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Chinese refinery crude oil throughput has reached its highest level ever, with total processed volumes up 12.0% in the first five months of this year compared to 2020, and up 10.9% from the same period in 2019.
In the first seven months of the year Chinese coal imports from Australia have totalled just 780,000 tonnes as Chinese restrictions on Australian coal have started to hurt, according to Oceanbolt.
Reaching 116.1 million tonnes, Chinese refineries’ output hit a new high for the first two months of the year. Increases in exports and domestic transportation demand, following higher export quotas and the lifting of COVID restrictions, are driving growth.
The closure of the Colonial pipeline which runs from the US Gulf to the US East Coast, has caused a spike in oil product tanker rates on trades to and from the region.
Immediately following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, crude oil prices increased on fears of supply disruption. In less than two weeks, Brent prices rose from USD 97/barrel to USD 128/barrel. Since then, Brent prices have consistently been above USD 100 and above USD 110 since mid-May. On 5 July, Brent dropped to USD 102.77 and WTI ended at USD 99.50. Some analysts now predict even lower prices before the end of the year.
“Fill her up son, unleaded; I need a full tank of gas where I'm headed,” former Police-front man, Sting, sang back in 1999 on his solo album: “Brand New Day”. This country-inspired song could be the anthem for what is coming around next week, as Monday 31 May is Memorial Day in the US; the day that kicks off “the US driving season”.
On 22 July, Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement to allow grain exports from three ports in Ukraine during a period of 120 days. On 7 September, Putin expressed concerns over the agreement, giving rise to uncertainty about its scope and renewal.
US manufacturing of durable goods, which has been lagging the wider recovery of the US economy, hit an all-time high in June when USD 270.5 billion worth of goods was produced.
Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea, coupled with a rise in piracy off the coast of Somalia, are disrupting global trade. In 2023 an estimated 13% of global seaborne trade transited through these areas. However, the attacks have reduced the number of ships transiting the area by 50%.
Many agricultural trades have been exceptionally strong in 2021 and several grain types have experienced record high exports. US corn exports are no exception.
