Asia / Pacific

Asian energy buyers are scrambling for alternatives, as the Iran War creates an unprecedented disruption in supply. However, the region's options to reduce its heavy dependence on Middle Eastern oil are limited. The top crude-importing region in the world buys 60% its oil and petrochemicals feedstocks from 'the Middle East.' This war, which began with a slew of israeli and american attacks on Iran a week ago, has driven up?global fuel prices and threatened to hurt economic growth. Refiners in Southeast Asia, China, and other parts of Asia, are unable to get Middle Eastern crude. They are forced to look...

Bloomberg News reported on Friday that the 'Trump administration has ruled out using the Treasury Department to trade oil futures for the time being, citing an individual familiar with the issue. The report stated that officials discussed getting the Treasury Department to get involved but believed its ability meaningfully to affect the market was limited. The global oil prices have increased since the war began with Iran on Saturday, as the conflict has disrupted Middle East supply. Prices fell on Thursday, the first time since six days. This was due to reports that the U.S. The U.S. may intervene on...

Indian shares fell Friday, with losses mainly in financial stocks. Investors remained cautious amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict against Iran that has pushed up oil prices and weakened global risk appetite. As of 10:05 am IST, the BSE Sensex fell 0.61% and was down to 79530.73. The Nifty 50 was also down by 0.59%. The conflict has raised fears that a wider energy supply shock could further increase crude prices, revive inflation pressures and cloud the global economic outlook. The dollar strengthened as the conflict continued to show no signs of abating. Brent crude rose 5% on Thursday to a 20...

The president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and 'Development, said 'on Thursday that the widening U.S. -Iran conflict is a threat... to economic growth. But the impact will depend on the length of the conflict. Odile Renaud Basso, EBRD President, said in an interview with the Istanbul press that conflict can "reduce risk capital" in the region. However, he added that the fallout has been contained so far - except for Lebanon. She said that the risk was on the downside. The EBRD estimated growth in the 41 countries that it covers as 3.6% this year, and 3.7% in...

The UK's hesitant response to the Middle East conflict and reluctance to defend its allies have renewed doubts about the military effectiveness of the country, especially when the U.S. demands widespread rearmament. Trump slammed Keir starmer, the British Prime Minister on Tuesday. He said that he had "ruined" their historically close relationship when London refused to allow the U.S. to use British bases for pre-emptive attacks on Iran. Cypriot officials have also criticised London for sending a drone made in Iran to strike one of Britain's bases on the island. This prompted France, Greece, and other countries to offer support....

Sources say that Iranian Kurdish militias are consulting with the U.S. on whether and how to attack Iran's Security Forces in Western Iran as the U.S., Israel and other countries continue their military campaign against Tehran. Kurds were left stateless when the Ottoman Empire collapsed and the boundaries of the modern Middle East emerged. History In the 1890s, when the Ottoman empire was in its final days, a Kurdish nationalist movement erupted. In 1920, the Treaty of Sevres - which imposed a colonial division of Turkey following World War One - promised independence to Kurdish people. Three years later Mustafa...

Wesfarmers, the chemical and fertiliser division within the 'Australian conglomerate Wesfarmers, said on Thursday that it was possible some shipments of ammonium-phosphate cropping compound and urea could be delayed primarily due to?the Iran war. CSBP stated that it was "urgently assessing" its inventory levels and other supply options. The escalating conflict in the Middle East is causing shipping routes to be severely disrupted, which could limit supplies for 'key Asian importers as they prepare their cereal planting season. The company, based in Perth, is one of Australia's largest fertiliser suppliers. Western Australia has a strong agricultural sector and exports wheat....

CEO Flemming Ornskov stated on Thursday that 'Galderma continues to see the Middle East as a 'attractive market. The conflict in the region is unlikely to have any major impact on the Swiss skincare firm because it only represents a small part of their business. Ornskov stated that less than 2% (of Galderma's) business is currently located in the Middle East. However, the company has made efforts to expand in this region, highlighting its recent entry into Saudi Arabia, and expansion in United Arab Emirates. He said that Galderma was pursuing its plans in the region, citing that there were...

Indian shares rose in morning trading on Thursday. A rebound in Reliance, and a rally in global stocks helped the market. Risk appetite had improved after the war in the Middle East, which had dragged down shares for the remainder of the week. As of 10:02 a.m. IST, the Nifty 50 index was up 0.61% to 24,631.3, and the BSE Sensex gained 0.54%, reaching 79,530.98. Over the last three sessions, both benchmarks dropped by about 4%. Avinash Gorakshakar is the director of research for Profitmart Securities. He said that while the markets may have staged a partial rebound after the...

People with knowledge of the discussions said that Chinese investors Guoxin Guotong Fund and CNIC Corporation are considering selling their 33.3% share in Spanish 'gas network operator Redexis' as the country prepares to introduce a new framework for remuneration. Three sources confirmed that the two investors had begun a process of hiring?advisers in order to evaluate the sale. Two sources say that a?deal could value Redexis between 2 billion and 2.5 billion?euros (2.3-$2.9billion). * In 2018, the two Chinese investors bought?33.3% Redexis. According to the website of Redexis, pension funds?Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension?and Universities?Superannuation Scheme own each 33.3%. Sources say that pension...

Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday that the U.S. Government will exempt Rosneft's German unit from sanctions indefinitely. A person familiar with this matter was quoted as saying so. Could not verify immediately the report. The German economy ministry didn't immediately respond to an 'ask for comment'. Germany placed local units of Rosneft, a Russian oil company, under trusteeship by 2022 following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. This broke Berlin's decades long energy relations with Russia. Assets include a'stake' in the PCK Schwedt refinery, which is a major supplier of fuel for the capital area. Bloomberg News reported that the U.S. Treasury’s...

Italy's Energy Minister?said Wednesday that the country could reactivate some coal-fired?power stations if conflict in?the Middle East leads to an energy shortage. Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Minister of Energy and Environment in Italy, said that "there are coal-powered stations in Italy that I would not like to reactivate. But they're there in reserve for our country." Israeli and U.S. Forces?struck Iranian targets on Tuesday. This prompted Iranian strikes against energy infrastructure in other Gulf States considered U.S. Allies in a area that accounts for just under a third global oil production. Iran also targeted tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Through...

Prices of iron ore rose on Friday as China, the world's largest consumer, tightened restrictions on purchasing some seaborne cargoes. This sparked concerns about supply that outweighed falling demand. The most traded?iron ore on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) ended daytime trading 1.38% higher, at 772 Yuan ($111.90), a metric tonne. This contract has risen 2.54% in the past week. As of 0725 GMT, the benchmark April iron ore contract on Singapore Exchange rose 1.53% to $101,55 per ton. The contract is up 3.24% this week. Both contracts reached one-month highs during the session. People with knowledge of the situation...

India's Jindal Steel said on Friday that there could be some delays in steel shipments in the Middle East in the near term because of?the conflict? in the region. The Middle East is a small part of the country's export market, but the company remains committed to serving the region. Abhyuday Jindal is the managing director of Jindal Stainless. He said that given the escalating weather conditions, there could be a few?delays? in shipment arrivals. This may be due to the extended?transit times across certain international shipping and airspaces. He said that it would be premature to comment on any...

This week, investors were on edge due to a growing Middle East conflict and record earnings season volatility. S&P/ASX 200 index is down 3.8% since last weekend, when Israel and the United States began bombing Iran. It has lost about half its gains in February. The benchmark index fell 1% on the Friday, with many blue-chip stocks falling. Nick Twidale is the chief market strategist for ATFX Global. He said, "Global downturns hit Australia harder than any other jurisdiction, and we may see a real decline if this war continues too long." "Australia will have more topside once the conflict...

The Iran War has exposed a growing vulnerability of the West's aluminium supply, a metal that is classified by the United States as a "critical manufacturing input" and by the European Union. The London Metal Exchange's (LME) aluminium prices hit a four-year peak of $3,418 per metric ton Wednesday, after a Gulf producer, Qatalum, a joint venture between Norsk Hydro, Qatar Aluminum Manufacturing and Qatar Aluminum Manufacturing started shutting down their smelter, and another, Aluminium Bahrain, declared force majeure. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which is still in place, risks further disruption of a regional hub of production...

The demand for gold in India slowed this week due to volatile prices amid the escalating Middle East conflict. Premiums in China remained 'firm' on a rise in investment demand. The closure of airspace in the region has sharply reduced supply, resulting in a reduction of discounts across India. Retail buyers in India are having a hard time digesting the steep price increase. Gold is now unaffordable at these prices, said Varghese Aukka, managing Director of Jos Alukkas in Thrissur, Kerala. On Friday, the price of gold in India was around 160,000 rupees per 10 grams, up from 169,880 earlier...

Three'sources' familiar with the matter said that Aditya Birla Global Trading, an Indian commodities trading company, is resuming its iron ore operations as other traders leave the market because of record low volatility. The Singapore-headquartered company, part of India's conglomerate Aditya Birla Group, which also owns aluminium producer Hindalco, trades ?agriculture, energy and metals but not iron ore, according to ?its website. According to two sources, the company has suspended its iron-ore business and will return to the Chinese market in order to diversify their portfolio and reduce the risk. All sources were speaking under condition of anonymity, as they...

Investors are on edge due to the escalating Middle East conflict, and record earnings season volatility. S&P/ASX 200 has lost more than half its gains in February after a 3.8% drop since the weekend, when Israel and the United States began bombing Iran. The benchmark index fell another 1.1% on the Friday, with many blue-chip stocks falling. Nick Twidale is the chief market strategist for ATFX Global. He said, "Global downturns hit Australia harder than other jurisdictions. I think that we could see a downturn if this war continues too long." Once the conflict is over, Australia will have more...

The price of iron ore rose on Friday as the?increasing restrictions' on China's top buyer BHP to buy new seaborne cargoes raised supply concerns, which outweighed declining demand. As of 0206 GMT, the?most traded iron ore?contract at China's Dalian Commmodity Exchange (DCE)? grew 0.85% to $768 yuan ($111.21), a metric tonne. As of 0156 GMT, the benchmark April iron ore traded on the Singapore Exchange rose 1.03% to $101.05 a ton. People with knowledge of the situation said that China's state iron ore buyer instructed traders to purchase fewer seaborne shipments of BHP's flagship product: Mac fines and lumps. China's...

Michael Flacks, the CEO of Flacks Group, said that if current attempts to sell Thyssenkrupp's steel division fail, they would be "ready" to bid for it. Thyssenkrupp and Jindal Steel International have been in discussions since the autumn about a possible sale for Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe. However, these discussions are yet to produce a formal bid. Flacks Group was selected by Italy in 'December' to conduct exclusive negotiations on the sale Acciaierie d'Italia, a bailed out steel company. Flacks stated that "our main interest in Italy is now, but we're interested in major companies and, if talks about an acquisition...

Due to widespread flight cancellations and airspace closures, the Middle East conflict has affected India's exports of gems and jewellery, as well imports of rough diamonds from United Arab Emirates. Dubai, which is a major "global hub" for polished and rough diamonds, and bullion has suspended many cargo and passenger flights. This has affected trade flows, and the shipments of essential raw materials and exports, according to industry officials. Vipul Shah is the managing director of Asian Star, one of the leading diamond exporters. Nearly a quarter of India’s annual gems, jewellery and watches exports totaling around $30 billion come...

According to three sources who are familiar with the issue and a letter by an industry group, China, the U.S., and other Western governments have launched an unusually coordinated effort to convince Ghana to stop a gold royalty hike that they claim could hurt some of the world's largest miners. Africa's biggest gold producer is looking to replace its fixed royalty of 5% with a sliding rate between 5% and 12 % linked to gold prices. This is part of a bid to increase revenue as gold reaches successive historical highs. The upper bands in the new regime could come...

People?with a knowledge of the matter said that China's state run iron ore buyer has increased restrictions on buying new seaborne ore cargoes?from?BHP, as a contract dispute that has been ongoing for months drags on. China 'Mineral -Resources?Group (CMRG) has told traders to purchase fewer seaborne shipments of BHP flagship products, Mac fines, Newmanfines and Newman lumps. Two people, who spoke anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the issue, confirmed this. The restrictions that were widely reported in September and November do not apply to these products. BHP declined comment while CMRG didn't respond immediately to an email request...