East Asia

China's crude imports increased 17% in December compared to a year earlier, and total imports for 2025 will rise 4.4%. The daily volumes of crude oil imported in December 2025 and throughout the year will be at all-time records. According to the General Administration of Customs, the world's biggest crude importer imported 55.97 millions metric tons of petroleum in December. This is equivalent to 13,18 million barrels of oil per day. The increase was 10% compared to 50.89 in November. The data shows that China will import 557.73 millions tons of crude oil by 2025 or 11,55?million barrels per day,...

Customs data revealed that China's coal imports in December rose to a "record monthly high" due to winter stockpiling and rising domestic prices. According to the General Administration of Customs, imports in December reached a monthly record of 58.59?metric tons. This is a sharp rebound from'supply constraints caused by major exporters Indonesia Australia and Russia in November. Buyers stock up on coal in anticipation of the coldest months, when heating demand drives consumption higher. A government index also showed that domestic coal prices rose to nearly a year high by the end of November. This would have led buyers to...

Next week, business and political leaders will be attending the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos to test their vision of a global economic order based on rules. The expected appearance of U.S. president Donald 'Trump' in the Swiss resort shows the difference between his agenda, and the consensus-driven approach taken by the?the?WEF. This organization has been criticized for years as a talk shop for the rich. His "America First' policy has resulted in trade tariffs as punishment, military interventions in Venezuela, a threat to take over Greenland with force, and the U.S. retreating from international cooperation on climate...

Next week, business and political leaders will be attending the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos to test their?vision for a global economic order based on rules. The expected appearance of U.S. president Donald Trump in the Swiss mountain resort highlights the difference between his agenda, and the consensus-driven approach taken by the WEF. It has been criticized for years that the WEF is just a rich people's talking shop. His "America First' policy has resulted in trade tariffs as punishment, military interventions in Venezuela, threats to take over Greenland and a retreat by the U.S. from international cooperation...

Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said on Monday that any country doing business with Iran will be subject to a 25% tariff when it comes to trade with the U.S. According to the latest data from the World Bank, Iran, a?member? of the OPEC oil producing group, exported its products to 147 trading partner in 2022. Fuel is Iran's largest export item in terms of value. Major imports include intermediate products, vegetables, machinery, and equipment. China is Iran's biggest trading partner. According to the World Bank, Iranian exports to China in 2022 will total $22 billion, with fuels making up...

Donald Trump, U.S. president on Monday Any country that trades with Iran faces a 25% tariff. This is because Tehran is battling its largest anti-government protests in many years. According to the latest data from the World Bank, Iran, a member country of OPEC, exports products to 147 partners. China, Iraq, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkey, Germany, and other countries in East Asia are among its top trading partners. Fuel is Iran's largest export item in terms of value, whereas major imports include intermediate products, vegetables, machinery, and equipment. China is Iran's biggest trading partner. According to the World Bank,...

After meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested that the European Union could sign a Free Trade Agreement with India as soon as this month. Merz, during a trip to Ahmedabad in western India, said that the presidents of the European Commission and European Council will travel to India to sign the agreement at the end 'January' if the deal is completed by then. Merz, who was visiting India for the first time since his appointment as chancellor, said that they would "in any case" take a major step to ensure this free-trade agreement is...

Reliance Industries, an Indian conglomerate, said Monday that it has not changed its plans for battery storage manufacturing. This follows a report by Bloomberg News that the company had "paused" plans to manufacture lithium-ion batteries in India because they were unable to obtain Chinese technology. In an email, a spokesperson for the company stated that "Reliance Industries categorically and strongly affirms that our plans to create a world-leading battery storage manufacturing ecosystem from Cell (cellular energy storage system) to containerised ESS are not changing and they're progressing in line with their target timelines." Bloomberg News reported that the Mukesh Ambani...

The?Italian?government and Pirelli, the?tiremaker, are looking at new ways to stop Sinochem from investing in the?company based in Milan. This is due to pressure coming from?the United States. The Financial Times reported Tuesday that the United States was exerting pressure on Pirelli. Camfina, Pirelli's Italian-American investor, had complained earlier that Sinochem was preventing the tyremaker from expanding in the U.S. as Washington tightens restrictions on Chinese technology for the automotive industry. According to LSEG 'data, Sinochem is Pirelli’s?largest shareholder with a stake in the company of approximately 34.1%. Rome is considering a new intervention, as Washington's upcoming ban on Chinese-backed...

The oil prices dropped on Tuesday as the market anticipated a large global supply in the face of a weak demand and weighed the possibility of a higher Venezuelan crude production following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro by the U.S. Brent crude futures dropped?0.2% or 14 cents to $61.62 a barge by 0450 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude was at $58.13 a barge, down 0.3%, or 19 cents. Priyanka sachdeva, senior analyst at Phillip Nova, said that the response of oil prices to major geopolitical issues, like the U.S. action in Venezuela or the ongoing strikes against...

The Dow Jones Industrial Average reached a new high on Tuesday as oil companies and financials gained. The U.S. oil industry got a boost after the military raid that took place in the U.S. over the weekend, which captured Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. Crude oil fell back $1 per barrel after it rose overnight as traders assessed possible impacts on crude oil flows from Venezuela. Venezuela is home to the largest oil reserves in the world. The events have had a limited impact on the risk sentiment. Equities are driven by momentum, while currencies are based on macroeconomic data. The...

Oil prices fell on Monday, as global supplies were plentiful and offset concerns about the impact of U.S. capture President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, the country with the largest global oil reserves. Brent crude futures fell 23 cents or 0.4% to $60.52 a barrel at 0940 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate was 21 cents or 0.4% lower at $57.11 a 'barrel. Investors reacted to the Venezuela situation, an OPEC country whose crude exports have been subject to a U.S. ban, and assessed its potential impact on the oil supply. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said that Washington would take over...

Iron ore futures rose on Wednesday as China reported record steel exports and its highest-ever monthly imports. As of 0326 GMT, the most-traded contract for May iron ore on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange was up 0.49% at 824.5 Yuan ($118.17). The benchmark iron ore for February on the Singapore Exchange rose 0.29% to $108.65 per?ton. Data from the General Administration of Customs revealed that China's steel imports reached a monthly record high in December, fueled by front-loading, prompted?by Beijing’s announcement of requiring export licenses for shipments starting 2026. Imports of iron ore?also reached a record in December, as well as...

China's steel imports reached a monthly record high in December. This was largely due to the front-loading of shipments, which was prompted by Beijing's announcement that export licenses would be required for shipments starting 2026. Data from the General Administration of Customs in the Philippines showed that the world's largest steel producer exported 11.3 million tons of'metal' used in construction and manufacturing during the month of December, which was the highest amount ever for a month. Beijing plans to implement a license system to regulate steel exports in 2026, after robust shipments sparked a protectionist backlash around the world. Analysts...

Iron ore futures in Dalian edged up on Tuesday due to a restocking of steelmakers' stocks by the top consumer, China, ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. As of 0255 GMT, the most-traded contract for May iron ore on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange was 0.24% higher. It stood at 823.5 Yuan ($118.06), per metric ton. The benchmark iron?ore for February on the Singapore Exchange fell 0.26% to $108.9 per?ton. According to a report from the consultancy Mysteel, global iron ore shipment from Australia and Brazil dropped?by 1,36 million tons on a week-to-week basis, but total volume arriving in China...

Prices of copper fell on Tuesday, as the expectation for rate reductions in the United States eased. This prompted a round of profit-booking. As of 0243 GMT, the most traded copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange had fallen?0.36%?to 102,600 Yuan ($14,706.73) a metric ton. The contract reached a high of 104,800 Yuan during the session. This is close to the previous record of 105,500 Yuan, which was set last week. The benchmark three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange fell 0.6% to $13,130 a ton. JP Morgan has said that it does not expect the Federal Reserve to...

Prices of copper rose to record levels on Monday, mainly due to optimism over robust demand from China, the world's largest consumer. Benchmark 'copper' on the London Metal Exchange rose 1.6% to $13,205 per metric tonne by 1024 GMT, up from $13,243.5 earlier. The metal used in cable conductors reached a record high of $13,387.50 last week, a rise of over 50% from the beginning?of the year. China's plans for a nuclear power plant in Roll out A package of fiscal policy to?boost the demand and ensure that the economy gets off on a good footing this year has been...

VHM, an Australian rare earths mining company, announced on Monday that it has terminated the?offtake contract with China's Shenghe Resources in relation to its Goschen rare Earths project? after conditions precedent were not met. If current trends continue, shares of?VHM could rise as much as 12.1% in early trading to A$0.465. This would be their best day since the 10th November. VHM stated that the decision was a sign of its intention to reach out to a larger pool of buyers, as global demand for minerals critical is increasing from buyers outside China. Macquarie Capital was hired by the company...

The copper price rose on Friday as investors renewed their bets that future demand will increase. Aluminium prices also reached their highest level since April 2022. Benchmark three-month Copper on the London Metal Exchange rose 1.8% by 1107 GMT to $12,943 per metric ton. Due to fears about tightening supply and bets on future surges in demand due to the AI boom and the energy transition, this metal used for power and construction hit a new record high of $12,387.50. Rio Tinto, a global mining company, is in the early stages of talks with Glencore to create the largest mining...

Pan Pacific Copper (PPC), Japan’s largest supplier, has offered to sell the metal to domestic customers for a record price of $330 per metric ton by 2026. This was revealed on Friday by a source within the company. It reflects fundamentals of demand and supply. The physical delivery rate is three times higher than the benchmark LME price of $88, and is paid over and above LME benchmark prices. The rate also includes costs such as taxes and transport. The source said that this year's rise is due to a steep fall in treatment and refining fees (TC/RCs), which are...

AustralianSuper, BlueScope Steel's largest shareholder, said that a $9 billion takeover bid from SGH & Steel Dynamics in the U.S. undervalued the company and it supported its decision to reject this offer. After announcing its increase from 12.5% on Thursday, the pension fund now holds 13.52% in BlueScope. BlueScope, which rejected the SGH Steel Dynamics offer of?A$30 a share on Wednesday, said that it was "significantly undervalued" and accused the acquirers for trying to purchase BlueScope 'on the cheap. AustralianSuper's spokesperson stated that "we?support the BlueScope Board's decision to?reject?the offer" and to'remain focused' on executing the strategy of the company...

BlueScope Steel’s largest investor, AustralianSuper said on Friday that it supported the Australian company's decision to reject a $9 billion offer from U.S.-based Steel Dynamics and?SGH?. After announcing its increase in stake on Thursday, the pension fund now holds 13.52 % of BlueScope. BlueScope rejected the $A30 offer from?SGH & Steel Dynamics on Wednesday, saying that it was "very significantly undervalued". The company also accused the acquirers of trying to buy BlueScope 'on the cheap. AustralianSuper's spokesperson stated that "we support the BlueScope Board's decision to reject the offer and remain focused on executing the company's strategy, without distraction." The...

China's Industry?Ministry said Thursday that it has urged a battery manufacturer to optimise the industry capacity and?mitigate overcapacity risks. According to the readout from a meeting posted on Wechat on Wednesday, the ministry stressed the need for market regulation and enhanced supervision in the electric vehicle and battery storage sectors. China Daily, citing sources, reported that 16 companies, including top battery manufacturers, were present. According to the report, energy storage system integrators Beijing HyperStrong Technology and Zhuzhou CRRC Times Electric, as well as Trina Solar – a leading solar manufacturer – were also present. The state planner, the?industry minister and...

Iron ore futures fell on Thursday, after a four session rally. Investors booked profits due to fears of a possible government intervention in China, the top consumer. Prices were nearing the psychologically important level of $100 per metric tonne. The May contract for iron ore on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange ended the daytime trading session down by 0.37% to 813 yuan (116.42 dollars) per ton, after reaching 831.5 earlier in the morning, the highest price since July 22, 2025. The benchmark February Iron Ore on the Singapore Exchange fell by 1.05% at 0715 GMT to $107.9?a ton after reaching its...