Latest News
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Brazil and Argentina consent to studies on gas exports from Vaca Muerta, says source
Brazil and Argentina signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Monday to study the advancement of infrastructure for natural gas exports to Brazil, according to a source near to the matter. The MOU will create a working group to identify the steps needed to make the supply of gas from Argentina to Brazil practical, with emphasis on gas from Argentina's huge Vaca Muerta development, Brazil's Energy Ministry said in a statement revealing the agreement was to be signed. The working group will evaluate possible paths for the gas to reach Brazil, including the turnaround of flow of Bolivia's. pipeline, a path going through Paraguay, and another one. through Uruguay, according to the source. The two nations will likewise evaluate the possibility of a. direct connection at Uruguaiana, a Brazilian city that borders. Argentina, the source stated. Brazil is Latin America's largest crude oil producer, however. its gas output is insufficient to fulfill growing domestic demand,. that made increasing gas supply a concern for Brazil's. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Vaca Muerta is the world's second-largest shale gas reserve. and fourth-largest shale oil reserve. Argentina's state oil company. YPF is leading activity there in hopes of turning the. country into a significant energy exporter.
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China's export tax bombshell rocks aluminium market: Andy Home
China's statement that it will end tax refunds on exports of aluminium semimanufactured products caused market mayhem on Friday and might have major longterm implications for the international aluminium supply chain. The Shanghai cost sank and the London cost rose as traders factored in the potential yearly loss of over 5 million metric lots of Chinese products in the global market. That's a worst-case scenario and the truth may turn out to be less remarkable, depending on how China's aluminium processors handle what for lots of is a loss of vital income. FINANCIAL LIFELINE The Ministry of Financing's removal of the 13% VAT refund reliable Dec. 1 likewise uses to exports of copper items. China's shipments of copper products are not irrelevant at around 700,000 heaps a year however aluminium volumes are on a. various scale. The nation's exports of semi-manufactured items such as. bars, sheet and tubes totalled a huge 5.2 million heaps in. 2023. They will be higher still this year. Outgoing deliveries. grew by 17% in the very first nine months of 2024. Almost all of that tonnage gets approved for the VAT refund,. which functions as a monetary life-line for numerous smaller sized product. producers in a ferociously competitive market. There will be a foreseeable rush to export before the Dec. 1. deadline and those processors that can will no doubt aim to. pass on some of the expense struck to worldwide purchasers. The marketplace response has been to open a financial arbitrage. window to assist in ongoing circulations of aluminium item from. east to west. The most likely result is a sharp drop in export volumes. next year followed by some stabilisation as exporters adjust to. the new monetary truth. This is what occurred to galvanized. steel exports after the authorities eliminated the tax rebate. for plate and sheet in 2020. Much, though, will depend on Chinese processors' capability to. run without the barrel lifeline. China's mid-stream aluminium processing sector is pestered by. over-capacity with utilisation rates typically listed below 65% and as. low as 40% in some sectors, according to research house AZ . Global. Not everybody is going to survive. INTERNATIONAL TENSIONS Why has China pulled the tax trigger? And why now? The decision appears to be encouraged by both worldwide. and domestic factors to consider. China's exports of aluminium items have long been a point. of stress with Western trading partners, who have accused the. country of unjust subsidies and destructive trade practices. Getting rid of the tax export booster may be a pre-emptive. concession at a time when the diplomatic heat is increasing. China has actually been locked in talks with the European Union over. the bloc's imposition of tariffs of as much as 45% on Chinese exports. of electrical automobiles with both sides keen to prevent a wider. trade war. Meanwhile, the prospect of a brand-new U.S. administration. promises more tariff trouble for China provided Donald Trump's. risk to enforce import tasks of approximately 60% on all Chinese. items going into the United States. It's worth keeping in mind that Friday's announcement also included a. cut in the barrel refund for both photovoltaic cells and batteries,. 2 other major sources of global trade stress. DOMESTIC ADJUSTMENT Minimizing exports of aluminium items may also deal with a. basic stress in China's domestic supply chain. The government has enforced a capability cap of 45 million lots. on its smelting sector. Nationwide output of main metal is. presently running at an annualised rate of 43.5 million loads,. recommending bit further development potential. Yet China is going to require more aluminium, a metal that is. closely tied to the tidy energy transformation in the form of. product packaging for photovoltaic panels and electrical automobile bodies. Rising need and fixed output imply an ever tighter. domestic market balance as long as 5 million lots of item are. shipped overseas. Incentivising the sector for that product to remain at home. is one way of guaranteeing self-sufficiency over the coming years, a. essential objective for Chinese policymakers throughout the products board. WORLDWIDE NO MORE The short-term impact of the tax refund elimination may not be. as bad as the market fears, but it marks another big action in the. fracturing of what was till recently a globalised marketplace. The United States has been erecting ever higher trade. barriers on Chinese aluminium, most recently in the kind of a. 25% import tariff. Canada has done the exact same while Mexican. deliveries to the United States need to now feature proof they. haven't been made from Chinese metal. The EU has enforced import tariffs on some Chinese aluminium. items and a larger barrier is being available in the form of the. bloc's carbon border modification mechanism. China's move to restrict exports simply contributes to the sense that. the worldwide aluminium market is breaking down into unique. local markets defined by trade barriers. Western smelters, many of them shuttered due to low prices,. and product makers might be the ultimate winners from a. reduction in Chinese exports. To what degree, nevertheless, depends upon how tough the Ministry of. Finance's tweaks to its tax code struck China's domestic operators. The opinions revealed here are those of the author, a. columnist .
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Azerbaijan's 10-month oil output down 4.8%, energy ministry states
Azerbaijan's oil output fell by 4.8% to 24.1 million metric tons in the first 10 months of 2024, from 25.3 million heaps a year previously, the Energy Ministry said on Monday. Production of oil in Azerbaijan has been decreasing for several years as the output at Azeri-- Chirag-- Gunashli complex of offshore oilfields, run by BP, has passed its peak. Azerbaijan belongs to the OPEC+ group of leading oil producers, which has actually been curbing output to prop up costs. According to a report published by Ministry Energy on Monday, Azerbaijan's oil production in October edged up to 484,000 barrels each day (bpd) from 481,000 bpd in September. That is below the nation's production quotas of 551,000 bpd for 2024 and 2025 set out under the OPEC+ output deal. Oil exports in the January-October duration dropped to 19.9 million loads from 21 million tons in 2015, Azerbaijan's. ministry said. Gas exports to Europe throughout the period rose to 10.6 billion. cubic metres from 9.8 billion cubic metres a year previously,. according to the Energy ministry. Overall, Azerbaijan's gas exports increased to 20.7 billion. cubic metres, from 19.8 billion cubic metres in the exact same duration. of 2023. Azerbaijan's natural gas exports have remained in focus in. Europe due to the expiration of an offer for Russian gas transit. by means of Ukraine after Dec. 31 this year.
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TSX increases as mining shares lend support
Canada's primary stock index rose on Monday, boosted by mining shares tracking higher gold prices, ahead of today's domestic inflation data and leading chipmaker Nvidia's earnings. The S&P/ TSX composite index was up 106.73 points, or 0.43%, at 24,997.41. Leading the sectoral gains, the materials sector included 2.6% as gold prices rebounded versus a softer dollar after the bullion posted losses in the previous six sessions. The heavyweight energy sector advanced 0.7% as oil prices edged higher after the war between Russia and Ukraine intensified over the weekend. Orla Mining >, up 8.5%, IAMGOLD, up 7%, and OceanaGold, 6.2% greater, led the index. Gold is performing highly, and with the Canadian economy being heavily resource-driven, it's offering an increase to the TSX today, said Shiraz Ahmed, senior portfolio supervisor and founder of Sartorial Wealth at Raymond James. Canadian real estate starts increased 8% in October, compared to the previous month, as groundbreaking increased on multi-unit and single-family detached homes. Domestic investors waited for customer price index information for October, due Tuesday, which could supply insights into the Bank of Canada's policy trajectory for its December meeting. The BoC last month slashed its essential benchmark rate by 50 basis points. Given annual inflation slipped to 1.6% in September, below the reserve bank's 2% target, markets see a. possibility of another jumbo cut in December. Bets for another 50-bps cut stood at 34.8%. On Wall Street, main indexes were mixed on Monday ahead of. Nvidia's quarterly results. The chipmaker's third-quarter outcomes on Wednesday will grab. market attention as they might possibly extend or limit a. prolonged rally in AI-linked stocks. On the other hand, Canadian fund Brookfield plans to offer. about 7 billion euros ($ 7.4 billion) for Spanish drugmaker. Grifols after finishing due diligence, news site El. Confidencial reported. Brookfield's shares were down 0.5% on Monday.
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Evian maker Danone beats claim over 'carbon neutral' claim
The maker of Evian spring water, Danone, won the termination of a claim challenging its carbon neutral claim on bottles, as a U.S. judge reversed his earlier ruling letting the proposed class action proceed. Consumers accused Danone of defrauding them into purchasing Evian, not understanding that its manufacturing procedure enabled the release of co2 into the atmosphere. U.S. District Judge Nelson Roman in White Plains, New York City, had ruled on Jan. 10 that carbon neutral was uncertain, and Danone expected excessive for consumers to determine what Evian labels meant. After Danone requested for reconsideration, Roman said in a. decision on Thursday he now thought affordable consumers would. look beyond the front label, which portrayed mountains and said. Evian was sourced from the French Alps, and check the back. label. There, Danone provided a link to Evian's site, which. provided a fuller explanation of carbon neutral's significance. Danone's representations are technically real and pertinent. disclosures are provided to consumers, Roman composed. The complainants, Stephanie Dorris of California and John. Axiotakis of Massachusetts, stated they paid premium prices for. Evian, equating carbon neutral with environmentally friendly. Legal representatives for the plaintiffs did not instantly react on. Monday to ask for comment. The judge allowed to. submit a 2nd changed problem. Roman ruled 9 days after a Chicago federal judge. dismissed a lawsuit accusing Danone of defrauding customers by. claiming on labels that Evian is natural though it contains. microplastics that permeate from the bottle. Danone's products also consist of Dannon, Oikos and Activia. yogurt. The company is based in Paris, and its North American. head offices remain in White Plains. The case is Dorris et al v Danone Waters of America, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York City, No. 22-08717.
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Oil costs rise on Sverdrup outage, Ukraine war escalation
Oil prices increased on news on Monday that output at Norway's huge Johan Sverdrup oilfield has been halted, contributing to earlier gains originating from escalation in the RussiaUkraine war. Brent unrefined futures were up $1.52, or 2.14%, to $ 72.56 a barrel at 1503 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate unrefined futures were at $68.41 a barrel, up $1.39 cents, or 2.07%. Norway's Equinor stated it had actually halted output from its Johan Sverdrup oilfield, western Europe's biggest, due to an onshore power interruption, without a clear timeline for its reboot. Oil rates rose on the news as the failure might tighten up the North Sea unrefined market, UBS expert Giovanni Staunovo told Reuters. Physical supply of petroleum from the North Sea underpins the Brent futures complex. Costs likewise increased on Monday as Russia's war in Ukraine escalated over the weekend. In a significant reversal of Washington's policy in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, President Joe Biden's administration has allowed Ukraine to utilize U.S.-made weapons to strike deep into Russia, two U.S. authorities and a source familiar with the decision said on Sunday. The Kremlin said on Monday that Russia would react to what it called a careless choice by Biden's administration, having formerly cautioned that such a decision would raise the risk of a. confrontation with the U.S.-led NATO alliance. Biden allowing Ukraine to strike Russian forces around. Kursk with long-range rockets may see a geopolitical bid come. back into oil as it is an escalation of tensions there, in. action to North Korean troops going into the fray, IG markets. expert Tony Sycamore stated. There has been little effect on Russian oil exports up until now,. nevertheless oil prices could rise further if Ukraine targets more. oil facilities, stated Saul Kavonic, an energy expert at MST. Marquee. Russia released its biggest air strike on Ukraine in almost. 3 months on Sunday, triggering severe damage to the country's. power system. Brent and WTI fell more than 3% last week on weak data on. China's refinery run rates, and after the International Energy. Agency forecast that worldwide oil supply would surpass need by. more than 1 million barrels per day in 2025, even if output cuts. remain in place from OPEC+.
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Norway's enormous Johan Sverdrup oilfield shut by power failure
Norway's Equinor has stopped output from its Johan Sverdrup oilfield, western Europe's. biggest, due to an onshore power blackout, the business said on. Monday. Work is underway to re-establish production, however it was not. immediately clear when it would resume, a business representative. said. The interruption was brought on by smoke developing in an onshore. electrical power converter station which sends out power to phase 1 of. the Johan Sverdrup development, the representative added. The situation was rapidly clarified, however led to a. short-term shutdown of production on the entire Johan Sverdrup. field, he stated. The power supply to other fields in the North Sea's Utsira. High location was not impacted, the representative added. Equinor just recently stated the Sverdrup field produces around. 755,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed). Equinor is the operator and owns 42.63% of the Sverdrup. licence while Aker BP holds 31.57%, Norwegian state-owned oil. company Petoro 17.36%, and TotalEnergies holds the. staying 8.44%.
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Vanguard to double financier 'voting choice' program for 2025
Top mutual fund manager Vanguard stated customers will be able to direct the proxy votes of some $250. billion of its possessions next year, doubling the scale of its. effort to bring business democracy to the masses. In addition to making shareholders of several brand-new funds. eligible for its Investor Choice program, Vanguard executives. told Reuters on Friday the carefully held firm will use a new. voting choice with less support for socially focused matters. With $9.9 trillion in assets under management, Lead has. pertained to play an outsized role, together with its rival BlackRock. , in corporate elections. This in turn has drawn. criticism from numerous sides, particularly about the firms' proxy. votes associated to ecological, social and governance (ESG). concerns. Lead has worked in current years to give investors more. state over the votes, which might dampen some criticism. We. acknowledge that educated, wise people can have different. opinions, and we want to deliver options to those investors,. said John Galloway, Vanguard's worldwide head of financial investment. stewardship. Galloway in September said only 2% of eligible financiers. opted in to a previous version of its voting-choice program for. the 2024 proxy season, however he promised to keep constructing it up by. overcoming technical and logistical obstacles. Lead's program does not permit investors to define votes. at particular business. Rather, they may select amongst a number of. policy alternatives consisting of one that is more likely to back ESG. investor resolutions New for 2025 will be a wealth-focused policy choice from. proxy advisory firm Egan-Jones that that focuses on making the most of. shareholder worth without being affected by political or. social agendas, according to Vanguard's description. Vanguard will also permit retirement strategy sponsors that offer. specific funds to take part in the program, either by choosing. a voting policy for their assets or passing the option to their. own individuals.
Why EU farmers are upset about Mercosur deal
A trade contract in between the European Union and Mercosur countries, which includes a. significant area on farming, has triggered demonstrations from. EU farmers who argue farm imports from South America do not meet. European requirements.
The agreement dating from 2019 and published on the. Commission website has yet to be embraced. It includes the. facility of import quotas of specific farming products. from Mercosur nations, including Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay. and Uruguay, either duty complimentary or at lowered levy.
The agreement would also give EU farmers increased access to. South American markets which could enhance exports of products. such as red wine, cheese, milk powder and olive oil.
Below are the primary EU import quotas included in the. contract, most of which to be phased in over 6 years, their. share of the EU market and possible effect based on a study of. the European Commission's joint research center (JRC).
BEEF
Under the arrangement, the EU will allow 99,000 metric tons of. beef, consisting of 55% of fresh, high quality beef, and 45% of. frozen beef, to be phased-in over 5 years, with a 7.5%. duty.
This represents 1.2% of the general EU beef usage of 8. million heaps per year.
The EU currently imports about 200,000 tons of beef every. year from Mercosur nations.
That total consists of the so-called Hilton quota which enables. Brazil and Argentina to each export as much as 10,000 tonnes of beef,. and 29,500 tonnes of prime beef cuts to the EU each year. The. present 20% task on that quota is due to be removed.
The beef trade deficit with Mercosur nations would rise to. 1.4 billion euros by 2032 from 1.0 billion in 2023, the JRC. stated.
POULTRY
The open market contract would permit duty-free imports of. 180,000 lots of poultry meat each year from Mercosur countries.
This represents 1.4 % of total EU poultry consumption of. 12.6 million tons anticipated in 2024, EU information revealed.
The four Mercosur nations together are already the EU's. leading suppliers of chicken meat. When taken individually, Brazil. - the world's biggest poultry manufacturer - is number one, followed. by Ukraine.
The extra 180,000 heaps represent a 20% boost in. total quota volumes, which would bring the share of imports in. EU intake of poultry meat to 10%, French poultry producers. stated.
The poultry trade deficit with Mercosur countries would rise. to about 865 million euros by 2032 from 600 million in 2023, the. JRC said.
SUGAR
Under the contract, Brazil will see the tariff gotten rid of on. the existing quota for 180,000 tons of sugar for refining.
Paraguay would be approved a brand-new duty-free quota of 10,000. heaps.
The concurred quantities cover a volume accounting for 1% of EU. sugar usage, which is expected at 17.7 million lots in. 2024, versus a production of 16.6 million tons, EU information revealed.
The sugar trade deficit with Mercosur countries would rise. to about 330 million euros by 2032 from 223 million in 2023, the. JRC said.
ETHANOL
Mercosur countries would be granted two different. tariff-rate quotas for an overall of 650,000 heaps, or 8.2 million. hectolitres.
The first one, of 450,000 heaps, would be duty-free for. biochemical uses while the second, of 200,000 tons would be at a. reduced levy and for all usages, including fuel.
The total represents approximately 15% of EU production.
MAIZE
Quota of 1,000,000 tons of duty-free maize and sorghum. imports from Mercosur countries to be phased in over five years.
Nevertheless, the quota would not change the current scenario. since maize imports are currently task free. It would just make a. difference if world costs were to collapse, triggering. automated import duties on other imports.
Brazil was the second-largest maize supplier to the EU after. Ukraine, with 2.9 million tonnes imported in the EU last season.
SOYBEAN PRODUCTS
The agreement will also decrease or get rid of duties that. Mercosur countries currently impose on exports to the EU of. products such as soybean products to be used in animal feed.
Mercosur is currently the largest soybean and soybean product. supplier of the EU.
(source: Reuters)