Commodities

India, China and Turkey recorded large increases in the numbers of tankers bringing Russian oil. (Source photos by AP and Reuters)
Energy

China, India and Turkey to siphon more Russian oil ahead of EU ban

Extra crude finds eager Asian buyers for now but scale of future demand is uncertain

9 June 2022
Rio Tinto's iron ore business brings in around 60% of the miner's revenues. 
Commodities

Rio Tinto exec says price volatility is unlikely to settle down

Steel and mineral demand to stay strong as globe transitions to clean energy

4 June 2022
Russian Navy boat patrols the Mariupol Sea Port area in Mariupol, eastern Ukraine, on May 30: The battle for the Black Sea is a direct challenge to the global maritime order.
Opinion

Russia's blockade of the Black Sea demands a global response

Impact on food supply chains has the makings of an international crisis

2 June 2022
Japanese consumers will be grappling with higher prices for food and utilities from June 1. (Photo by Jun Takai)
Economy

Japan braces for further consumer price hikes starting June 1

From mayonnaise to gas, 8,000 items to cost more in 2022 amid stagnant wages

31 May 2022
Emirates Chief Commercial Officer Adnan Kazim says the carrier's "fuel-fare charge" is pushing ticket prices up.
Interview

Fuel prices 'way above' what airlines can manage: Emirates exec

Carriers impose surcharges as rising costs threaten recovery

30 May 2022
Wheat is loaded onto a bulk carrier at the port of Geelong in Victoria, Australia. Exporters are being thwarted by limited loading capacity at ports and high shipping costs.
Commodities

Australia's record wheat harvest is no fix for the global food crisis

Logistical challenges hold back exports as concerns grow over next year's crop

25 May 2022
Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses the World Gas Conference in Daegu, South Korea on May 24. (Screenshot from World Gas Conference Twitter account)
Energy

Ex-U. N. chief Ban Ki-moon urges no wavering on Russia sanctions

Tells global gas industry leaders curbs must stay despite higher energy prices

24 May 2022
A tanker loads LNG from the Sakhalin-2 project in the port of Prigorodnoye, Russia, in October 2021: The Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 projects account for about 9% of Japan's LNG imports.
Opinion

Japan is right to be prudent when it comes to Russian energy

Knee-jerk boycotts will only worsen global disruptions

24 May 2022
Gas meters are on display at the 26th International Oil Gas Refining and Petrochemical Exhibition 2022 held at the expo center in Tehran on May 14.
Energy

Iran-Russia friendship turns sour over gas rivalry

Cheap supply from Moscow lures Tehran's traditional customers

22 May 2022
China is encouraging coal mining companies to increase production as it seeks to revive a sluggish economy.
Energy

China pivots to boost coal output, putting climate goal at risk

Beijing prioritizes economy and energy security over lower emissions

21 May 2022
A tanker at Venture Global LNG's Calcasieu Pass terminal in Louisiana. American gas has become a hot commodity amid the war in Ukraine and the global economic recovery from COVID-19. (Photo by Ryosuke Hanafusa) 
Energy

Ukraine war fuels European and Asian scramble for U.S. LNG

Early bird buyers secure long-term contracts at double the pace of last year

20 May 2022
JX Nippon’s smelting business has been struggling with low profitability in recent years due to the rise of bigger Chinese rivals.
Business deals

Eneos unit to sell South Korea copper smelter stake for $730m

Proceeds will be used to ramp up investment in advanced chip materials

19 May 2022
Saudi Arabia accounted for about 18% of Thailand's crude oil imports in value terms for 2021.
Commodities

Saudi Aramco boosts oil exports to Thailand in PTT deal

Energy giants also look to partner on hydrogen and other green tech

14 May 2022
A man rests while waiting in a line to buy diesel in Colombo on April 7: Europe's frenzied efforts to secure alternative sources spells trouble for importing states with lower-paying power such as cash-strapped Sri Lanka.
Opinion

European scramble for energy comes at Asia's expense

EU moves to wean itself off Russian oil and gas is creating a self-defeating trap

13 May 2022
A Russian tanker delivers oil to Norway in April. The European Union announced a proposed ban on Russian oil imports last week.
Trade

Russian oil tankers turn to stealth shipments under sanctions

Ship data shows sharp rise in crude with no set destination

12 May 2022
Despite strong earnings, executives with Japanese trading companies are cautious due to the Ukraine-Russia war. (Source photos by Kai Fujii, Reuters and Sakhalin Energy/Jiji)
Commodities

Commodity price surge lifts profits at Mitsubishi, Itochu

Executives at big Japanese trading houses cagey on Russia operations

10 May 2022
Workers handle palm oil fruit at a plantation in Malaysia.
Commodities

Malaysia palm oil output, exports up 30% by year-end, minister says

Production set to climb as return of overseas workers eases labor crunch

10 May 2022
Workers walk through an aluminum ingots depot in Wuxi, a city near Shanghai.
Commodities

Ukraine war turns China into net exporter of aluminum

Shortage of metal in Europe creates global arbitrage opportunity

10 May 2022
A slump in cotton production has spurred top exporter India to suspend import duties and consider an export ban.
Commodities

Cotton prices hit 11-year high on possible India export ban

Drought in U.S. threatens yields even as demand recovers

10 May 2022
A volatile exchange rate is just one uncertainty Japanese automakers will likely have to contend with in the year ahead. (Source photos by Koji Uema and Yasuaki Sako)
Automobiles

Extreme uncertainty: What the year holds for Toyota, Nissan and Honda

Japan's automakers face volatile yen, soaring costs and more supply chain woes

8 May 2022
A wheat farmer in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh: The country has endured unusual heat waves around harvest time.
International relations

India downplays wheat export worries as heat waves threaten yields

Delhi says it won't curb shipments amid supply disruptions caused by Ukraine war

7 May 2022
PetroChina says it does not plan to snap up cheap Russian oil.
Energy

PetroChina has no plan to buy extra Russian fuel at discount: CFO

State oil producer says Moscow sanctions affecting dollar and euro payments

7 May 2022
The OPEC+ alliance is expected to ratify plans for a production increase for June of 430,000 barrels a day. (Source photos by AP and Reuters) 
Commodities

OPEC offers Europe little hope of quitting Russian oil

Cartel set to keep policy of only modest production increases at meeting

5 May 2022
Indonesia is aiming to utilize geothermal energy as it attempts to reduce its reliance on coal. (Photo by Erwida Maulia) 
Commodities

Indonesia's Pertamina to double down on geothermal energy

Oil company taps binary technology as part of $8.3bn renewables push

29 April 2022
Half the oil Japan imports from Russia comes from the Sakhalin-1 project. (Photo courtesy of Exxon Neftegas via Kyodo)
Ukraine war

Exxon downsizes staff as it prepares to exit Russia's Sakhalin-1

Oil giant starts cutting production as it declares force majeure

29 April 2022