The mainstream news media has already figured out that the Trump administration's proposed tariffs on imported copper of 50 percent would dramatically hike copper prices for American industry and raise the price of products containing copper for consumers, which is just about everything electrical. The reason is simple; The United States is a net importer of 45 percent of its copper needs according the U.S. Geological Survey. All right, you may say, so there will be some short-term pain until the United States develops enough new copper mining…

Via Metal Miner The Stainless Monthly Metals Index (MMI) moved sideways, but the downside bias continued. Overall, the index fell 0.9% from June to July. Meanwhile, nickel prices continued their slow slide downward. Mill Price Hikes Hold June brought in a wave of price hikes from U.S. mills. NAS led the market, issuing possibly its largest ever increase in one single announcement. This was quickly followed by ATI and Outokumpu, which seemingly reinforced NAS’s move. While buyers with negotiated contracts have thus far been spared from the…

Freight rates for Russian Urals crude from Baltic ports to India have dipped again in July, falling to $5.0–$5.3 million per Aframax shipment—down from $5.5–$5.7 million in June—as more tankers become available. But traders warn: don’t get too comfortable. A new round of EU sanctions and a pending statement from Donald Trump could send rates—and risks—right back up. The drop in shipping costs reflects a brief window of flexibility. With Urals crude still priced under the $60 per barrel price cap, Western…

The world needs $18.2 trillion in oil and gas investments through 2050 to ensure energy supply by the middle of the century, OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais has told Energy Connects in an exclusive interview. Oil demand is set to continue rising through 2050, with consumption expected at 123 million barrels per day (bpd) then, up from about 104 million bpd this year, according to OPEC’s annual World Oil Outlook (WOO) released last week. Oil is still expected to account for 30% of the global energy mix in 2050, according to OPEC’s…

The broad view of the US President Donald Trump’s first administration as exclusively told to OilPrice.com at the time by a senior legal figure in that team was: “We’re not going to put up with any more crap from the Saudis.” That comment came after Saudi Arabia had yet again started another oil price war in early 2020 designed to cripple or destroy U.S. shale producers by dramatically increasing oil production to crash oil prices. It was exactly the same strategy it had used in the 2014-2016 Oil Price War, which had abjectly…

Occidental Petroleum Corporation expects its oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico for the second to have been lower than previously guided due to curtailments, while lower oil prices reduced realizations from sales. Ahead of the full Q2 earnings release on August 7, Oxy said in an SEC filing on Monday that its oil and gas output from the Gulf of Mexico – or as many oil firms are now calling it the Gulf of America – is estimated at around 125,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd). “Occidental’s Gulf of America…

The recent flare-up between Israel and Iran, followed by U.S. military engagement and a tenuous ceasefire, has once again exposed just how fragile the geopolitical architecture of global energy truly is. While open conflict has temporarily de-escalated, this latest episode shows that the risk of broader regional disruption remains very real. At the center of it all lies the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow maritime corridor through which a fifth of the world’s oil and a third of its LNG passes each day. Even in the absence of a full-scale blockade,…

Indonesia will buy billions of U.S. dollars worth of American oil and oil products if the U.S. tariffs on Indonesian goods are lowered, Indonesia’s Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said on Monday. Indonesia could scrap plans to import energy commodities from the United States if the Trump Administration refuses to lower tariffs on Indonesian goods, Indonesian media reported. “If there’s no agreement, then there’s no deal. We’ll wait for the official decision from the chief economic minister,” Jakarta Globe quoted…

US President Donald Trump has pledged to send additional Patriot air-defense systems to Ukraine, a policy shift coinciding with what he promised would be a "major statement" regarding Washington's approach to Russia. In comments late on July 13, Trump did not provide specifics on the planned Patriot deliveries to Kyiv -- which has long pleaded for the systems it sees as crucial to defending its cities from Russian air strikes, which Moscow has ramped up in recent weeks. He also criticized Vladimir Putin, the latest in a series of negative remarks…

The U.S. Department of Energy has authorized the exchange of up to 1 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to ease the crude shortage at Exxon’s refinery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after quality issues with the Mars crude grade emerged last week. DOE has authorized an exchange from the SPR with ExxonMobil Corporation “to address logistical challenges impacting crude oil deliveries to the company’s Baton Rouge refinery.” U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright authorized this action to help maintain a stable…

The U.S. Department of Energy has authorized the exchange of up to 1 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to ease the crude shortage at Exxon’s refinery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after quality issues with the Mars crude grade emerged last week. DOE has authorized an exchange from the SPR with ExxonMobil Corporation “to address logistical challenges impacting crude oil deliveries to the company’s Baton Rouge refinery.” U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright authorized this action to help maintain a stable…

Surging domestic coal production and weaker demand resulted in China’s lowest volumes of coal imports in June for nearly two and a half years. China imported last month a total of 33.04 million metric tons of coal, down by 26% from a year earlier and down by 8% compared to May, according to data from the General Administration of Customs cited by Reuters. Chinese imports in June 2025 were at their lowest level since February 2023, the data showed on Monday. Coal imports dipped by 11% in the first half of the year from the same period of 2024,…

Crude oil markets have turned out to be tighter than most analysts appeared to expect, and are ready to absorb OPEC+’s higher-than-forecast supply boost next month. For proof, look no further than oil prices after the latest OPEC+ announcement that took traders and analysts by surprise. On Monday, after OPEC+ said it would add more than half a million barrels daily to its combined output, Brent crude was trading at around $68 per barrel. Later in the week, it spiked to over $70 per barrel before retreating to end the week with a modest gain.…

China’s 2024 ban on exports of critical minerals antimony, gallium and germanium to the U.S. sent prices soaring nearly 50% in a matter of days. It was a retaliatory move following Washington's crackdown on the country’s chip sector. But there are always loopholes, and new reports now reveal how Chinese traders are circumventing the ban by re-routing U.S. shipments through third countries.  According to U.S. customs data, the U.S. imported 3,834 metric tons of antimony from Mexico and Thailand in the first four months following…

To meet the rising demand for energy and the increase in global renewable energy capacity, there is a clear need to expand critical mineral mining activities. Mining for metals and minerals, such as cobalt, copper, and lithium, has increased significantly in recent years and is expected to keep rising in line with the growing global demand. Although this has been widely supported by governments aiming to accelerate a green transition, some environmentalists and community groups are not so enthusiastic about the mining activities, which they are…

I came across a fascinating article on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty about the so-called Pentagon Pizza Index, a quirky theory suggesting that surges in late-night pizza deliveries to the Pentagon signal major geopolitical events. Ashamedly, I have to admit, it was my first time hearing about this indicator. Intrigued by the idea that something as ordinary as pizza orders could hint at global crises, I dug deeper into historical examples and other unconventional indicators. What I found is a pattern that’s hard to dismiss, blending open-source…

The world’s solar power capacity has risen dramatically in recent years, as governments have invested in a green transition and energy companies have taken advantage of favourable renewable energy policies. In addition to the growth in utility-scale solar power, more households across a wide range of countries have invested in solar panels. In line with the increase in demand, solar companies have started to offer a wider range of panels, suitable for non-conventional spaces, to provide more consumers with solar power. The silicon photovoltaic…

Brazil has become the latest target of U.S. President Donald Trump’s ire after the Republican frontrunner threatened 50% tariffs on the South American giant for allegedly persecuting right-wing ex-president Jair Bolsonaro. In a post on Truth Social, Trump called on Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to halt what he described as a “Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!” Bolsonaro is currently on trial for allegedly attempting to overturn the results of the 2022 election. Tensions have escalated. Lula has promised…

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the European Union has been working to decrease its dependence on Russian energy. The EU responded to Russia’s invasion by introducing sanctions on a range of energy products, including oil and gas, which it has gradually strengthened over the last three years as the region has reduced its reliance on Russian energy. Now, the EU and several energy experts believe that Europe will not need to go back to using Russian gas in the future, having successfully strengthened and diversified…

Iron ore futures in Singapore surged toward $100 a ton — the highest since May — fueled by renewed pledges from the Chinese government to curb overcapacity in key industrial sectors. Beijing's comments have boosted sentiment across ferrous markets.  Singapore futures jumped as much as 3.6% during the session, marking the largest daily gain since September. Iron ore futures have traded in a tight range between $90 and $110 a ton for more than 18 months. Futures on the Dalian Exchange — which are more influenced by the Chinese…