Supply chains spotlight

How supply chain disruptions and changing trade flows are impacting commodity markets

The complexities and opacity of global supply chains impact all commodity markets. The drive towards a low-carbon, sustainable future is giving rise to a new generation of markets with vastly different supply chains that pose new challenges and opportunities for all market participants.

We’ve seen not only how labor shortages due to the Covid-19 pandemic have affected the global production and distribution of metals and mining as well as forest products, but also how Russia’s war on Ukraine has vastly altered the movement of grains and oilseeds.

For new generation energy markets, recent policy changes and new regulations on the nearshoring of battery materials are adding a new layer of complexity to this supply chain.

If you’re interested in talking to us about how our insights and intelligence can help you create supply chain efficiency and transparency, get in contact today.

Read the latest news and analysis on supply chain issues

Discover how geopolitical factors influence the supply chain and the energy transition in our interview with Trafigura CEO, Jeremy Weir

German chemical producer BASF announced on Monday June 24 that it will exit a $2.6 billion investment in a nickel-cobalt refining project in Weda Bay, Indonesia due to significant changes in the nickel market since the inception of the project

A low-carbon world will still need steel that can satisfy the diverse demands of a variety of downstream sectors, Frederik Leus, of ArcelorMittal’s Xcarb Business Development section, said in an address to Fastmarkets’ International Iron Ore and Green Steel Summit, being held in Vienna, Austria, on June 25

Europe’s nascent synthetic graphite sector faces a double threat with China’s overcapacity persisting and US legislation embracing protectionism at the expense of a level playing field, according to the head of a forthcoming anode material producer in Europe

Tight aluminium scrap availability, the increase in container costs, sluggish demand in the US and the US market’s current indifference to rising premiums in Europe and Asia were the top subjects discussed during the Harbor Aluminum Summit that took place in Chicago on June 4-6

A number of hurdles are still hindering the development of a Western battery supply chain, despite support from the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), according to Kevin Chan, US-based spodumene and lithium producer Albemarle’s vice president of the Asia Pacific region

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