Commodities

China accounts for 14% of worldwide oil demand.
Commodities

Global oil and iron ore demand hit hard by coronavirus

IEA forecast cites widespread shutdown of China's economy

15 February 2020
A rare-earths mine in Australia. The mine operator, Lynas, is involved in a smelting plant project in Texas, in which Japan is looking to also take a stake. 
15 February 2020
The growing export market for Japan's premium beef reflects changing tastes and a growing market for both prime cuts and cheaper parts.
Commodities

Japan's wagyu exports sizzle as more Asians dig in

Rising incomes help spice up market but coronavirus looms over consumer spending

13 February 2020
Hong Kong-based jeweler Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group reported its revenue for the six months ended last September fell 0.6% from the same period in 2018. 
Commodities

Weaker Asian jewelry buying weighs on gold demand in 2019

Analysts expect firm prices in 2020 amid fears over impact of coronavirus

12 February 2020
There are growing concerns that China's tire production might stagnate.
Commodities

Rubber futures face turbulence amid new coronavirus epidemic

Dark clouds hang over tire demand while supply worries persist

10 February 2020
Reconstruction in October after the attack on Saudi Aramco's oil facility in Khurais in Saudi Arabia.
8 February 2020
Nippon Steel's Kimitsu works: The steelmaking industry has long been a key component of Japan's manufacturing sector. (Photo by Azusa Kawakami)
Companies

Nippon Steel faces $4bn loss as China overwhelms market

Industry leader rushes to trim capacity to be competitive

8 February 2020
Steel is cut at Nippon Steel's Kimitsu works near Tokyo. The company is moving to deactivate another blast furnace in Japan. (Phoyo by Kotaro Igarashi)
Commodities

Nippon Steel to close fourth blast furnace in fight against China glut

Latest cut by world's No. 3 producer targets capacity only 11 years old

7 February 2020
Growth in demand is outstripping that of production, putting upward pressure on cinnamon prices.
Commodities

Cinnamon prices rise in a world thirsty for chai and lattes

Beloved spice also finds its way into skin care products and toothpaste

5 February 2020
A general view of a container yard at North Port in Port Klang outside Kuala Lumpur.
Nikkei Markets

Malaysia December exports rebound after four straight months

Analysts flag risks to exports amid virus outbreak, minister forecasts 2% growth

4 February 2020
 A health worker checks the temperature of a man entering the Beijing subway on Jan. 26. The decrease in travelers has raised concerns about the impact of the new conronavirus on the global economy.
Coronavirus

Commodity prices slammed by China coronavirus outbreak

Investors fear 2003 'SARS shock' repeat amid plunging crude and copper futures

28 January 2020
Cobalt, which is essential for lithium batteries, is one of the materials that the Japanese government will seek to increase stockpiles of.
Technology

Japan to lift stockpiles of metals for EVs, wary of China's clout

Tokyo looks to secure access to lithium, cobalt and rare earths

28 January 2020
Stream article image
Nikkei Markets

Asian stocks extend losses amid mounting worries over China epidemic

Industrial commodity producers fall on concerns over China's economic outlook

27 January 2020
Price-conscious consumers in Japan have been moving toward crossbred beef from wagyu recently, but exports remain buoyant.
Business trends

Wagyu prices fall as Japan turns to crossbred beef after tax hike

Average wholesale price down 10% in December, bucking long-term trend

26 January 2020
China's Lunar New Year holiday feasts create so much demand for pork that the government comes under pressure to ensure that enough of the meat is available.
Comment

Global food prices find themselves at the mercy of China

The country's huge appetite for pork is felt in America -- by soybean farmers

25 January 2020
Sugar production in Thailand is also expected to decline due to bad weather. (Photo courtesy of Agriculture and Livestock Industries Corporation)
Commodities

Sugar prices hit two-year high on surging biofuel demand

Bad weather in India, Thailand seen causing supply shortfall

24 January 2020
Olam International CEO Sunny Verghese speaks at a briefing on Jan. 20 in Singapore. (Photo by Kentaro Iwamoto)
Companies

Singapore's Olam eyes IPO of two new groups in business reshuffle

CEO says commodity trader aims to complete process within three years

20 January 2020
China's Builder X is looking to expand its remote operated excavator technology into overseas markets (Photo courtesy of Builder X).
Startups

The automation technology helping cut mining costs

Chinese startup Builder X provides teleoperated excavators to tackle worker shortage

20 January 2020
An oil refinery in Japan: the country wants access to Southeast Asian refineries should its own become unavailable due to natural disasters.
Commodities

As Mideast tensions rise, Japan to share oil reserves regionally

Tokyo eyes diplomatic goodwill and access to region's refineries in return

17 January 2020
Sime Darby Plantation had signed a 63-year concession agreement with Liberian government in 2009 to develop 220,000 hectares into oil palm and rubber plantations
Nikkei Markets

Sime Darby Plantation sells Liberia operations

Analysts said sale of loss-making unit to help bolster company's financials

16 January 2020
The easing of the U.S.-China trade war means Malaysian palm oil will compete more with American soybean oil.
Trade war

Malaysia fears palm oil export drop after US-China trade truce

Mahathir's spat with India over citizenship law also threatens to sap demand

16 January 2020
A woman works in a rubber plantation in Yala province, southern Thailand.
Commodities

Southeast Asia rubber fungus has auto industry bracing for shortage

Infected trees in Indonesia and elsewhere seen as trade war's collateral damage

16 January 2020
Rising Chinese steel production in 2019 coincided with falling profits for major players.
Companies

Alarm bells in Beijing as steel production reaches all-time high

China turns microscope on steelmakers over profit declines and risk of new glut

13 January 2020
The future of coal power generation and coal demand depends on China, according to the International Energy Agency.
Commodities

Asia's appetite for coal grows, with China the key decider

India's consumption forecast to climb even as renewables flourish

13 January 2020
With a glut in supply as well as a diversification of energy sources, including the U.S. shale gas boom, the world is becoming less reliance on Middle East oil.
Datawatch

Oil market shrugs off Iran crisis, giving Trump free hand

Increase in global production leaves prices less vulnerable to events

12 January 2020