Analysis: Commodities

Commodities: A backlash and Beijing's iron ore offensive

The first half of the year has been full of twists and turns for commodity markets. Timber is certainly the most interesting case. Its price, which has doubled in a few months, is now back to levels...

Why the cost of ocean freight is set to rise further

ING experts believe that the cost of shipping has not yet finished rising. Shipping costs have risen sharply and fierce competition for ocean freight capacity is the new normal, they explain in a new...

Gold and cocoa miss out on broad-based commodity rebound

The commodity boom has been much talked about lately, especially its impact on inflation expectations. This gives us the opportunity to take a quick look at the situation in order to better understand...

CO2 prices become punitive for coal plants in Europe

The soaring price of European Union emissions permits is prompting more utilities to switch from high-carbon coal to natural gas for power generation in Germany, which could accelerate the phase-out...

Exclusive: Codelco chief bullish on copper price, fears fresh pandemic volatility

Copper prices are likely to remain strong, but the spread of COVID-19 variants could spark fresh volatility in the market, the chairman of Chilean state miner Codelco, the world's largest copper...

More than beans: Nestle recycles cocoa fruit waste to replace sugar in chocolate

As confectionery groups scramble to reduce added sugar, chocolate sweetened with cocoa fruit pulp is about to hit supermarket shelves with food giant Nestle ready to launch its Incoa bar....

Oil slips, retreats from gains notched on strong Chinese data

Oil prices edged lower on Monday, pulling back from early gains fostered on strong Chinese economic news and ongoing supply restraint from major oil producers....

Oil settles near $70/bbl on hopes of recovering demand

Oil settled near $70 a barrel on Friday, supported by production cuts by major oil producers and optimism about a demand recovery in the second half of the year....

On a retro style milk truck, London entrepreneur chases a 'zero waste' future

Heralded by the whirr of its underpowered electric engine and the clink of bottles stacked in crates on the back, Ella Shone's 'Topup Truck' started life ferrying morning milk to the doorsteps of...

England's sugar beet sector needs gene-editing - minister

Gene-editing could play a key role in England's sugar beet sector, Britain's farming and environment minister George Eustice said on Tuesday, reiterating his support for easing regulations covering...

EU envisages 1 billion euros aid to Ivory Coast to meet sustainable cocoa laws

The European Union envisages providing around one billion euros over six years to aid Ivory Coast's cocoa sector as it adapts to EU supply chain laws due to be introduced later this year, its envoy in...

Oil settles near 13-month highs; Texas deep freeze supports

Oil prices settled near 13-month highs on Tuesday, supported by a deep freeze in the U.S. South that shut wells and oil refineries in Texas....

Gold, silver funds see biggest weekly outflows in three months

Gold and silver mutual funds and ETFs witnessed the biggest outflows in three months in the week ended Feb. 10 as investors put their money into soaring equities and high-yielding bond markets....

Road freight prices from France to Britain jump 50% in January - data

Freight prices for moving goods by road from France to Britain rose by 50% in January compared with the same month a year ago after lorry drivers demanded higher payments to operate in the UK after...

Oil prices surge for seventh straight day of gains

Oil prices rose on Tuesday for their seventh straight session of gains, touching 13-month highs as investors kept betting that fuel demand will rise while OPEC and allied producers keep a lid on...

Oil rises 2% to more than one-year high on supply cuts, stimulus hopes

Oil prices rose 2% on Monday to their highest in over a year, with Brent nudging past $60 a barrel, boosted by supply cuts among key producers and hopes for further U.S. economic stimulus....

China aluminium sector must shut inefficient coal power to meet climate goals - report

China's aluminium sector must shut dedicated power capacity equivalent to more than Germany's entire coal fleet over the next decade to keep Beijing on track to meet its carbon pledges, climate think...

Global equities rally as more U.S. stimulus looms, silver slides

Global stock markets surged for a second day on Tuesday, spurred by increased optimism about more U.S. stimulus and the economic recovery, while retail investors retreated from GameStop and fleeting...

One billion ounces of silver traded in London on Monday as prices surged - LBMA

The amount of silver traded in the London market surged to 1.006 billion ounces on Monday, triple the level typical in recent months, as prices rocketed to their highest since 2013, the London Bullion...