Environment

Rare earths developers REalloys, and U.S.?Critical?Materials Corp. have signed a?memorandum of understanding to create a?domestic?supply chain for the?key?materials? in the U.S. This is in line with Washington’s goals to reduce its reliance on China. The agreement will allow REalloys to secure up 10% of the Sheep Creek Rare Earth Deposit in Ravalli County (Montana) owned by U.S. U.S. efforts have intensified to reduce reliance?on China to supply the critical materials. This has prompted a rush by miners and processors?to?build local rare?earth?supply chains. The Sheep Creek deposit is rich in elements like dysprosium and Terbium that are used for high-performance permanent...

The Energy Information Administration reported on Tuesday that U.S. crude oil production fell the most in two years last month following a'severe winterstorm' which knocked production offline?in large parts of the country. The EIA data showed that U.S. crude output dropped 410,000 barrels a day in January, compared to the previous month, to 13,25 million barrels a day, the lowest level since February 2025. The EIA reported that the total U.S. crude and petroleum product consumption fell by 201,000 barrels per day in January to 20.7 millions bpd, which is the lowest level since November '2025. The demand for gasoline...

Euronext Wheat rose on Tuesday to confirm a gain for the month as dry weather threatened U.S. Harvest prospects and the latest developments in Iran war boosted gains on wider markets. The euro's sharp rise against the dollar has slowed down Tuesday's gains on 'Euronext'. The grain markets also took in the U.S. plantation estimates. The data surprised traders because it showed corn acres far above the average expectation of analysts, who were expecting a greater shift to soybeans due to rising fuel and fertilizer costs. Euronext's benchmark May milling wheat settled at 204.75 euro per metric ton, up 0.5%....

Chicago soybean futures dipped on Friday after the White House announced revised U.S. Biofuel targets earlier in the afternoon. Many traders had already bought soybean futures anticipating bullish news. Wheat and corn were both volatile on Friday amid the uncertainty surrounding the Iran War, while corn was also impacted by technical selling before the weekend. The Chicago Board of Trade's most active soybean contract settled at $11.59-1/4 per bushel, down 14-1/2 cents. Randy Place, an analyst at Hightower Report, said: "We are a little weaker in beans and it's likely profit-taking ahead of the weekend, as well as headline risk,...

Mexican officials confirmed on Thursday that an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is due to both natural 'causes' and a petroleum 'tanker, which authorities are attempting to identify. Raymundo Morales is the Mexican navy's head. He said that satellite images showed an oil slick near the coast and that any of the 13 vessels which had passed by the area may have been responsible. Morales stated that four of the vessels were still in Mexican waters, and being inspected by the Navy. Mexico has asked for international assistance to inspect the nine remaining vessels, which are now in...

The U.S. grid operators PJM and Constellation Energy have told Constellation Energy that the former 'Three Mile Island Nuclear Power?plant in Pennsylvania will likely not be able connect to the grid before 2031. This is four years later than originally planned. Constellation has been working on a plan to restart operations at the nuclear plant, which will be renamed as the "Crane Clean Energy Center" to provide electricity to Microsoft's data centers. Constellation's chief?external? affairs and growth officer, David Dardis said that the company would?be able to produce electricity by the earlier goal and is?talking with grid operator PJM to...

Chicago soybeans rose on Thursday as U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to visit Chinese President Xi Jinping this May boosted hopes for stronger Chinese demand for U.S. supply. Wheat and corn gained as well. As of 0425 GMT, the?most active?soybean contracts on the Chicago Board of Trade climbed 0.2% to $11.74-1/4 per bushel. CBOT wheat rose 0.4% to $6.00-1/4 per bushel. Corn increased 0.1% to $4.67-1/4 a bushel. Originally scheduled to travel next Monday, Trump will visit Beijing May?14-15. He said on Truth Social Wednesday that he would be hosting Xi?for a return visit to Washington later in the year....

A man who claimed to have been injured in an explosion at Valero Energy’s Port Arthur, Texas refinery Monday night filed a suit on Wednesday with a state district court, alleging that the?company?failed?to properly maintain the refinery. The lawsuit filed at the Jefferson County District Court of Beaumont, Texas, is seeking more than $1,000,000 in damages. A Valero spokesperson had no immediate comment on Wednesday night. Valero filed a report with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) on Tuesday. The company stated: "An unexpected release of fluid from Complex?2 caused an ignition event, and multiple process units were upset."...

The Trump administration announced Wednesday that it will suspend anti-smog federal regulations for seasonal gasoline blends to combat the higher prices at the pump since the start of 'the war against Iran. Environmental Protection Agency allows retailers to sell cheaper formulations of gas, including mixtures containing 15% ethanol (known as E15) that are not normally allowed during the warmer months. The waiver is valid for 20 days, starting on May 1. It can be extended as needed by the agency. "We anticipate a possible disruption in the American fuel supply," EPA administrator?Lee Zeldin stated at a news conference held on...

The administration of President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that it will issue a waiver to expand sales of gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol (E15) in order to combat higher pump prices since the beginning of the war against Iran. The Environmental Protection Agency's move will allow retailers to continue selling E15, which is a blend that is not typically allowed during the summer months due to smog concerns. Analysts believe the change will reduce retail prices by'several cents a gallon. AAA data shows that the average U.S. price of a gallon is now?just under $3.98. This is up...

Albemarle, the largest lithium producer in the world, announced on Wednesday that it had begun the environmental review process for its first Direct Lithium Extraction project (DLE) in Chile. Albemarle stated in a press release that the project was designed to recover twice as much lithium while reducing the amount extracted of brine compared?to the current operations. Albemarle said in a submission to the Chilean Environmental Assessment Agency that if the project were completed, it would require a total investment of $3.1 billion with a useful lifetime lasting until 2045. The initiative is aimed at a?more sustainable and efficient production...

Chicago soybean futures declined on Wednesday. They tracked losses in soyoil due to lower crude oil prices, based on reports that the U.S. was seeking a ceasefire of a month for its war against Iran. The price of corn and wheat futures also declined. As of 0325 GMT, the?most active?soybean contracts on the Chicago Board of Trade slipped 0.2% to $11.52-3//4 a bushel. Soyoil dropped 0.8% to 65.21cents per pound. CBOT corn fell 0.7% and wheat dropped 6%, to $4.59-1/2 per bushel. The oil prices fell more than 5% on Wednesday, as a result of reports that the U.S. had...

Chicago oilseeds and grain futures fluctuated on Friday between 'gains and losses' as investors watched?developments? in the Middle East, amid mixed signals?from the U.S.?and Iran?about efforts to?end the war. The Chicago Board of Trade's (CBOT)?most active?corn contract gained 0.1%, to $4.67-1/4 a bushel. It has been up 0.4% this week. CBOT Wheat lost 0.1%, to $6.04 1/2 a bushel. However, it was up 1.6% this week. Soybeans rose 0.1% to $11.74 1/2 a bushel to bring the weekly gain to 1.1%. As they are used as biofuel feedstock, corn and soybeans tend to follow the movements of oil prices. Oil...

Iron ore futures fell on Friday as traders unwound their?supply disruption bets following Tropical Cyclone Narelle's spared of vital port infrastructure in Western Australia. As of 0330 GMT, the most-traded contract for May iron ore on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange?traded at $813.60 ($117.60) per metric ton. The contract has still gained 0.13% this week. On the Singapore Exchange, the benchmark April Iron Ore was $107 per ton. This is a 0.32% decrease. This week, it has fallen 1%. Atilla Widnell is the managing director of Navigate Commodities. She said that iron ore futures will?likely experience a temporary corrective, because traders...

Iron ore futures were higher on Thursday due to a concern over the supply of iron ore from Australia, following the closure of key ports in the Pilbara region because of a cyclone. The most-traded May iron ore contract at China's Dalian Commodity Exchange rose 0.18%, to 817 Yuan ($118.40), per metric ton. As of 0711 GMT, the benchmark April iron ore traded on Singapore Exchange was trading at $107.35 per ton. The operator of the iron ore port said that the key ports were closed on Thursday due to a tropical storm which struck the resource-rich Pilbara region. Pilbara...

Itochu Trading House announced?on Tuesday that it will form a Japanese joint venture with Electronic Recyclers International to recycle electronic equipment. Itochu plans to purchase a stake in ERI but has not disclosed the details. Japan has increased its efforts to recycle resources as geopolitical risk increases the need for recycling systems at home. Koichiro Nishimura, CEO of Itochu’s Belong used mobile device division, stated that Japan's recycling rate for electronic devices was only 20%. This means there's still significant room for growth. He added that "recovering and recycling Japan's urban mines" is essential to reduce environmental?impacts and promote sustainability....

Iron ore futures rose Monday, boosted?by high shipping rates. Other steelmaking ingredients, such as coking coal, also gained, as countries booked coal cargoes to?use for their energy needs?due to a spike in oil and gas prices. As of 0324 GMT, the most traded May iron ore contract at China's Dalian Commodity Exchange was 0.86% higher. It was trading at 818.5 Yuan ($118.46), a metric tonne. The benchmark April Iron Ore at the Singapore Exchange was down 0.26%, or $107.95 per ton. According to a report from Shanghai Metals Market, iron ore and coke have held up well despite the Middle...

As EVs get cheaper and emissions targets are met, the market will be supported by a battery-electric vehicle share of 23% in 2026 in 'the European Union and Norway and a share of?28% in '2027. European 'campaign' groups say Europe is on the right track in its transition to electric vehicles and that it can be profitable for the carmakers. They pushed the European Commission last December to reverse the effective ban on the sale of new internal combustion engines cars starting 2035. T&E stated that 'battery-electric cars prices have fallen in average by 4 percent in 2025 due to...

According to documents released by the Chinese government on Thursday, China will reduce its carbon intensity - or carbon emissions per unit gross domestic product - by 17% in its current five year plan. This is an acceleration of the previous period between 2020 and '2025. China's new five-year plan released on Thursday called for the replacement of 30 million metric tonnes per year with renewables, and pushing towards peak coal. However, it did not set further limits on coal use. China's carbon intensity was reduced by 12% during the five-year plan which ended last year. According to a report...

T&E, a campaign group for transport and the environment, said in a report on Monday that scaling up production in Europe would reduce the 'cost gap' between EU-made and Chinese batteries to 30%, down from the current 90%. The group urged the EU, through its "Made in Europe", plans, to support this sector. The EU executive will propose its "Industrial Accelerator Act", which requires that local products be given priority when using public funds. It is intended to cover "key sectors" such as batteries, solar, wind, hydrogen manufacturing, nuclear power, and electric vehicles. Some automakers claim that local content requirements...

South Korean shares have surged by 50% in the first two month of 2026, and other emerging markets are also showing double-digit gains. Even the most ardent EM bulls must wonder if this raging?rally will continue. South Korea's figures are stunning. The benchmark KOSPI has more than doubled over the past six months and is now up 175% since the "Liberation Day tariff chaos" of U.S. President Donald Trump in April last year. This is after a 75% increase in the calendar year 2025. Shares of Samsung, the top memory chipmaker in the world, almost doubled this year and more...

Tata Motors' CEO stated that the company is confident its new, low-priced 'Punch EV' will be able to crack the 'dominant budget segment' of the third largest 'car'market in the world for electric vehicles. Approximately 65% of India's 4.6 million passenger cars sold last year had a price below $13,200. Just 1.6% of the affordable cars sold in India last year were EVs. In India, there are currently only a few EVs in the lower-price range. Shailesh C. Chandra, a reporter at the Reuters news agency, said that buyers are held back by concerns about their battery life and range...

Traders reported that the cyclone which hit Madagascar this week has stopped 'production' at Ambatovy Cobalt and Nickel Miner. They added that a prolonged outage could increase prices for battery materials. Ambatovy is owned by the Japanese trading house Sumitomo Corp and the state-owned Korea Mine Rehabilitation and Mineral Resources Corporation. In 2024, it will produce?around 28,000. metric tons nickel and 2,500 tons cobalt. Exports are likely to be disrupted, as Madagascar's principal port Toamasina has been?hit severely. Ambatovy & Sumitomo didn't?respond to requests for comment. Ambatovy produces Nickel and Cobalt Briquettes that are easily crushed to small particles, and...

The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday released interim rules to enforce provisions in President Donald Trump's tax law which restrict companies from claiming federal clean energy subsidies if they are too reliant on Chinese made?equipment. Since the passage of Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July last year, solar and wind developers, as well as factory owners, have been anxiously waiting for this?guidance. It applies to lucrative tax incentives for clean energy manufacturing, and electricity generation. The law has accelerated expiration dates for many clean energy tax credits from the Biden era and introduced complex requirements to reduce U.S....