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This content is part of a series exploring key themes from the World Petrochemical Conference by S&P Global being held in Houston from March 23-27. Global trade routes are undergoing their most significant transformation since the first Gulf War as companies prioritize supply chain security

Korea Zinc officially launched Crucible Zinc Inc. to build its $7.43 billion critical metals smelter in Clarksville, Tennessee, on April 1, the company said in a statement on April 2. Along with the new company, affiliates such as Crucible ETN LLC, Crucible MTN LLC and

Financing constraints, infrastructure limitations, and evolving policy frameworks continue to challenge the scale-up of sustainable aviation fuel, even as global demand signals strengthen, said speakers at the Biomass Conference & Expo held March 31-April 2 in Nashville, Tennessee. At “The Real-World Challenges of Scaling Sustainable

Atlantic SEE LNG Trade expects to finalize several LNG offtake agreements with buyers across eastern Europe in the coming months that will position it to advance plans to develop another LNG import facility in Greece by the end of the decade, the nascent company’s CEO

G7-linked crude tankers started to withdraw from Russia in March, with rising crude prices limiting their trading opportunities within the price cap. Tankers flagged, owned or operated by companies based in G7 countries and their allies, or insured by Western protection and indemnity clubs, lifted

Ukrainian corn prices remain well below last year’s levels, despite a modest uptick driven by the ongoing Middle East conflict and rising fuel and freight costs. Platts assessed Ukraine corn FOB POC at $226/mt on April 13, down $17/mt from $243/mt on April 15, 2025.

Escalating tensions in the Middle East have injected fresh uncertainty into the global soybean market, with participants questioning whether China will step up purchases of US origin amid fears of disruption at the Strait of Hormuz — even as potential US–Iran negotiations emerge as a

The Trump administration’s invocation of the Defense Production Act was designed to accelerate US energy supply growth and lower consumer prices, but any impacts on domestic industry participants would be uncertain, subject to legal challenges, and likely to vary across sectors, analysts and trade groups

The Netherlands transitioned from an energetic model under the HBE mechanism (renewable energy units) to a carbon emissions-based model, ERE (emission reduction units) for the 2026 compliance year on Jan. 1 under the new Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) legislation. Fuel suppliers that deliver more

The price of ammonia imported to Northwest Europe reached a three-year high March 5 as the war in the Middle East curtailed global natural gas supply. Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed ammonia CFR NW Europe duty paid/duty free at $750/metric ton March 5,

The G7 is “not there yet” on a decision to release emergency oil reserves as part of its measures to mitigate price spikes, France’s finance minister said March. 9, as world leaders assess the energy fallout of the conflict in the Middle East. Platts assessed

The EU government has shown greater appreciation for vehicles as ‘mines on wheels’: the new circularity legislation it has pre-agreed is meant to boost recovery of critical raw materials from vehicles at the end of their useful life , including aluminum. EU End-of-Life Vehicles Directive

The war in the Middle East — which has prompted two major smelters in the region to announce production cuts — is starting to put pressure on European aluminum producers and users through double-digit spikes in metal and electricity prices, prompting their representative association to

PetroChina’s Huabei Petrochemical refinery in Hebei province is pressing ahead with the construction of its first-ever Sustainable Aviation Fuel unit, aiming for completion by Nov. 30, it said on its official WeChat account on March 17. “This project is essential to our company’s green transformation,”

China potentially adding BHP’s Newman High Grade Fines to its spot cargo restriction list is expected to push up iron ore prices and pressure Chinese steelmaker margins, according to market participants and analysts. China has unofficially said it could place BHP’s Newman Fines in the

India is stepping up efforts to diversify its LPG supply base, including imports from the US, amid concerns about cooking fuel availability following the war in the Middle East. The Gulf region accounted for about 60% of India’s LPG consumption, prior to the start of

US agricultural groups are urging the Department of Commerce to revoke countervailing duties on imports of phosphate fertilizer as the sunset review begins. “The United States simply does not have sufficient domestic phosphate resources to meet agricultural demand on its own,” said a joint letter

With the 2025-26 harvest entering its final stages, Brazil is poised to further cement its status as the leading player in the global soybean market, achieving record shares in both production and exports this year. The significance of Brazilian soybeans is heightened by ongoing trade

LNG bunker fuel has remained competitively priced against conventional marine fuels despite heightened volatility across global energy markets triggered by the Iran war, with spreads to both very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) and marine gasoil (MGO) underscoring its relative resilience. The escalation of conflict

This report is part of the S&P Global Energy’s Metals Trade Review series, where we dig through datasets and digest some of the key trends in iron ore, metallurgical coal, copper, alumina, cobalt, lithium, nickel and steel and scrap. We also explore what the next

Global food prices rose for the second consecutive month in March, with energy-driven cost pressures linked to the escalating Middle East conflict feeding through into vegetable oil and sugar markets, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization April 3. The FAO Food Price Index averaged

Chile confirmed 20 cases of bird flu in commercial and non-commercial birds, according to official data released April 7 by the Chilean Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG). Of the total, 19 cases are in addition to one recorded in March at a commercial poultry farm,

European carbon prices increased slightly in the week ended April 10, following news of a ceasefire in the Middle East. However, prices also came under brief pressure from provisional estimates showing only a slight decline in total CO2 emissions under the EU Emissions Trading System

China faces disruptions to oil and LNG supplies originating from the Middle East. Nevertheless, the country is increasingly able to withstand supply shocks caused by transit interruptions in the Strait of Hormuz due to greater electrification, substantial crude oil reserves, expanding wind and solar power

Market participants at the Distillers Technology Council Symposium in Indianapolis highlighted growing concern over quality and consistency in US dried distillers grains with solubles, as evolving customer demands place greater scrutiny on nutrient reliability and process transparency. Speakers from major ethanol technology and production plants

Even as European natural gas prices remain elevated amid the persistent trade disruptions from the Iran war, fertilizer and chemicals producer SKW Stickstoffwerke Piesteritz, one of Germany’s largest gas consumers, is operating “more or less” at full capacity for the first time in three years,

South Korea said it sees no LNG shortages despite a production halt in Qatar and disruptions to transit through the Strait of Hormuz, as the country has sufficient stockpiles to buffer any short-term interruptions while preparing to secure alternative supplies. “The country has sufficient LNG

Several US chemical markets reached pricing levels not seen since last year, aligning themselves to the upward trend worldwide caused by the geopolitical uncertainty stemming from the war in the Middle East. Participants continued to increase the risk premium associated with the current situation, following

A temporary US waiver has enabled sanctioned tankers to transport Russian oil, after G7-linked tanker operators increased their share in the restricted market last month. On March 5, the Office of Foreign Asset Control said Russian crude and refined products loaded by tankers before March

The Middle East conflict is raising some critical questions for major alumina and bauxite supplier Australia, the country’s leading industry association said. The Platts-assessed US aluminum premium reached a high of 110.95 US cents/pound, plus London Metal Exchange cash, delivered in the Midwest, on March

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz nearly ground to a halt March 12, according to tracking data, with just one vessel observed to transit the critical waterway, as Iran’s newly installed supreme leader escalated threats to attack shipping in and around the channel. The single

The US beef and veal import forecast, in-carcass-weight equivalent, for the first quarter of 2026 was at 1.6 billion pounds, up 12 million lb, or 8%, compared to the first quarter of 2025, and up 50 million lb, or 3.2%, compared to the February forecast,

US shrimp prices rose in recent days, with market participants citing rising freight costs tied to the Middle East war as a contributing factor. Platts assessed peeled and deveined tail-on shrimp, 16/20 count, at $4.70/lb CIF New York, up from $4.20/lb in mid-March, when prices

India is seeking to diversify its LPG imports, prioritizing LPG production at refineries and intensifying diplomatic efforts, while New Delhi steps up efforts to ensure the flow of cooking fuel to millions of households, as well as priority sectors, such as hospitals and educational institutions,

Sweden-based SaltX Technology and Holcim have agreed to jointly develop and validate a fully electrified production process for clinker, aiming to build Europe’s first electric cement plant by 2028, the companies said March 23. The joint development agreement expands a partnership formed in June 2025

The UK government launched a consultation March 23 on how sustainable aviation fuel should be treated under the country’s emissions trading system, seeking to align its carbon policy with the country’s sustainable aviation fuel mandate. The UK Emissions Trading System Authority is examining whether to

Brazil’s Chamber of Foreign Trade announced on March 26 that a definitive antidumping duty on polyethylene imports from the US and Canada will be applied at the same levels as the preliminary tax, which will be valid for up to five years. According to an

US consumers pay hefty premiums for rare earth metals sourced outside China, new alternative supply chain rare-earth price assessments launched by Platts on March 31 revealed. The US and other countries have tried to ramp up rare earths production in the face of Beijing’s tightening

Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is now “a very big priority” for any deal to end the Iran war, US President Donald Trump said April 6, a day ahead of the deadline he has set for Tehran to reach an agreement. “We have to have

Asian white rice export markets showed a guarded response to the recent two-week ceasefire agreement in the Middle East war, with most trade sources remaining cautious, saying it was too early to expect a sustained price relief, as demand, currency moves and freight-related uncertainty continued

Cathay Pacific Airways used 36,242 metric tons of sustainable aviation fuel in 2025, a near-fivefold increase from the prior year, but the Hong Kong-based carrier said SAF still accounts for less than 1% of global commercial jet fuel consumption, underscoring the pace of supply build-up

This report is part of the S&P Global Energy’s Metals Trade Review series, where we dig through datasets and digest some of the key trends in iron ore, metallurgical coal, copper, alumina, cobalt, lithium, nickel and steel and scrap. We also explore what the next

This report is part of the S&P Global Energy’s Metals Trade Review series, where we dig through datasets and digest some of the key trends in iron ore, metallurgical coal, copper, alumina, cobalt, lithium, nickel and steel and scrap. We also explore what the next

A growing number of countries are seeking to revise the International Maritime Organization’s Net-Zero Framework during the latest round of negotiations, but critics said changing the previously approved rules will lead to further delays or put the regulation in jeopardy. Following technical meetings in London

Iran has claimed it is restricting passage through the Strait of Hormuz only for vessels linked to Western nations and Israel rather than fully closing the critical energy chokepoint, as maritime traffic remained severely disrupted and regional oil exporters explored using stranded tankers for floating

Asia’s naphtha-fed steam crackers have reduced operating rates due to naphtha feedstock supply disruptions from the Middle East, market sources said. Several steam crackers in Asia issued force majeure due to lower runs. The Middle East conflict has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz

Asia’s low sulfur fuel oil cash differentials surged to an all-time high as the US-Israel war with Iran cut Middle East supplies, prompted Asian refiners to trim production, and led countries to hold back near-term exports to safeguard their oil reserves. Platts assessed the cash

Australia’s top two iron ore miners booked significant tonnage gains in the fourth quarter of 2025, which helped lift the total output of 20 of the world’s top producers in the period by 3.5% year over year, according to an analysis of S&P Global Market

The global LNG market lacks the capacity to “bridge the gap” for any supply losses arising from disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Yukio Kani, global CEO and chairman of JERA, Japan’s largest power generation company. “There is no capacity to bridge the

Vietnamese fragrant 5% rice prices have fallen to their lowest level since Platts began assessing the variety 14 years ago, as weak demand from major buyers like the Philippines and Africa and abundant supplies continue to weigh heavily on the market, market sources told Platts

The US government has issued a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act, a White House official confirmed to Platts, as the Trump administration attempts to combat rising energy prices and trade disruptions in the wake of the US-Israel war on Iran. “President Trump’s decision to

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has impacted fertilizer markets east of Suez, with potential for significant long-term effects should hostilities persist, panelists said during the S&P Global Energy webinar on March 19. The region accounts for nearly 50% of global seaborne sulfur trade,

Four ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on March 24, with two of them linked to Iran, according to a March 25 report by S&P Global Commodities at Sea. The LR1 ship Alexandra, sanctioned by the US Department of Treasury in September 2025, appears

US cattle put in feedlots in February totaled 1.611 million head, up 3.7% from 1.554 million head in February 2025, the US Department of Agriculture said in its latest Cattle on Feed report. Although February placements fell 7.5% from the 2021-2025 average, this is the

Clean hydrogen and ammonia backers are making the case that alternative fuels can lower nations’ reliance on imports of fuel from the Middle East, as public and private climate goals fall by the wayside. Green and blue hydrogen are still touted as lower-emission substitutes to

Hertha Metals has developed a new technology that it says can replace traditional coal-based steelmaking. To that end, the sustainable steel startup is preparing to break ground on a new plantagainst a backdrop of rising support for domestic steelmaking capacity. Hertha was founded in 2022

Demand for bunker fuel at India’s west coast ports was strong in March, with solid volumes reported at Kandla and Mumbai. Kochi also experienced a rise in inquiries, and east coast ports saw robust demand with limited product availability. Traders and suppliers reported strong demand

Asian grains market saw a flurry of tender activity April 8 after US President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East war late April 7. Feed buyers from South Korea entered the market with feed corn tenders for July 15 and July

Global pork trade in 2026 is being reshaped by animal disease outbreaks and shifting demand patterns, with the EU emerging as a key player in a rapidly evolving export landscape, the US Foreign Agricultural Service said in its April 9 report. A sharp decline in

European ammonia imports dipped and buyers steered clear of US product in the first quarter of the definitive phase of the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, ship tracking data compiled by Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, showed. According to the data, about 717,000 metric

This report is part of the S&P Global Energy’s Metals Trade Review series, where we dig through datasets and digest some of the key trends in iron ore, metallurgical coal, copper, alumina, cobalt, lithium, nickel and steel and scrap. We also explore what the next

A full global gas recovery would take six months to a year if the supply-sapping US-Israeli war in Iran stopped tomorrow, but shifts could be more structural if the conflict endures for six months or longer, reducing necessary upstream investment, the head of the Gas

The US Treasury Department on March 5 issued a 30-day waiver to allow the sale and delivery of sanctioned Russian oil that has already been loaded on vessels to India, a move that could prevent a near‑term supply disruption stemming from geopolitical tensions in the

The aluminum market is assessing whether restarting idled smelters and building new capacity would be enough to offset supply shortfalls from the Middle East amid challenging fuel prices and the region’s share exceeding 20% in certain markets. “The Middle East accounts for 9% of global

Iran has targeted energy infrastructure across the Middle East in response to attacks by the US and Israel launched Feb. 28. Here are some of the key oil, gas, shipping and chemicals assets affected by direct strikes and elevated security risks.Iran has targeted energy infrastructure

The war in the Middle East has significantly disrupted aluminum production and exports across Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — a vital shipping corridor for aluminum — has effectively come to a standstill, driving up aluminum prices and raising

Russian crude flows into India and China were up strongly in the first week of March, as Middle East supply shut-ins have put renewed focus on alternative supply routes. Deliveries of Russian crude to its three main buyers – India, Russia and Turkey – climbed

India’s sunflower oil imports are likely to face the sharpest disruption, followed by soybean oil imports, from the escalating war in the Middle East, with shipping delays and higher insurance costs compounding supply risks from the Black Sea region, a senior industry executive said March

Fifteen years after the Great East Japan Earthquake struck offshore Fukushima on March 11, 2011, Japan is confronting a new energy crisis as the Middle East conflict disrupts shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, testing the resilience of its energy supply system. The magnitude-9 earthquake

The Middle East war has disrupted the supply of polymers to key export destinations, while the introduction of war risk premia on cargoes and a near-halt in vessel movements through the Strait of Hormuz have led to a global spike in freight rates. The region

Venezuela has the potential to increase crude production to 5 million b/d if a democratic transition leads to sustained legal overhauls and long-term foreign investment, Venezuela opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado said March 24. In a speech at CERAWeek

This content is part of a series exploring key themes from the World Petrochemical Conference by S&P Global being held in Houston from March 23-27. After a long downturn, the chemical sector is expected to recover, though the war in the Middle East has interrupted

Slovakian oil refiner and fuel retailer Slovnaft is seeking to source more oil from Latin America to help plug shortages of Russian and Middle Eastern crudes, its CEO told public service broadcaster STVR March 26. Marek Senkovic, CEO of Slovnaft, said the company has already

Turkish PET producers are grappling with tight feedstock availability as the war in the Middle East limits the region’s exports of paraxylene, purified terephthalic acid and monoethylene glycol. Monoethylene glycol supply has tightened in Turkey following the escalation of the conflict, with shipments from key

International crude prices remained elevated April 6 as US President Donald Trump set an April 7 deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. “Markets continue to be roiled by the heightened uncertainty surrounding this unprecedented Middle East geopolitical tensions that wreak havoc,” UOB

The European Commission is closing in on recommendations for compliance and penalties under the European Union’s methane emissions regulation amid sustained frustration from market participants ahead of a 2027 regulatory deadline when tighter legal requirements begin, the EU’s director-general for energy, Ditte Juul Jorgensen, said

Myanmar’s 5% broken white rice prices reached their highest level in over nine months on April 10, supported by strong demand from the Philippines and sustained high local production costs linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict, according to market sources. Platts, part of S&P

Industry group Fertilizers Europe has called for revenues from the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism to be channeled directly to farmers and for a freeze of the EU Emissions Trading System free allocations until 2030, as the war in the Middle East ripples across markets,

Japan’s largest refiner, ENEOS, has introduced a new pricing mechanism for its wholesale oil products, effective April 16, to better reflect broader crude procurement costs, the company said in a letter to its customers. The letter, seen by Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, showed

A cluster of phenol and acetone disruptions outside Europe, most notably an unplanned outage in Brazil and propylene-driven production disruptions in India, has redirected buying interest toward European sellers, reshaping trade flows, sources said in the week up to April 20. At the same time,

Oil producers and exporters in the Middle East continue to face severe restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and ongoing attacks on energy infrastructure. “The scale and duration of a price spike will depend on how much oil is kept off the market

China’s policy signals supporting energy storage deployment during the country’s annual “Two Sessions” event are expected to fuel long-term growth in the sector and lift demand for lithium, China-based market sources said March 5-6. The “Two Sessions” refer to the annual meetings of China’s top

SAF and renewable diesel outright prices hit multi-month highs following the outbreak of war in the Middle East on Feb. 28, driven by strength in the underlying fossil contracts which they are priced against. There is often a lag between movements in the underlying fossil contract and

European methyl methacrylate spot prices increased 76.6% in the week to March 10, amid mounting supply concerns following the virtual closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed the three-to-30 day forward DDP NWE methyl methacrylate spot price at Eur2,500/metric

The Omani port of Salalah on the Arabian Sea has been closed “until further notice,” according to a customer advisory from the port, suggesting no ammonia can be exported from the Middle East, the world’s largest export region. “All terminal operations have been temporarily suspended

Brazilian poultry and beef exporters are grappling with logistical challenges and rising freight costs, as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East disrupts key shipping routes, multiple traders and exporters told Platts, part of S&P Global Energy. Disruptions to traffic through the Strait of Hormuz

European power markets have become more resilient to external supply shocks and are set to enter the summer 2026 season in much better shape than 2022, when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered price spikes due to the loss of Russian gas. While the price impact

Chilean experts and companies expressed skepticism about the country’s nascent green hydrogen sector, just a few days after the government released an update to its strategy for the sector over the next few years. Flagship projects in the sector have been canceled, with companies scaling

Midstream company Williams sees modularization of smaller natural gas-fired power generating units as a solution to the reliability and speed requirements of data centers, its head of power innovation, Jaclyn Presnal, said March 24. Williams announced Feb. 10 a 6 gigawatt backlog of its ‘power

This content is part of a series exploring key themes from the World Petrochemical Conference by S&P Global being held in Houston from March 23-27. Fragmentation in US domestic policy between states continues to hinder adoption of post-consumer resin by brand owners, with regulatory misalignment

This content is part of a series exploring key themes from the World Petrochemical Conference being held in Houston March 23-27. China will actively respond to changes prompted by the conflict in the Middle East as it begins implementing its 15th five-year plan, while balancing

US corn and soybean farmers are likely to face pressure from rising fertilizer and fuel costs amid the ongoing war in the Middle East, ahead of the upcoming planting season, US-based market participants said March 31. Average US diesel prices reached $5.4/gallon on March 31,

International crude prices remained elevated April 6 as US President Donald Trump set an April 7 deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. “Markets continue to be roiled by the heightened uncertainty surrounding this unprecedented Middle East geopolitical tensions that wreak havoc,” UOB

US based e-fuels producer Infinium has secured a major offtake award for its Project Atlas development after being selected by the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance under its next-generation sustainable aviation fuel procurement program. The project will supply SAF certificates (SAFc) to SABA’s corporate buyers, marking

More than two weeks after the Brazilian government approved the definitive antidumping duty on US and Canadian polyethylene imports, an official resolution has not yet been published in the country’s Official Gazette, raising concerns among market participants about whether the tax can be increased. On

Indian cement makers’ operating profitability is expected to weaken in fiscal year 27 (April-March), with margins seen falling 150-200 basis points year over year to 16%-18% as higher energy costs feed through to producers’ cost base, Crisil Intelligence said April 13. The margin compression would

Indian refineries and fertilizer companies may delay issuing new tenders for renewable, or “green,” hydrogen and ammonia until existing awarded projects show progress, as concerns grow over execution, a senior official at the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy told Platts. Following the government’s push

Spanish TVB prices, representing the value of LNG stored in tanks across Spain’s regasification plants, observed a wider discount to the Dutch TTF gas hub than delivered LNG into Northwest Europe and the Mediterranean, indicating oversupplied Spanish balances and uneconomic regasification margins. Platts, part of

Asian MTBE prices rose about 5% to a near two-year high March 3, with further increases expected in the near term, as the ongoing US-Iran conflict raised concerns over potential cuts to crucial feedstock supplies from the Middle East, several Asia-based producers and traders said

The Pentagon’s ability to replenish weapons stockpiles could come under pressure from the shortages in some critical mineral markets and China’s leverage over mineral supply chains, industry experts told Platts, part of S&P Global Energy. Shortfalls in tungsten, antimony, gallium, and germanium – crucial components