container outlooks in 2025, and their possible impact on Indian rice trade.
Chuck Walden
dont subscribe. source is broken. I have tried to download many episodes.