In a breaking maritime incident that has sent ripples through global shipping and energy markets, a Panama-flagged vessel was struck by an unknown projectile, triggering a large explosion in the Arabian Gulf. The event occurred just hours after Iran announced it was suspending talks with the US until the IDF withdraws from Lebanon, raising fresh […]
Continue Reading
The global aluminum market is confronting what analysts describe as one of the largest base metals supply shocks in the post-2000 era. Missile strikes tied to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East have damaged key Gulf smelters, while the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has created severe logistical bottlenecks. The result: a sharp […]
Continue Reading
In a recent appearance on Squawk Box Asia, veteran commodities strategist Jeff Currie (Co-Chairman of Abaxx Markets) delivered a stark warning that resonates deeply with current market dynamics. He described an emerging “rare earth moment” — a qualitative shift where markets have been neglecting the physical world (“atoms”) in favor of financial narratives and tech […]
Continue Reading
Even the most optimistic reopening of the Strait of Hormuz won’t deliver a quick fix. Physical barrels tell a far harsher story than paper futures. Art Berman (@aeberman12) nailed it in his May 25, 2026, post: There is no clean, modelable “successful reopening” of the Strait of Hormuz. Even in the wildly optimistic scenario, the […]
Continue Reading
The numbers don’t lie. In just the first ~50 days after the Trump administration’s March 17, 2026, Jones Act waiver for energy products and fertilizer, 45 voyages moved cargo on 35 foreign-flagged vessels across more than 30 U.S. ports and a dozen-plus cargo types. This wasn’t foreign ships stealing work from American ones. The Jones […]
Continue Reading
In a candid interview at the Milken Institute Global Conference, Chevron Chairman and CEO Mike Wirth delivered a sobering assessment of the global oil market: the industry’s traditional “shock absorbers” — commercial inventories in tanks, oil on tankers (including shadow fleet vessels), and strategic petroleum reserves — have been significantly drawn down in recent months […]
Continue Reading
As U.S. naval pressure intensifies around Iran’s ports and the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran is accelerating use of its overland rail connection to China as a sanctions-busting “back door.” The route, part of Beijing’s Belt and Road infrastructure push, offers a faster, blockade-resistant alternative for goods — but how much can it really move, especially […]
Continue Reading
The European offshore wind market is experiencing a structural supply constraint as the exit of GE Vernova from new orders leaves Siemens Gamesa and Vestas as the primary suppliers for the region. Turbine selling prices have increased by 40% to 45% since 2020, a surge that outpaces manufacturing cost inflation and reflects the immense technical […]
Continue Reading
In a stark warning to markets, CEOs from America’s largest oil companies say the global crude market is rapidly approaching a critical “cliff’s edge.” With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed for months amid the ongoing U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, commercial stockpiles, strategic reserves, and pre-war floating crude are being burned through at an alarming […]
Continue Reading
The 2026 Iran war has triggered what the International Energy Agency (IEA) calls the “largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market.” Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz—through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil and significant LNG volumes flow—has upended global energy supplies. Over 50 countries have implemented emergency […]
Continue Reading