Commodities Focus

From Australian crop prospects and India's planting season to Argentina's export potential and Black Sea shipping disruptions, global wheat markets are entering a critical period. El Niño remains a major weather risk, while ongoing export constraints in the Black Sea continue to affect global supply chains and price relationships. In this episode, Rohan Somwanshi, managing editor, Global Agricultu...

African swine fever is adding fresh uncertainty to Spain's pork market, reshaping trade flows and influencing feed buying decisions. As exporters navigate disease-related restrictions and changing global demand, feed buyers remain cautious and focused on short-term needs. In this episode, Agriculture Price Reporter Nanditha Kinavoor Madathil , Iara Lima , associate price reporter, agriculture, and...

The ongoing El Niño is reshaping global seafood markets by warming Pacific waters and disrupting rainfall, currents, and nutrient flows. Shrimp producers face disease risks, salinity fluctuations, flooding, drought, and elevated feed costs, which pressure output and margins. In Peru, warmer seas can push anchovy stocks deeper or farther offshore, curbing catches and fishmeal production. Reduced fi...

The next phase of food inflation may be determined as much by energy policy and geopolitics as by crop yields. In this episode of Platts Commodities Focus podcast, the S&P Global Energy news team explores the structural forces reshaping agricultural markets, from tightening global beef supplies and rising biofuel demand to trade tensions between Washington and Beijing and the growing threat of El...

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecast high chances of El Nino developing in 2026, potentially disrupting weather patterns worldwide. Renewed weather volatility driven by a strong El Nino is spotlighting supply security, price trends, and export flows across Asian rice markets. As demand for rice stays resilient, market participants are closely monitoring the risks from e...

Asian LNG markets are facing renewed pressure as the US–Iran conflict raises concerns over supply security and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. With the initial price shock now absorbed, the focus is shifting to the next phase of the crisis: how the supply-demand balance is evolving and which market signals will drive price direction. Join Jaime Wong , commodity associate, APAC LNG pricing,...

The Middle East imports the majority of the chicken it consumes, with Brazil the dominant origin and most cargo routed through the Strait of Hormuz to Gulf ports. When that route was effectively disrupted in early March 2026, the Platts CIF Middle East chicken breast assessment moved from $2,320 a tonne in early February to a peak of $3,150 by mid-April — a 36% increase over eight weeks, driven by...

India's emerging compliance carbon market under the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) is moving into its early implementation phase, with an intensity-based design that sets operational-level obligations for emission-intensive sectors. The scheme is expected to influence industrial planning, capital allocation, and trade competitiveness. The stakeholders need clarity on how the market will work...

India's corporate renewable energy market is entering a new phase. While International Renewable Energy Certificates still lead the way for buyers seeking flexibility, simplicity, and cost-effective compliance, larger corporates are increasingly exploring Virtual Power Purchase Agreements, financial contracts that allow procurement of renewable energy attributes without taking physical delivery of...

India has established a strong foothold in the emerging clean fuels industry, leveraging its low-cost renewable energy resources to position itself as a competitively priced producer of renewable hydrogen and ammonia for both domestic industrial use and large-scale exports to buyers seeking to secure future supplies of low-carbon fuels. However, recent geopolitical tensions, particularly in the Mi...

Global wheat prices have been rising since the Middle East war began in late February. Geopolitical tensions, higher fertilizer costs, and mounting weather risks in North America, and a potential El Niño in Australia are all in focus. At the same time, Black Sea new-crop wheat is competing with Australian origin in Asia, while strong crop prospects in the Middle East and North Africa are reshaping...

Copper TC/RCs have plunged 89% since January, hitting record lows as concentrate supply tightens and demand stays firm. At the same time, the Middle East war has driven sulfuric acid prices – an important by-product for copper production - up 156% since mid-March, supporting copper smelters to maintain production, and exposing copper's growing vulnerability to geopolitical shocks. Join Ruilin Wang...

Global beef prices are rising, with multiple record highs recorded for beef from Australia and Brazil, as well as in the US lean trimmings import market during the first quarter. Although strong US demand has supported the market, the global beef industry is facing challenges related to quotas and geopolitical risks. In this podcast, we will shed light on the increasing risks affecting the beef tr...

The Indian solar market has grown considerably over the past decade as the country continues to invest in its module and cell manufacturing capacities. However, the recent imposition of additional duties by the country's largest export market – the US – has restricted India's export opportunities. In response, the Indian solar industry is increasingly redirecting their efforts towards the domestic...

With one of the world's largest shares of renewables in its energy generation mix, Brazil offers opportunities for companies in the country seeking to reduce their emissions. In this episode, we discuss how the country has developed a large supply of International Renewable Energy Certificates, or I-RECs, and which challenges came with it.  Join Felipe Peroni , associate price reporter at S&P Glob...

For the first time since Platts began tracking these markets, frozen boneless chicken legs shipped to North Asia are priced higher than skinless boneless breast meat destined for the Middle East. This shift highlights changing demand and supply dynamics in the global poultry market. The podcast explores the impact of bird flu, supply chain disruptions, and how producers like Brazil are adapting to...

India's greenhouse gas emissions in the hard-to-abate and power sectors are expected to rise in the decades to come, necessitating an examination of strategies deployed for energy transition in these crucial segments. Though steps have been initiated to help reduce emissions, a bespoke, sector-specific decarbonization roadmap over a multi-year timeframe can help guide this journey. Join Amit Sharm...

Asian flows of MTBE to arbitrage markets in Europe and Latin America have come to an abrupt halt after the start of the US-Iran war. Through early 2026, Chinese MTBE producers were able to overcome muted blending demand around Singapore by pushing their production to hungry buyers in Europe as well as Latin America. With the European summer driving season on the horizon, Asian MTBE producers were...

In this episode of the Commodities Focus Podcast by S&P Global Energy, host Tina Allagh , lead specialist for nonferrous metals pricing, is joined by senior nonferrous price reporter Colleen Ferguson , metals news reporter Anthony Rizkala and principal aluminum analyst Karen Norton to review the key industry and pricing takeaways from the Miami symposium Feb. 1-3. How has the current macroeconomic...

The US import tariffs for shrimp are redefining cost structures and market access for major suppliers. As the American buyers restructure and rebalance their origin portfolio, major suppliers, India and Ecuador, are dealing with the domino effect. The podcast discusses how the tariff frictions could reorder global trade flows and influence farmgate pricing and stocking decisions in India and Ecuad...

The global demand for basmati rice has been rising, especially in the Middle East and the EU. As a result, the competition to sell this long-grain variety has intensified in recent years. The world's biggest Basmati suppliers -- India and Pakistan -- claim proprietary ownership over this long-grain Asian indica rice. In this podcast, we will shine some light on the fundamental issues in the basmat...

The energy landscape in Asia has been evolving in recent years. With a global push towards renewable energy, the longstanding dependence of many Asian countries on coal comes into the limelight. The discussions surround critical questions about whether these nations will be able to transition from primarily fossil fuel-based to a more clean-powered energy, especially at a time when major coal cons...

The first pause of triple-digit tariffs between the US and China prompted a container shipping surge. The second pause? Not so much. The US and China in May took a 90-day breather from triple-digit tariffs that largely halted container ship traffic between the world's two largest economies. Shippers and buyers raced to get Chinese goods on the water to the US during that window in a supply-driven...

The landscape of gasoline pricing and supply in Southeast Asia is evolving. The rising demand for low-sulfur blend stocks as Australia prepares for its transition, the effects of reduced non-oxygenated gasoline exports from India and Malaysia's upcoming subsidy increase for 95 RON gasoline--all these factors could influence regional demand, despite potential price inelasticity. In this podcast, Je...

Asia's used cooking oil (UCO) market is navigating an upheaval this year as the US, which once used to be the largest buyer, has removed incentives for imported biofuels. However, UCO's efficacy and commercial viability as a biofuel feedstock is keeping demand steady and prices at record highs. In this podcast, Iris Leung, associate price reporter, Vasu Tripathy, analyst, oils and fats markets joi...