International

As U.S. President Donald Trump pushes for talks with Russia for an end to the war in Ukraine, the EU on Wednesday agreed on a new package of sanctions against Moscow, including a ban on Russian aluminum imports and the designation of 73 shadow fleet vessels. A day after senior …

Europe’s diesel markets are flashing signs of tightness, with near-term diesel contracts on Tuesday hitting the steepest backwardation–a situation where futures contracts for prompt delivery are more expensive than those further down the curve–since March. Backwardation is often interpreted as a sign of limited supply, with traders now willing to …

European bodies recently criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s order to introduce tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports entering the country. Meanwhile, experts at home and abroad continue to evaluate how the trade dispute will affect steel prices and aluminum prices. The European Commission, the European Union’s executive arm, recently …

The Group of Seven is considering collectively tightening an oil price cap on Russian petroleum in an effort to cut Moscow’s oil revenues as the war in Ukraine rages on, Bloomberg has revealed. A draft statement seen by Bloomberg shows that these nations could task their finance ministers to collectively …

Predictions for iron ore prices in 2025 remain mostly mixed, but early signs in the new year indicate an upward trend, at least in Asian markets. According to a report by Reuters, one positive indication was a northward trend of iron ore futures prices on China’s Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) …

Ukrainians are learning the transactional nature of the Trump administration as the US president revealed a “critical” (pun intended) part of his plan for ending the three-year old conflict. Media reports say that Scott Bessent, the US treasury secretary, met with Ukrainian President Zelensky on Feb. 12. The two discussed …

Ever since the U.S. introduced sanctions on Russian energy, Moscow has been transporting oil under the radar using clandestine techniques such as shadow fleets. Demand for Russian crude has risen from some countries as Putin has offered oil at highly discounted rates to maintain Russia’s export revenues. Countries such as …

Chinese companies have launched a new ultradeep drilling campaign in the Taklimakan Desert in northwest China, hoping to unlock more oil and gas resources from deep underground. The drilling campaign, in China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, aims to reach oil and gas resources that are about 8,000 meters (26,247 ft) …

Demand for petrochemicals in India is expected to remain resilient as consumption of products is rebounding, executives in the industry told Reuters this week. India’s petrochemicals demand will be a bright spot among the major markets, amid a slowdown in demand in other markets, most notably China, and new supply …

Vessel transits through the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait have remained relatively stable at subdued levels since the Iran-backed Houthis said they would limit attacks on commercial vessels. Following the Israel-Gaza ceasefire last month, the Iran-aligned Houthis said they would limit attacks in the Red Sea to vessels …