Commodities

Police in Indonesia take up positions on Jan. 16, two days after deadly violence at a nickel smelting plant on the island of Sulawesi. The country hopes its vast reserves of the metal can help it build a domestic electric vehicle industry.
Politics

Violence at Chinese-owned nickel smelter in Indonesia raises alarm

Analysts say government, company action on labor is essential to prevent spread

24 January 2023
A liquefied natural gas terminal owned by China's ENN Group in Zhejiang province near Shanghai.
Energy

China tightens grip as dominant LNG buyer with long-term deals

Sinopec leads way with Chinese companies locking in 40% of recent contracts

24 January 2023
Expectations for Australia's wheat crop remain high despite concern about heavy rain during harvest season.
Commodities

Australia's bumper wheat crop cuts prices for hungry Asian markets

Imports by top consumer China more than double as shipping jam eases

21 January 2023
A bucket wheel reclaimer collects iron ore at a BHP loading facility in Western Australia.
Commodities

BHP logs record iron ore output, expects China to be 'stabilizing' force

2023 demand to have help from Beijing's pro-growth measures, company says

20 January 2023
Rare-earth ore is displayed at Vital Metals in the Canadian city of Saskatoon during a recent visit by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Interview

Canada can help cut reliance on China for critical metals: minister

Like-minded nations should work together on processing, Jonathan Wilkinson says

20 January 2023
Employees grab carbonate lithium processed at an Argentine plant in 2021. Prices for the mineral are falling after dozens of Chinese companies scrambled to get a piece of the booming market in 2022.
Caixin

Lithium price tops out as China EV sales slow

Analysts forecast raw material and battery supply gluts

19 January 2023
Olam last year sold a 35.4% stake in its agribusiness arm to Saudi Agricultural & Livestock Investment, which had valued Olam Agri at $3.5 billion.
Commodities

Olam plans Singapore, Saudi Arabia dual IPO of agricultural arm

Temasek-backed commodity trader hopes to list subsidiary in first half of 2023

10 January 2023
China's economic recovery from COVID restrictions and U.S. interest rate policy and the desire of some countries to control key resources are likely to set the tone in commodity markets this year. (Source photos by Getty Images, Kyodo and Reuters) 
Market Spotlight

China's opening and U.S. rates to stir commodity markets in 2023

From oil to gold, prices likely to ease from historic highs seen in 2022

9 January 2023
Daniel Yergin, vice chairman of S&P Global, is known as a leading authority on energy markets. (Source photo by Reuters) 
Energy

Energy guru Yergin deems interest rate changes key in 2023

'Year of central bankers' to come amid war, energy crisis, China concerns

3 January 2023
Mitsubishi Corp. CEO Katsuya Nakanishi spoke recently with Nikkei about global challenges in the energy sector. (Photo by Yukinori Okamura)
Interview

Mitsubishi Corp. dives deeper into renewables with eye on 2050

CEO Nakanishi calls raising Japan's energy self-sufficiency a top priority

2 January 2023
A rice farmer gestures in Khon Kaen, Thailand. The country has strict regulations against importing foreign strains of rice, but industry insiders say Vietnamese seeds are finding their way in.  
Commodities

Vietnamese rice in Thailand's fields poses growing problem

Alien strains help farmers meet demand at low cost but dent national brand

1 January 2023
Workers load fresh bunches of palm oil fruits for transportation to a factory.
Commodities

Indonesia to tighten palm oil exports from Jan. 1 to ensure supply

Exporters to be allowed to ship six times their domestic sales volume

30 December 2022
The coal terminal at the Chinese port of Lianyungang on Dec. 21: This year's coal backstop should not become a barrier to fast-tracking the adoption of low-carbon energy alternatives.
Opinion

2023 outlook: Asia should cement tactical gains in energy security

Region needs to update long-term road map for viable decarbonization

28 December 2022
Mitsui & Co. and Rio Tinto team up to accelerate decarbonization across the raw material supply chain.
Commodities

Mitsui & Co., Rio Tinto team to clean up raw material supply chain

With EU carbon tax on way, partners go to work in emission-intensive sectors

28 December 2022
An LNG carrier docks at a Tokyo-area power plant. Australia and the Middle East together supply around half of Japan's LNG imports, while Russia accounts for just under 10%. (Photo by Shinya Sawai)
Energy

Japan's Inpex to buy 1m tonnes a year of U.S. LNG

Shipments under 20-year contract to begin in 2027 from Louisiana's CP2 terminal

28 December 2022
The Mihama nuclear plant, operated by Kansai Electric Power in the Japanese town of Mihama, Fukui prefecture, has been running for more than 40 years. 
The Nikkei View

Japan must clearly explain its energy policy switch

Distrust of nuclear power remains strong after Fukushima disaster

27 December 2022
The region's best-known high-tech sector stocks faced significant downturns due to tighter monetary policies and projected economic slowdown. (Nikkei montage/AP/Koji Uema)
Market Spotlight

Inflation, monetary tightening sway Asian markets in 2022

Singapore dollar, Indian stocks show resilience in 'torrid time'

26 December 2022
Research work to extract resources in the Minami-Torishima area is underway under the Cabinet Office's Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program. Researchers succeeded in pumping up deposits from a 2,470-meter-deep seabed in a period from August to September.
Commodities

Japan to begin extracting rare earth metals from seabed in 2024

Program a part of effort to wean the country off its reliance on Chinese imports

24 December 2022
China's steel exports have ramped up amid sluggish domestic demand.
Commodities

Asian plastic and steel prices tumble as exports surge from China

Chinese slump creates supply glut throughout region

24 December 2022
A port in Pomala, Southeast Sulawesi province, Indonesia: The Southeast Asian nation will ban exports of the primary source of aluminum in June.
Commodities

Indonesia's Jokowi bans bauxite exports from June, China likely hurt

Move comes despite country's defeat to EU on nickel restrictions

21 December 2022
Nissan will use Kobe Steel products in domestic car brands to tackle carbon dioxide emissions in its supply chain. Kobe Steel Group uses Kobelco as its unified brand name. (Source photos by Reuters and Shihoko Nakaoka) 
Automobiles

Nissan to use 'green' metals from Kobe Steel in domestic cars

Japanese automaker aims to tackle supply-chain emissions

19 December 2022
Construction in Shanghai: A recovery in China's slumping property market and other sectors could fuel global inflation.
Inflation

China's reopening from COVID raises specter of new inflation

Virus fight continues but analysts expect soaring demand for resources

19 December 2022
The world's coal consumption is set to top 8 billion tonnes for the first time this year, breaking the previous record set in 2013, the International Energy Agency said on Dec. 16.
Energy

Coal use set to hit all-time high in 2022 amid energy crisis: IEA

Ukraine war, high natural gas prices drive demand; renewable use also up

16 December 2022
Workers load wheat at a wholesale market in New Delhi: The imposition of restrictions covering the majority of India's grain exports was irresponsible and futile.
Opinion

India's ban on rice and wheat exports has been a failure

Grain prices have soared, but New Delhi is at last changing course

9 December 2022
A crude oil tanker is anchored at a terminal near the Russian port of Nakhodka on Dec. 4. Pakistan is poised to import oil from Russia by sea.
International relations

Pakistan to buy discounted Russian oil to ease economic pains

Experts downplay worries over irking U.S., Islamabad faces long wait for LNG

9 December 2022