Here you can access the latest blog posts, podcasts and news as well as Argus’ assessment of how lockdowns, travel restrictions and the vaccine rollout are impacting trade flows.
Latest related blog posts and podcast episodes
17 12月 2020
From the Economist's Chair: Shifting policy priorities will drive China’s 2021 commodity demand
China’s imports of key commodities, totalling 2 billion tons and covering energy, agricultural products and metals, were up by a robust 7% year-on-year (y-o-y) during January-November 2020, with iron ore, soy, meat products and crude oil the strongest performers.
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Asia-Pacific English Agriculture 石炭 原油 化学肥料 LPG/NGL 金属 天然ガス／LNG 石油化学
18 11月 2020
The Crude Report: Freight loses some Covid-19 weight
After an unprecedented rise earlier this year thanks to a surge of floating storage demand, the weight of freight – freight's share of the delivered cost – has returned to the more typical 5pc - 10pc range for US-to-China shipments.
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原油 フレート／輸送 North America Asia-Pacific English
02 11月 2020
From the Economist's Chair: US election fog could intensify crude’s roller coaster
Intra-day crude volatility has doubled since early-September, on renewed uncertainty over Opec+ intentions, recovering Libyan production, weakening oil demand amid resurgent Covid-19 and, not least, a fractious US Presidential and Senate election campaign, which may see...
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原油 North America English
26 10月 2020
From the Economist’s Chair: Energy outlooks offer divergent paths for oil demand
The annual autumn glut of energy outlooks shows disparate potential global oil demand levels by 2040, with Covid-19’s aftermath now augmenting energy transition pathways as a source of uncertainty.
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原油 Global English 石油化学 フレート／輸送 Africa Asia-Pacific Europe Latin America and Caribbean North America
07 10月 2020
Malaysian palm oil at a crossroads
Malaysia’s freeze on cross-border hiring in response to Covid-19 has left oil palm estates grappling with a lack of hands during their peak harvesting season, and at a potential turning point in the industry’s labour dynamics.
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バイオエネルギー Asia-Pacific English
01 10月 2020
The Covid Effect: Peak US energy dominance
Covid-19 has forced a drastic reappraisal of US shale oil growth prospects, amid an economic downturn that has complicated expectations for a presidential election next month that could have even longer-term implications for oil and gas, writes Haik Gugarats.
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原油 石油製品 North America English
23 9月 2020
The Covid Effect: Saudi Arabia checks its vision
The pandemic has dealt Riyadh a triple blow just as Saudi Arabia's de facto leader was trying to steer the country in a new and different direction, writes Samira Kawar.
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原油 Middle East English
23 9月 2020
The Crude Report - Opec: 60 years and counting
It’s been 60 years since Opec was formed by founding members Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Venezuela.
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原油 Global English Asia-Pacific Europe Latin America and Caribbean Middle East North America
22 9月 2020
Caribbean ammonia: Why are Trinidad prices lagging the international market?
It has been a challenging year for ammonia producers, with spot prices plummeting in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak and industrial demand slashed across several key import regions.
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化学肥料 Latin America and Caribbean Russian
16 9月 2020
Pandemic delays start of some minor metals contract negotiations
This is the time of year when the autumn conference season would normally be upon us and industry participants from all over the world would be congregating to mull over the year and to envision future supply-demand plans.
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金属 Global English Asia-Pacific Europe North America
16 9月 2020
Market Talks: The jump in Brazil’s soybean imports amid the grain’s bumper crop
Increased soybean demand in Brazil during the Covid-19 pandemic has boosted the country’s imports, despite Brazil achieving its highest ever soybean crop this year, narrowing the country’s trade balance in this commodity.
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化学肥料 Agriculture Latin America and Caribbean English Portuguese
15 9月 2020
The Covid Effect: China’s long march to recovery
Beijing faces choices as it looks to revive the Chinese economy, including the degree to which its recovery will depend on oil, gas and coal, write Karen Teo and Tom Reed.
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Asia-Pacific 原油 石油製品 石炭 天然ガス／LNG 電力 English
26 8月 2020
Coal imports help Turkish economy in 1H20
Turkish coal imports resisted the economic slowdown driven by Covid-19, rising on the year in the first half of 2020, as a rare move by state-owned utility Euas to support independent coal-fired power plants bolstered demand.
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石炭 Europe English
19 8月 2020
Mexican oil caught between a hug and a hammer
Attacks on Mexico’s energy infrastructure have grown in recent months along with an overall increase in crime. This risks both the already troubled climate for private-sector investment and the government’s own drive to shore up state-owned Pemex.
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原油 石油製品 Latin America and Caribbean English
10 8月 2020
Covid-19 weighs on global coal burn in 1H
Coal consumption in key markets slipped during the first half of 2020 as a late recovery in China’s coal burn failed to offset weakness in the earlier periods of the year.
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石炭 Asia-Pacific Europe English
23 7月 2020
Market Talks: Outlook for Brazilian exports of poultry and pork meat
Brazilian exports of poultry and pork meat should increase in 2020 against last year, but the pressure exerted by the pandemic in the international trade of these products will have a significant impact on shipments.
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化学肥料 Latin America and Caribbean Portuguese
08 7月 2020
Driving Discussions: How Covid-19 inverted the gasoline-naphtha spread
Welcome to the next episode in Driving Discussions, this time looking at how Covid-19 has turned the naphtha-gasoline relationship on its head.
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石油製品 フレート／輸送 English Europe
08 7月 2020
The Covid-19 impact on logistics in the west African fertilizer market
Welcome to the second episode of our Africa fertilizer knowledge series. In this podcast we discuss the logistical implications of Covid-19 on the west African fertilizer market supply chain.
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Africa 化学肥料 English Webinars
30 6月 2020
The Petcoke Podcast: Covid-19 impacts on Atlantic basin fuel coke demand
Welcome to The Petcoke Podcast, a new series discussing key developments for the global petroleum coke markets with expert industry participants.
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石油製品 Global Europe North America English
30 6月 2020
Asia polymers: Chinese demand removes surplus
Low feedstock costs have incentivised producers in Asia-Pacific to maximise polymers production despite weaker demand in this year’s second quarter. Heavy plant maintenance and a demand recovery in China have allowed producers in other regions to balance the demand drop...
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石油化学 Asia-Pacific English
24 6月 2020
Big Oil grasps the nettle
Major oil companies are grappling with two huge problems – how to navigate their way through the demand and revenue slump triggered by the Covid-19 lockdown, and how to reposition their businesses for the longer term as the world moves towards a lower carbon future.
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原油 石油製品 天然ガス／LNG Global English Asia-Pacific Europe Middle East Latin America and Caribbean North America
22 6月 2020
From the Economist’s Chair: Paint It Bleak
As summer arrives and the world emerges from lock-down, hopes are high for gradual economic and oil demand recovery. Alongside reasonable levels of Opec+ discipline, this could help place a floor under crude prices. But whisper it quietly, a bleaker scenario also exists...
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原油 Global English Africa Asia-Pacific Europe Latin America and Caribbean Middle East North America
18 6月 2020
Digitalisation of mining to weather future storms
Mining is no stranger to digitalisation. The widely held perception of the resources industry is one of workers in mines and not one of machines running almost everything.
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金属 Global English Asia-Pacific Europe Latin America and Caribbean Middle East North America
15 6月 2020
African Fertilizer Knowledge Series: Assessing the impact of Covid-19 on west Africa fertilizer supply and demand
Welcome to the first episode of our Africa fertilizer knowledge series. In this podcast we discuss the supply/demand dynamics in western Africa with the West African Fertilizer Association.
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化学肥料 Africa
10 6月 2020
Driving Discussions: Road to recovery (part 1)
The latest episode in our Driving Discussions series looks at signs of recovery we might expect over the coming weeks and months as countries re-evaluate lockdown policies.
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English 石油製品
03 6月 2020
Covid-19 sows uncertainty for fertilizer demand
Fertilizer could be the next commodity to fall victim to the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, as the slump in demand for fuel — and biofuels — trickles down to the US corn crops used to produce ethanol.
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化学肥料 North America English
02 6月 2020
Over 2mn t — the new China sulphur inventory norm?
China is unique when it comes to sulphur storage, as the key ports of Fangcheng, Beihai and Zhanjiang in the south of the country and the north China ports of Tangshan, Weifang, Zhenjiang and Nanjing have the capacity to hold in excess of 3mn t of sulphur.
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化学肥料 Asia-Pacific English
01 6月 2020
Sizing up Covid-19 iron ore supply risks
The centre of the Covid-19 pandemic is shifting from Europe and the US to countries like India and Brazil, two of the four largest iron ore exporters in the world. Iron ore prices are rising as the focus moves to saving lives.
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金属 Global English Asia-Pacific Europe Latin America and Caribbean North America
27 5月 2020
Bitumen no longer bottom
There have been few positives for refiners during the Covid-19 pandemic, but the strength of bitumen has offered some solace.
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石油製品 Europe English
26 5月 2020
Crude and jet fuel markets on the runway for price recovery
It may seem remote right now, but despite the recent unparalleled loss of global oil demand, economic forces will sooner or later conspire to rebalance the market as demand recovery takes hold and crude production in high-cost regions falls.
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石油製品 原油 Global Africa Asia-Pacific Europe FSU Latin America and Caribbean Middle East North America English
26 5月 2020
Covid-19 highlights unlocked potential of demand-side CO2 cuts
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a disastrous impact on the lives and well-being of citizens across the world. Major economies have been temporarily shut down, while freedom of movement has virtually ground to a halt.
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排出権 Europe English
26 5月 2020
Impact of IMO 2020 and Covid-19 on heavy products
Find out how the heavy products have reacted to the compound effect of IMO 2020 and Covid-19 in this latest Argus update.
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Global 石油製品
18 5月 2020
Driving Discussions: Balancing Russia's gasoline market in volatile times
Listen in to the latest Driving Discussions podcast, this time spotlighting the state of Russia's gasoline market in the midst of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
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FSU 石油製品 フレート／輸送
18 5月 2020
Covid-19 — questions from the sulphur market on the sulphur market
Listen in as Claira Lloyd answers questions from her most recent webinar on Covid-19's impact on the global sulphur market.
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Global 化学肥料
14 5月 2020
A perfect storm for GCC steelmakers
The Covid-19 pandemic, combined with the timing of the oil price collapse, could have created one of the most hostile steel markets for the GCC region ever.
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金属 Middle East English
14 5月 2020
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Asian bitumen markets | Episode 2
The impact of Covid-19 has been felt significantly in Asian bitumen markets in Asia. As countries shut borders and enforced lockdowns, road construction activity slowed and then completely halted.
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石油製品 Asia-Pacific English
14 5月 2020
French nuclear crisis: Will history repeat itself?
The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted most aspects of life, and French power plant maintenance schedules are no exception. Could the French power market be about to experience its most challenging winter since 2016-17?
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電力 Europe English
13 5月 2020
Driving Discussions: The Impact of Covid-19 on European fuel markets and refineries (part 2)
The Driving Discussions series returns to Europe to examine the changes in Covid-19's impact on refineries with a special focus on utilisation rates.
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Europe English 石油製品
05 5月 2020
Covid-19 crushes global power demand and coal consumption in April
Global coal demand was dealt a significant blow in April, as restrictions in many countries to curb the spread of Covid-19 slashed power demand and weighed heavily on industrial output.
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石炭 Asia-Pacific Europe English
29 4月 2020
Podcast - Driving Discussions: The impact of Covid-19 on European biofuels markets and HVO
Join the latest Driving Discussions podcast for coverage of the European HVO and biofuel markets amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
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English Europe バイオエネルギー 石油製品23 4月 2020
Portuguese podcast - Market Talks: The impacts of Covid-19 on Brazil’s clean fuels markets
Measures enforced to prevent the spread of coronavirus had a strong impact on the oil and refined products demand around the globe. How big is the drop in demand for clean fuels in Brazil, and how will it reflect in domestic trade flows?
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石油製品 Latin America and Caribbean North America Portuguese22 4月 2020
Podcast: The impact of Covid-19 on European bitumen
Coronavirus has affected commodity markets across the globe, and bitumen is no exception. Tune in to this latest podcast to learn how the pandemic has impacted bitumen markets in Europe and Africa.
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Africa English Europe 石油製品22 4月 2020
Podcast - Driving Discussions: The surprising RINs market during Covid-19
While all other energy commodities markets around the world have seen a severe dip in prices, RINs prices in the US are steady. What is causing the RINs market in the US to react this way and what is the outlook?
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石油製品 North America English21 4月 2020
South African coal industry faces up to 14-year low prices
After trading at nearly $100/t over the winter, South African high calorific value (CV) coal prices fell to a 14-year low this week amid subdued demand caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
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石炭 Global English Africa Asia-Pacific Latin America and Caribbean North America