OPIS Talks

OPIS TALKS COAL, METALS & MINING: In this Tariff Talk episode of OPIS Talks, James Stevenson and Charles Dayton discuss why crude markets may be understating real geopolitical risk, with a focus on flows through the Strait of Hormuz and the vulnerability of the Bab el-Mandeb as an alternate outlet for Middle Eastern supply. They also examine what a weaker Japanese yen could mean for global deb...

OPIS TALKS COAL, METALS & MINING: In this Tariff Talk episode of OPIS Talks, James Stevenson and Charles Dayton examine the latest US-Iran memorandum of understanding and why any reopening of the Strait is unlikely to bring an immediate return to normal energy flows. They discuss why the market may be underestimating the time, cost and logistical hurdles involved in restoring crude, LNG and re...

OPIS TALKS REFINED FUEL: The global shipping and freight landscape has undergone a chaotic transformation as an ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran completely scrambles global product flows. In the episode of OPIS Talks, the first of a limited series on refined spot products, Reagan Pritchard, OPIS lead editor for the U.S. Gulf Coast Distillates Market, joins Tom Sosnowski, associate direct...

OPIS TALKS COAL, METALS & MINING: In this latest Tariff Talk Charles and James focus — again — on Iran. We talk about how the situation might play out and why a deal is so hard to come by. We discuss risks stemming from the Iran situation, and particularly focus on diesel. We also talk about how some miners — notably those in Indonesia where James just visited — are reacting to the current sit...

OPIS TALKS COAL, METALS & MINING: Charles Dayton and James Stevenson discuss the ongoing war in the Middle East. They discuss likely timeframes for its duration, and what its commodity impacts are. We focus on impacts on LNG, and flow-through impacts on coal demand. And we close with some discussion of some of the larger Iranian strategies in the war, such as weakening the petrodollar. Have qu...

OPIS TALKS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMODITIES: Humberto J. Rocha sits down with senior markets editor Henry Kronk to unpack CORSIA — the UN-backed scheme pushing airlines to limit growth in emissions through sustainable aviation fuel and carbon credit retirements. Henry walks us through the tightening supply of CORSIA-eligible credits, the process and politics of credit authorization under the Paris Agreem...

OPIS TALKS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMODITIES: Humberto J. Rocha sits down with Svenja Telle, CEO of Denominator, to explore the work involved in building the infrastructure behind credible carbon data. Svenja walks us through Denominator’s five-stage AI pipeline, how it's used in real-world deployments — from Middle East CCS to Latin American green ammonia — and why machine-verifiable carbon accounting is...

OPIS TALKS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMODITIES: In this episode of OPIS Talks, host Humberto J. Rocha sits down with Guadalupe Ruiz, Principal Carbon Markets Analyst at Dow Jones, to unpack the dramatic shifts in European carbon markets over the past year. Guadalupe breaks down the three major trends that shaped EU carbon allowance (EUA) prices in 2025: the evolving relationship between natural gas and carb...

OPIS TALKS RENEWABLES: Jordan Godwin, Director of Renewable Fuels Pricing and News at OPIS, chat with Fred Ghatala, President of Advanced Biofuels Canada, to unpack the seismic shifts happening in Canadian biofuels policy. With the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act's 45Z tax credit threatening domestic production, Canada is responding with bold amendments to its Clean Fuel Regulations, including potent...

OPIS TALKS COAL, METALS & MINING: James Stevenson and Charles Dayton discuss the recent Supreme Court ruling that struck down Trump's tariffs under IEEPA, exploring alternative tariff mechanisms like Section 122 and Section 301. They examine concerning trends in US economic data, including substantial downward revisions to job creation numbers and questionable inflation calculations that may n...

OPIS TALKS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMODITIES: Humberto J. Rocha interviews Vikki Patton and Dan Rockefeller from Ramboll. Ramboll recently released its European Biodiversity Metric, a habitats-based biodiversity metric specifically designed for the continent. The conversation explores how Ramboll developed this latest metric, the role of policy and voluntary action, and how companies are already using the...

OPIS TALKS CHEMICALS: Joe McCabe, President & CEO of Autoforecast Solutions LLC, talks to Mariana Santos Moreira, Thought Leadership Director for Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS, about the mixed signals emerging in global EV adoption. They explore whether recent policy shifts point to a genuine slowdown or a temporary pause, the growing role of plug-in hybrids in future forecasts, and how Ch...

OPIS TALKS CHEMICALS: In this episode of OPIS Talks, Mark Plamondon, Executive Director of Alberta’s Industrial Heartland Association, talks to Mariana Santos Moreira, Thought Leadership Director for Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS about Canada’s emerging role in the next phase of the global energy and chemicals industry. They discuss the investment pull of large-scale CCUS, how companies can na...

OPIS TALKS COAL, METALS & MINING: James Stevenson and Ranjana von Wendland explore a rapidly shifting global landscape for the coal and coke markets. With the Indian government replacing quantitative restrictions on coke imports with anti-dumping duties, and political developments in Venezuela creating ripple effects across Latin America, the Colombian industry is facing a period of significan...

OPIS TALKS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMODITIES: As the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) enters its definitive phase in 2026, market participants face a new era of carbon accountability. In this episode of OPIS Talks, host Humberto Juarez Rocha is joined by McCloskey steel and sustainability journalist Benjamin Steven to unpack what CBAM really means for steel producers, importers, and traders....

OPIS TALKS DOWNSTREAM: Is the era of the "street sign discount" over? As fuel volumes dip and consumer budgets tighten, the strategy for winning market share has moved from the totem to the smartphone. In this episode, Dr. Thomas Weinandy (Principal Research Economist at Upside) explores why personalized offers now significantly outperform traditional price cuts in driving consumer behavior. He na...

OPIS TALKS DOWNSTREAM FUELING: Anyone who has worked beside Scott Berhang, had him speak at an event, listened to his fuel buying training, or has had a good old-fashioned conversation with him understands his deep knowledge of the fuel industry. From his OPIS roots to his current role as CEO at SIGMA, Scott dishes about customer relationships, benchmarks, price transparency and education - a topi...

OPIS TALKS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMODITIES: Learn about Brazil’s newly established carbon market and how the country plans to integrate carbon credits under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Aloisio Melo, Brazil’s National Secretary for Climate Change, chats with OPIS Senior Editor Humberto J. Rocha about Brazil’s path toward decarbonization, its unique renewable energy profile, and the nation’s role as...

OPIS TALKS METALS: South Africa’s chrome and manganese ore sectors are at a historic inflection point. With President Cyril Ramaphosa announcing plans for export tariffs on both minerals, questions are mounting across the mining and global ferro alloys industry, which is dependent on South Africa for its ores. Will the proposed duty help rebuild domestic smelting capacity or risk undermining one o...

OPIS TALKS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMODITIES: In this episode, Humberto Juarez Rocha, OPIS senior editor for carbon and biodiversity, sits down with Mark Lewis—one of the first full-time carbon analysts in London and a longtime observer of carbon markets—to unpack the evolving dynamics of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). They explore: Why EU Allowance prices may be on the cusp of a bullish breako...

OPIS TALKS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMODITIES: Learn about the emerging world of water credits and their role in the broader nature-based solutions markets of water, soil, carbon, and biodiversity. Daniel Sanchez, market maker at Nat5, talks to Humberto Juarez Rocha, OPIS senior editor for carbon and biodiversity, about how Nat5 is helping shape a future for voluntary water markets, corporate water steward...

OPIS TALKS PETROCHEMICALS: In this episode of OPIS Talks, plastics recycling expert John Jungjohann joins Xavier Cronin, senior editor of the OPIS Global Recycled Plastics Report, to dig into the key challenges around plastic recycling. They explore common misconceptions among consumers, especially the complications caused by contamination and mixed plastic types. The conversation touches on the U...

OPIS TALKS STEEL: How are pressure from U.S. tariffs and a surge in Chinese imports causing a shift in the Latin American steel industry's landscape? Could intensifying geopolitical tensions and wars in the Middle East impact Latin American steel? What is the economic outlook for Latin American steel? Are there efforts by regional steelmakers to reduce carbon emissions? In this episode of OPIS Tal...

OPIS TALKS CHEMICALS: Why has an industry that poured over a trillion dollars into new capacity over the past 25 years now shutting plants, slashing capex, and hunting for merger partners? In this episode of OPIS Talks, you’ll hear from Cornelia Schirber, VP, Consulting, for Chemical Market Analytics; Chuck Carr, VP, Consulting, for Chemical Market Analytics; and Tzyy Lok, Executive Director, Cons...

OPIS TALKS DOWNSTREAM FUELING: How are convenience stores adapting to evolving consumer behavior and the changing landscape of transportation fuels? How do broader economic conditions and consumer spending habits impact the performance of the energy retail sector? How has a convenience store giant achieved impressive same-store sales growth despite overall gasoline demand headwinds? In this episod...