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Puerto Rico’s US LPG flows up on Jones waiver
Puerto Rico’s US LPG flows up on Jones waiver
New York, 11 August (Argus) — Puerto Rican propane buyers have purchased nearly a quarter of their annual propane demand from the US via Jones Act waiver shipments since mid-March, as major gas buyers there call for a permanent exemption. Since the start of US president Donald Trump's waiving of Jones Act requirements for US-US shipments on 18 March, five foreign-flagged vessels have carried 809,000 bl of propane in total from the US mainland to Puerto Rico, according to US Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) data. This volume represents 24pc of the US territory's annual demand of around 3.33mn bl, according to Empire Gas chief executive Ramon Gonzalez. This marks a significant increase in US flows possible under the waiver compared to 2025, when zero shipments of US-loading propane made its way to the island. That year, the majority of shipments came from the Dominican Republic, Vortexa data show. Propane importers on Puerto Rico are calling for a permanent Jones Act exemption, arguing that supply security is of high concern given the island's vulnerability to regular hurricanes. There were 92 Jones Act eligible-vessels — meaning US owned, built and crewed by Americans — in operation in March 2026, but these were primarily tankers, with no LPG carriers represented, according to MARAD data. That means importers would not be able to import US propane even if they wanted to engage in the Jones Act market. "I believe a permanent exemption isn't simply something we'd like to have, it's something Puerto Rico genuinely needs," said Gonzalez, noting that propane was the most widely used fuel on the island for "everything from barbecues to power generation". The nearby US territory of the US Virgin Islands has been exempt from the Jones Act since it was passed in the 1920s. A permanent waiver would give "access to other markets and more supply security", according to LPG distributor Tropigas' vice president Luis Humberto Berrios. "We would love to see it." The US government renewed the temporary waiver for another 90 days on 10 August extending the access of propane for the island in the near term. By Delfina Marchese Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US extends but narrows Jones Act waiver
US extends but narrows Jones Act waiver
New York, 10 August (Argus) — President Donald Trump's administration said it will continue to waive domestic shipping requirements under the Jones Act for another 90 days, albeit with stronger oversight than the previous waiver. The waiver, first enacted 17 March, will now require the Department of Defense to consult with the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) on the availability of Jones Act vessels prior to an individual shipping voyage before determining whether the waiver can be applied, a White House official told Argus . This marks a shift from the waiver's current iteration, valid through 16 August, that relies on the vessel operator or charterer documenting their reasoning. As of 7 August, MARAD data show that around half of the reasons given for the 212 documented Jones Act waiver voyages simply cite the shipment's coverage under the waiver, while only 19 entries mention Jones Act vessels not being available. The new waiver still covers most products that were covered previously, such as diesel, gasoline, crude, soybean oil and fertilizers, but coal and coal-derived products are no longer allowed, according to the official. US-based shipping groups expressed strong opposition to a waiver extension, particularly under the existing blanket waiver authority used since March. "The government can respond to a genuine emergency without turning an exceptional waiver into a standing invitation for foreign operators to enter routine domestic commerce," former US federal maritime commissioner William Doyle said in an op-ed in the Washington Examiner on 10 August. The Trump administration issued the waiver of the Jones Act — which allowed foreign flagged and owned vessels to carry US-to-US shipments in place of US-flagged, US-owned and US-crewed vessels — on 17 March on national security grounds under section 501a and later extended it by 90 days. But some of the voyages conducted under the waiver have been criticized by the domestic maritime industry as not serving any national security purpose . The waiver was issued to ensure US airfields and military installations are properly supplied with fuel, but has otherwise been highly popular with US refiners. Republican lawmakers urged Trump in July to restore the Jones Act, calling the waiver "a loophole exploited by adversarial countries to erode America's maritime dominance". By Charlotte Bawol Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Rhine oil traffic stops as water still dropping: Update
Rhine oil traffic stops as water still dropping: Update
Updates throughout Hamburg, 10 August (Argus) — Barge traffic along the River Rhine has largely come to a standstill, disrupting oil product supply in western Germany, barge operators said. Several terminals on the Lower Rhine will be cut off from barge traffic towards the end of the week. The gauge at the key Kaub bottleneck reached a new record low over the weekend, at 17cm. The federal waterways and shipping administration expects it to fall to as little as 4cm by 14 August, making Kaub practically impassable. Historically low levels have already slashed the number of barges able to pass Kaub, and the loads they can carry without running aground. A German shipowner said last week when levels had reached 23cm that a vessel with a maximum capacity of 1,200t can only carry 180t, and that the voyage to Karlsruhe from the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) hub now takes five days instead of two. Specialised vessels, which are wider and longer but draw less water, can carry a maximum of 700t. The federal waterways and shipping administration also said the water level in Cologne stood at just under 60cm today. Most inland vessel fleets require water levels of around 1m to reach the loading terminals at Cologne Molenkopf, Cologne-Niehl, Godorf and Wesseling, shipping companies said. This threshold was breached at the end of July, and water levels are forecast to fall further to as low as 40cm by mid-month. Loading terminals in western Germany, including Neuss, Duisburg and nearby Bendorf, may also become inaccessible during the week ending 14 August, shipowners said. German policymakers have introduced emergency measures to ease growing logistical constraints along the river. The federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Lower Saxony and Saarland have temporarily lifted restrictions on truck traffic on Sundays and public holidays. But it remains unclear whether the oil product sector will benefit from these steps. Replacing a fully loaded barge carrying 2,400t of diesel would require almost 89 road tankers, each with a capacity of 32m³. Fuel traders also report that their tanker fleets are already running above normal utilisation levels because of longer hauls to more competitively priced loading terminals. Product availability in western Germany, especially for road fuels, has tightened in recent weeks, traders said. Many traders that usually buy at tank farms along the Rhine are diverting to the Miro consortium's 310,000 b/d Karlsruhe refinery in southwestern Germany. But supply in southern Germany has also fallen after a leak at a mild hydrocracker at the Bayernoil consortium's 207,000 b/d Vohburg-Neustadt refinery prompted two local suppliers to pull supply from the spot market on 7 August. The restrictions are likely to last a week. By Natalie Müller and Johannes Guhlke Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Rhine barge traffic almost halted, water to drop again
Rhine barge traffic almost halted, water to drop again
Hamburg, 10 August (Argus) — Barge traffic along the River Rhine has largely come to a standstill, disrupting oil product supply in western Germany, barge operators said. The gauge at the key Kaub bottleneck again reached a record low over the weekend, at 17cm, and the federal waterways and shipping administration expects this to fall to as little as 4cm by 14 August. The historically low level has slashed the number of barges able to pass Kaub, and the loads they can carry without running aground. A German shipowner said a vessel with a maximum capacity of 1,200t is moving carrying just 180t, and the voyage to Karlsruhe from the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) hub now takes five days instead of two. Specialised vessels, which are wider and longer but draw less water, can carry a maximum of 700t. Several states have suspended a law that forbids truck traffic on Sundays and holidays. Product availability in western Germany, especially for road fuels, has tightened in recent weeks, traders said. Many traders that usually buy at tank farms along the Rhine are diverting to the Miro consortium's 310,000 b/d Karlsruhe refinery in southwestern Germany. But supply in southern Germany has also fallen after a leak at a mild hydrocracker at the Bayernoil consortium's 207,000 b/d Vohburg-Neustadt refinery prompted two local suppliers to pull supply from the spot market on 7 August. The restrictions are likely to last a week. By Natalie Müller Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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