Commodities Focus

India has started to wind back its lockdown regime but domestic demand for steel could remain muted until the October-December quarter. This has left Indian mills relying on overseas markets, particularly China, in recent times. But how sustainable is this approach? How will the various downstream segments in India perform in the coming months? S&P Global Platts Head of Metals News & Insight for APAC Paul Bartholomew discusses these and other issues with Asian Steel Markets Editor Ashima Tyagi.

The S&P Global Platts benchmark Chicago Argo ethanol assessment has trended upward and ethanol inventories have started to drop after reaching record highs as production has climbed. Does this mean that the US ethanol industry is recovering from COVID-19? Join Platts Agriculture Associate Pricing Director Sophie Byron and pricing specialists Wes Swift and Sergio Alvarado as they discuss the US ethanol industry's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, how it affects corn and DDGS prices, and the future of all three markets in a post-pandemic economy.

Brazil, the top global sugar producer and second-largest ethanol producer, started its Center-South crop on April 1, targeting to crush 600 million tons, amid a global consumption crisis and huge uncertainty in the world's economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. S&P Global Platts senior analysts Beatriz Pupo and Claudiu Covrig join senior price specialist Nicolle Castro for a wide discussion about sugar and ethanol production, consumption and price expectations during and after the pandemic.

London shipping editors Wyatt Wong, George Griffiths, and Sam Eckett explore the devastated LNG, container, and dry bulk markets post-COVID-19. How can shipping recover from a global demand drought? Can positive sentiment for the second half of 2020 stand up to the facts?

At China's latest "Two Sessions," the government did not provide a GDP target for 2020, but it outlined plans to boost infrastructure investment. The big focus this year was on maintaining employment levels and protecting the economy from uncertainties caused by the coronavirus pandemic. What are the implications for the oil and metals markets? Will it be enough to drive consumption? S&P Global Platts head of metals news and insight for APAC Paul Bartholomew discusses these issues with colleagues senior steel analyst Zhang Jing, senior oil analyst Oceana Zhou, and market insights head for China Sebastian Lewis.

US crude storage quickly became a major issue at the crux of the coronavirus lockdowns, as global markets struggled to find enough places to stash oil amid the oversupply and decreased demand. That created a huge incentive for traders and producers to store their barrels instead of selling them on a prompt, physical basis, which overwhelmed storage availability. Ernie Barsamian, CEO of the Tank Tiger, talks with Laura Huchzermeyer, managing editor of the Americas crude team at S&P Global Platts, about the changes and challenges of the storage market.

S&P Global Platts market specialists Kevin Allen, Lara Berton, and Eric Su, give a global view on petrochemical markets dealing with the consequences of the recent oil price crash and the coronavirus pandemic, with particular focus on olefins, polymers and aromatics.

The US power sector is known for its high level of reliability and focus on contingency planning and redundancies, but what happens when working next to your colleague suddenly becomes a health hazard? Scott Aaronson, vice president of security and preparedness for the Edison Electric Institute, talks with Jasmin Melvin of S&P Global Platts about emergency preparedness for utilities and the challenges ahead for the industry.

Renewable energy continues to grow at a rapid pace in the power markets. Tom Tiernan, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association, talks with Manan Ajuha, senior director, North America power analytics, S&P Global Platts, about the economics of US offshore and onshore wind development, policy priorities, and the industry's challenges ahead.

After a historic collapse into negative territory, oil prices have rebounded on the backs of OPEC+ production cuts and the first glimmers of an economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Will the upward trend be sustainable? S&P Global Platts news editors examine the latest market forecasts and the dynamics influencing the OPEC+ alliance's ability to bring down the global surplus of oil.