Already elevated rice prices in Bangladesh may rise further as severe floods affect crops and distribution nationwide. 
Commodities

Thai rice prices hit two-month peak, Bangladesh hit by floods

With Indian rice no longer significantly cheaper, buyers seek other options

29 August 2024
India lowered import tariffs on gold and other metals from 15% to 6% in July.
Commodities

Gold buying soars on India tax reforms as prices near record high

Central banks in emerging markets also increase purchases on geopolitical concerns

29 August 2024
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Automobiles

Canada to impose 100% tariff on Chinese EVs, following U.S. lead

Trudeau says Beijing 'is not playing by same rules'; China calls move 'protectionist'

27 August 2024
Oil pump jacks outside Almetyevsk in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, in June 2023. Figures from the Middle East suggest Shanghai Petrochem now sources 10% of its crude from Russia.
Commodities

Shanghai Petrochem reveals more Russia oil buying as Li Qiang visits

Executive stresses 'price' is key; Chinese premier cements economic ties with Putin

22 August 2024
The Hong Kong Exchange logged a 3% decline in first-half profit although the second quarter showed more promise. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Markets

Hong Kong Exchange's first-half profit sinks amid weak market sentiment

New CEO Bonnie Chan describes results as 'robust' but concedes outlook uncertain

21 August 2024
Wagons filled with iron ore enter Rio Tinto's railyard near Karratha, 1,250 kilometers northeast of Perth, Australia, on Oct. 20, 2023. Australia shipped $138 billion of iron ore in the year through June.
Commodities

Australia warns of $2bn budget hole as iron ore slumps on China woes

Concerns elevated after bleak outlook from largest steelmaker

19 August 2024
Coffee prices have been soaring in recent months, with London futures for robusta coffee beans reaching a historic high in July. (Source photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Market Spotlight

Coffee prices volatile on climate, shipping crunch, forest regulation

Unpredictable weather will increase cost of production in the long run

19 August 2024
A general view of Mes Aynak valley is seen some 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan.
Commodities

Taliban and Chinese partner restart copper project, reigniting worries

Pollution of nearby area, destruction of relics feared in Mes Aynak development

18 August 2024
Demand for LNG is growing in Asia as countries work to curb greenhouse gas emissions while keeping up with surging energy demand. (Photo by Konosuke Urata)
Energy

LNG shipments shift to India, Southeast Asia as European demand sags

Extreme heat, lower prices and decarbonization push drive regional uptick

17 August 2024
China's CHK Oil lost key leases in the US state of Utah. (US Department of Interior photo)
US-China tensions

Chinese oil company reveals loss of Utah drilling rights years afterward

Hong Kong-listed CHK Oil says board only learned of 2022 U.S. orders last week

16 August 2024
Facilities under construction at a Tajikistan antimony mine in 2021.
Trade

China to restrict antimony exports in latest rare-metal curbs

Controls on flame-retardant mineral do not target specific countries, Beijing says

16 August 2024
Gold futures prices are near a record high of $2,522.50 per troy ounce set on Aug. 2.
Commodities

Gold ETF inflows reach 2-year high, driven by expected U.S. rate cut

Heightened geopolitical risks also spur global flight to safety

16 August 2024
Pilbara Minerals is looking to diversify its portfolio with the acquisition of Latin Resources and its Brazilian lithium project. (Photo from Pilbara Minerals website)
Commodities

Australia's Pilbara Minerals makes $370m bid for Brazil lithium project

Lithium miner moves to diversify outside home market with eye on serving U.S. and EU

15 August 2024
The Mount Holland lithium mine in Southern Cross, Western Australia: Some producers of the key ingredient in EV batteries are scaling back production as others push ahead.
Commodities

As lithium slump drags on, some Australian miners look to grow

Operators push through gloom to position for long-term demand forecasts

14 August 2024
Though the majority of Asian countries did not join in the West's sanctions against Russian oil, they are expected to abide by them.
Opinion

'Dark fleet' of oil tankers risk more maritime disasters in Asia

The West needs to bring Russian oil shipping out of the shadows

12 August 2024
According to the International Monetary Fund, as of March 2024, the total balance of global foreign reserves stood at $12.3499 trillion, with the dollar accounting for 58.9% based on currency allocation.
Currencies

Central banks dump dollars and yuan in favor of gold

The 'stateless currency' shines as a haven amid geopolitical tension

10 August 2024
Kobe Steel is Japan's third-largest steelmaker.
Companies

China's Baosteel, Baowu Aluminum, Japan's Kobe Steel to form joint venture

Japanese steelmaker to take 50% stake in automotive aluminum sheet company

8 August 2024
Japan's top five trading houses -- Itochu, Mitsubishi Corp., Mitsui & Co., Sumitomo Corp. and Marubeni -- have drawn investment from Warren Buffett. (Source photos by Nikkei)
Companies

Buffett-backed Japan trading houses stick to annual forecasts

But conglomerates stay alert over uncertainties such as strengthening yen

6 August 2024
Workers in Thailand prepare rubber sheets for shipment. (Photo by Hiroshi Kotani)
Commodities

Rubber prices fall to 2-month low on concerns over Chinese demand

Looser supplies, slower EV sales in China drag the market down

3 August 2024
Paddy is loaded onto a truck as farmers harvest a rice field in Thailand's Chainat province. Bangkok has significantly increased its exports of the grain to the Philippines this year.
Commodities

Thailand, Vietnam vie to grow rice market share in the Philippines

Faltering domestic supply forces Manila to rely on imports from neighbors

2 August 2024
Lithium giant Albemarle is cutting back operations at its lithium processing plant in Australia.(Source photos by Reuters and Albemarle)
Commodities

Albemarle cuts back lithium processing in Australia amid price slump

Move deals another blow to country's critical mineral ambitions

1 August 2024
Drilling at Filo del Sol shows promise for high-grade copper deposits. (Photo from Filo Corp. website)
Commodities

BHP and Canada's Lundin join forces in $3bn South American copper play

Australian giant shows ambition to mine the energy transition metal

30 July 2024
A mine in Indonesia's Halmahera Island. (Photo by Survival International)
Opinion

Indonesia must improve ESG standards to attract global investment

Scrapping of BASF-Eramet nickel-cobalt project shows need for sustainable practices

29 July 2024
China's recent gold boom is highlighted by the popularity of 1-gram gold beans. (Photo by Tomoya Takayama)
Commodities

China's Gen Z gold buyers treat themselves to little bits of bling

Younger generation helps drive rise in Chinese buying of precious metal

28 July 2024
Gold has traditionally been seen as a safe haven in times of geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
Commodities

China's central bank has been a big buyer of gold. Will it continue?

PBOC accounted for 5% of global demand for precious metal in 2023

26 July 2024