18 September 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
According to IHS Markit Commodities at Sea, crude oil shipments to China dropped to 7.6 million b/d so far in the first half of September, compared...
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Maritime & Trade Research and Analysis
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Exclusive insights & analysis covering global trade and the wider maritime industry. Engage with our team of experts as we explore trade patterns, new regulations as well as regional & global trends.
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16 September 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
OPEC has revised down its forecast for global oil demand by another 400,000 b/d this year. The cartel now expects consumption to decline by 9.5...
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15 September 2020 Dalibor Gogic
Year-on-year, for the first eight months of this year total major grain exports to China including soybeans is lower by about 14%.
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14 September 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
Rates jumped to more than USD 24,000 per day on 11th September once first rumours started to spread around a potential second wave of interest...
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07 September 2020 Mike Wiman
Mexico usually carries a trade surplus with the US, exporting more than it imports from its northern neighbor. For the first 30 weeks of the...
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07 September 2020 Tomasz Brodzicki, Ph.D.
The trend in the PMI is clear and consistent within Q2 of 2020 showing a gradual improvement in market confidence from May onwards and continuing...
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07 September 2020 Daejin Lee
Once the surge in pent-up demand is satisfied and the boost to apparent consumption from inventory restocking is complete, growth may fade, exposing...
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04 September 2020
As of August 2020, Wolfsberg Group has released a statement encouraging authorities to adopt the FATF guidelines in accordance to mitigating...
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03 September 2020 Byron McKinney
A joint advisory document has been released by three US government departments regarding North Korea’s ballistic missile procurement activity....
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03 September 2020 Yingzhi Zhang
China is UK's third largest import trade partner in recent years holding steady at 9% market share. While trade talks around 'Brexit' mostly...
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03 September 2020 Ines Nastali
Fewer scrubbers and ballast water management systems (BWMS) will be installed in 2020 due to COVID-19, according to this year’s Maritime Compliance...
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24 August 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
Brazilian Crude Oil Exports remain strong so far in August, with volumes only marginally down since last month. The country has been loading...
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18 August 2020 Jeremy Domballe
With more than 60% of arrivals occuring within the port of Beirut, the port is a vital infrastructure supporting Lebanon economic activity.
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18 August 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
Russia is now increasing its crude oil and condensate output, but seaborne exports remained unchanged in first half of August. Production has...
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17 August 2020 Alice Gladen
The value of trade in organic chemicals reached $846 Billion in 2019 however, this was down by around 10% from 2018 values. 2019 was a tumultuous...
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17 August 2020 Tomasz Brodzicki, Ph.D.
The value of global exports in the first four months of 2020 reported by the analyzed states amounted to five billion US dollars. It represents...
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13 August 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
Japan crude oil imports increased by 13.6% in July month-on-month but remained around 29% lower than a year ago. The country's appetite for crude...
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06 August 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
North Sea’s total crude oil loadings activity is expected to hit this year’s record low in September. Most recent loading schedules suggest exports...
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05 August 2020 Mike Wiman
US-Mexico cross-border trade via Mexico customs bill of lading data.
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05 August 2020 Alice Gladen
Using vessel port callings data combined with trade data to analyse the US response to COVID on a state level.
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05 August 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
India imported 5.14 million b/d of crude oil in July, up 82% month-on-month and 23% up year-on-year.
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05 August 2020 Tomasz Brodzicki, Ph.D.
China mainland is the only top economy showing signs of recovery in Q2 2020 both in exports and imports
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04 August 2020 Raj Rajendran Fotios Katsoulas
Seaborne crude oil exports by OPEC members rose in July as Gulf nations such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait were no longer held back by...
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04 August 2020 Daejin Lee
The current dry bulk market is Capesize-driven market. We have seen C5TC has increased to more than USD 30,000 per day in early July 2020 from...
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24 July 2020 Jeremy Domballe
A research addressing the use case and role of statistical trade data in commodity trading.
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21 July 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
OPEC together with other members of the Vienna Alliance decided that current production cuts of 9.7 million barrels per day (b/d) will remain...
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16 July 2020 Byron McKinney
In the C4ADS report, IHS Markit’s role as the issuer of the IMO number for vessels and originating source for the IMO Unique Company and Registered...
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15 July 2020 Tomasz Brodzicki, Ph.D.
The Western hemisphere countries (EU, the UK, the US, and Canada) seem at this stage to be more adversely affected than other economies, however...
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07 July 2020 John Mathai
International trade in crucial COVID related medical supplies touched $188 billion during 1Q20, registering a growth of 12% over the same period...
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02 July 2020 Mike Wiman
Mexico didn’t impose large-scale quarantines until the last week of March, and the containerized export volume declines (measured in 20-foot...
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02 July 2020 Jeremy Domballe
The EU imports from an average of 211 unique Non-EU Trade partners each year – representing a 22% increase in value of goods and 227 Billion...
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02 July 2020 Tomasz Brodzicki, Ph.D.
In Q1 2020 the value of global exports of aerospace products and parts fell to USD 75,854 billion which represents a fall of 8.0% year-on-year...
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01 July 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
The United States is expected to play a significant role in the recovery of oil prices over the coming months, with their crude oil output falling...
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19 June 2020 Tomasz Brodzicki, Ph.D.
April 2020 brought about a massive collapse in the value of exports (year-on-year) with exports falling by 19.1% in Japan and by 25.1% in South...
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17 June 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
China's imports of US crude oil are expected to hit record-high levels in July with cargoes shipped in May having surpassed 550,000 b/d.
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16 June 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
Iraq is expected to export around 2.8 million b/d of crude oil in June, as the country is determined to commit to the OPEC+ production cuts deal...
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16 June 2020 Alice Gladen
The impact on the shipping industry has been widespread, whether that is the complete freezing of the cruise ship industry, the implications...
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10 June 2020 Tomasz Brodzicki, Ph.D. Katarzyna Skrzypek
It is important to stress that China mainland is a significantly more important trade partner of Hong Kong SAR than the US.
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09 June 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
Production of Mexico's state-owned Pemex only reached 1.53 million b/d in May, around 123,000 b/d lower than the 100,000 b/d cut agreed at the...
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08 June 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
Russian seaborne exports of crude oil marginally fell below four million b/d in May, with volumes coming down 15% month-on-month and 21% year-on-year....
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28 May 2020
Behind every casualty and vessel total loss statistic are seafarers that have lost their lives, been injured, or suffer long-term physical or...
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26 May 2020 Ashlee Williams
Maritime UK, the industry body for the maritime sector, has announced IHS Markit as the seventh company to gain Charter certification as part...
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22 May 2020 Tomasz Brodzicki, Ph.D.
World merchandise trade is expected to fall in real value by 13.6% in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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19 May 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
China’s appetite for Brazilian barrels has remained strong over the last couple of months, but most recent data by IHS Markit Commodities at...
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15 May 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
Shipments from OPEC members are already significantly down in the first half of May compared to last month. Total volumes exported from the 13...
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14 May 2020 Jeremy Domballe
Grains and cereals have become an increasingly important commodity used in everyday life, from being grounded into flour for baking to simply...
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14 May 2020 Mike Wiman
Looking at containerized trade by 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), total Mexico exports to the US were relatively flat, declining just 0.9% the...
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08 May 2020 Katarzyna Skrzypek
The situation and prospects for 2020
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04 May 2020 Alice Gladen
As COVID-19 continues to have an impact and lockdown continues throughout the world, the UK fishing industry appears to be struggling. The Marine...
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30 April 2020 Jeremy Domballe
IHS Markit US Bill of Lading data is ingested daily, containing invaluable insights into market evolution. The tagging of containerised goods...
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30 April 2020 Guy Sear
The shipping industry has been thrown into chaos by an unprecedented increase in sanctions.
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29 April 2020 Jeremy Domballe
The US is the number one partner of pharmaceutical and medical equipment/chemical from China representing 18.07% of total Chinese exports.
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28 April 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
Most recent data by IHS Markit Commodities at Sea suggests that utilisation rates for LR2 have improved, while those for LR1 have actually declined....
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24 April 2020 Byron McKinney
The release of the United Nations North Korea Panel of Experts report for March 2020 outlines the main areas of activity deployed by the Democratic...
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23 April 2020
The maritime industry has seen a decrease in total losses of ships over the past five years, attributed by many in the industry to increased...
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22 April 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
Several tankers heading for destinations across Europe have been facing huge delays due to high congestion during the last couple of weeks, with...
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17 April 2020 Krispen Atkinson Karim Fawaz Fotios Katsoulas
The last major period of global oil oversupply was 2014–16, during which global inventories built up by about 1.1 billion bbls, or an average...
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16 April 2020 Dalibor Gogic
The majority of cruise operators have ceased operations amid the coronavirus outbreak, and our AIS data suggests that a large number of vessels...
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14 April 2020 Tomasz Brodzicki, Ph.D.
Chinese exports went down by USD 71,342 million to USD 281.4 billion. It represents a fall of 20.2% in comparison to 2019.
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09 April 2020 Bill Cassidy
As truck drivers rush to deliver essential goods during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, US shippers are taking advantage of...
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08 April 2020
State of Maritime Safety report launched today
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06 April 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
Saudi Arabia seems to be determined to follow its plan to ramp up oil exports in April, with the market already having observed a first wave...
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02 April 2020
On 31 March 2020 the US Supreme Court decided that the safe berth clause in charter parties establishes a warranty of safety, in what is being...
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30 March 2020 Peter Tirschwell
A seesaw effect of cargo and empty container movement between Asia and North America is beginning to take shape as the extended China manufacturing...
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30 March 2020
If the sanctions against Iran remain unchanged, Iran is expected to lose its revenues resulting from the reduction of crude oil exports by 1.210...
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27 March 2020 Greg Knowler
Extensive blank sailings have left virtually no empty containers available at European ports, according to the latest data, and extreme measures...
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26 March 2020
Just as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreads from China to North America, the disruptive impact of the pandemic will shift from worries...
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26 March 2020 Tomasz Brodzicki, Ph.D.
The global spread of the COVID-19 epidemic is the single biggest risk facing the world economy in early 2020.
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25 March 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
The sharp decline in the West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the primary US oil benchmark, by around USD 30 per barrel in just a month, leaves no...
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24 March 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
Indian crude oil imports reached 4.5 million b/d in February, with March currently standing at 4.55 million b/d, primarily driven by lower oil...
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17 March 2020 Tomasz Brodzicki, Ph.D.
Russia is considered as a bookcase example of a resource course-stricken economy with a growth model highly dependent on the price of oil and...
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13 March 2020 Greg Knowler
China’s record slump in manufacturing output during factory closures in February to combat the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)...
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11 March 2020 Tomasz Brodzicki, Ph.D.
The y/y changes in trade data for four out of the main nine economies of the world show that 2019 was a difficult year with sluggish growth and...
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10 March 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
Crude oil market seems to be transitioning into a new era, with multiple adjustments expected across the world.
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10 March 2020 Rahul Kapoor
Crude oil imports recover in late February, iron ore, coal, minor bulks seeing double dip.
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26 February 2020 Tomasz Brodzicki, Ph.D.
Both US and Chinese exports and imports show significant seasonality; the seasonal component is stronger for China than for the US.
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25 February 2020 Rahul Kapoor
Average weekly crude oil discharged in China has returned closer to normal levels despite a lower vessel count.
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25 February 2020 Tomasz Brodzicki, Ph.D.
Chinese exports of agri-food commodities amounted to USD 64.83 billion in 2019. It increased by 85% in comparison to 2005
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21 February 2020
Unipec, China’s biggest oil trader, has chartered a tanker to ship a cargo of Vietnamese crude to Hawaii, in the first such shipment in more...
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20 February 2020
The fifth annual Safety at Sea/ BIMCO Maritime Cyber Security survey, launched on 10 February, examines industry attitudes, measures cyber security...
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20 February 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
The coronavirus's effect starts becoming clear, with China’s energy demand falling sharply.
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18 February 2020 Tomasz Brodzicki, Ph.D.
The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is for the time being the most significant black swan of 2020
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18 February 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
After the first cargo was loaded on Suezmax “YANNIS P.” in late January, IHS Markit Commodities at Sea identified a second shipment coming from...
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18 February 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
Weak crude oil prices driven by the coronavirus outbreak seem to have positively affected demand for crude oil in India.
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07 February 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
Oil producers based in the US, the major driver of global supply growth, have been going through downsizing to rationalise debt. These companies...
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Crude Oil Trade: Coronavirus shaping sentiment for now, but potentially a huge impact on the horizon
06 February 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
The oil market is going through the biggest negative demand shock since the Great Recession of 2008-2009, with the spread of the coronavirus...
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05 February 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
Russian oil output has again approached record high levels last month, with January’s production estimated at 11.28 million b/d, including gas...
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28 January 2020 Byron McKinney
The sanctions imposed on subsidiary ship owners that were part of the COSCO Shipping family in late 2019 by the Office of Foreign Asset Control...
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28 January 2020 Tomasz Brodzicki, Ph.D.
The UK will leave the European Union on 31 January 2020 after 47 years of membership (a truly once in a century event). The uncertainty over...
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24 January 2020 Daejin Lee
On 15 January 2020, President Trump and Chinese Vice Premier He signed the highly anticipated “phase-one” trade agreement between the US and...
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24 January 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
The debut of Guyana’s seaborne exports is rather significant for the regional market, as the producer will add significant output capacity.
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23 January 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
Concern increases around the future of Libya’s crude oil production yet again. There doesn’t seem to be any improvement on the horizon. Libya’s...
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23 January 2020 Tomasz Brodzicki, Ph.D.
China is by far the largest exporter of iron and steel in 2019 having exported 87.3 million metric tons which equals approximately 15.8 % of...
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20 January 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
The US Senate has approved the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, while a trade deal was signed earlier this week between Washington and Beijing...
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16 January 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
In 2017, producers across the Middle East supplied around 74% of crude oil flows to South Korea, with their share having dropped to 68% in 2018...
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14 January 2020 Daejin Lee
China's 2019 coal imports were up 6.3% compared with 2018 levels, while December’s imports tumbled nearly 73% to 2.77 million tonnes.
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14 January 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
OPEC seems to be determined to do all they can to support crude oil prices, with their production having dropped further in December.
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13 January 2020 Fotios Katsoulas
Brazil’s crude oil production has remained strong since November, when it reached a new record high, according to the National Petroleum Agency....
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09 January 2020 Tomasz Brodzicki, Ph.D.
The current escalation of tensions with the US will adversely affect the Iranian economy and its trade relations and could destabilize the Middle...
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02 January 2020
World merchandise trade volume is forecasted to grow 2.7% in 2020, and to grow by 5.0% in 2021.
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09 December 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Brazil's crude oil production has continued to bounce back last month, with operations at the Mero Field having restarted.
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04 December 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Nigeria’s compliance has improved since August, production of crude stood close to 1.8 million b/d in October, much lower than the 1.96 million...
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03 December 2019 Byron McKinney
Shipping is a crucial component of trade finance and anything that impacts the regulatory or financial standing of a vessel, a vessels ownership...
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03 December 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
There are only days left till OPEC’s next meeting, with all eyes now on Russia’s response.
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02 December 2019
US imports from China in 2017 reached over 70.5 million tonnes and exceeded 75.2 million tonnes in 2018. We predict lower growth rates in 2019...
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15 November 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Colombia's state-controlled Ecopetrol plans to expand its production of crude oil in 2020, with a target to increase production by around 4%...
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14 November 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
South Sudan might start selling crude oil directly to its neighbours, after Ethiopia expressed its interest to buy oil from the country, in an...
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13 November 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Algerian crude oil loadings seem to have returned to normal levels, close to 600,000 b/d, in October. Activity has recovered, after falling in...
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12 November 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Russia’s crude oil production dropped to 11.23 million b/d in October from 11.25 million b/d in September. However, the country did not meet...
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11 November 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Iraq has been producing below its capacity of almost five million b/d, following the production cut agreement between OPEC and ten non-OPEC producers....
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08 November 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
There is no doubt that the construction of the 650,000 b/d Dangote refinery in Nigeria will be a landmark both for the oil industry in West Africa...
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07 November 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Pemex recently announced its results for September, with crude oil production having reached 1.731 million b/d, up 24,000 b/d since August, but...
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06 November 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
After the US oil boom, Canada, together with Brazil, is another country whose production will expand dramatically over the next decade.
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05 November 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Kuwait is understood to be considering a reduction in its oil production capacity targets. OPEC’s fourth biggest producer may reduce its long-standing...
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04 November 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Saudi Arabia has continued shipping crude oil to Japanese refiners without any major impact observed so far after the attacks on Saudi Arabian...
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31 October 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
US seaborne exports of crude oil will not surpass 3 million b/d in October, as preliminary data by IHS Markit Commodities at Sea has shown.
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31 October 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Chevron has been given permission by the US government to continue its operations in Venezuela for another quarter.
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30 October 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
South Korea's crude oil imports from the US have increased by 150% year-on-year, with flows averaging 350,000 b/d between January and mid-October...
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29 October 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Following an oil spill which affected more than 200 beaches across the country, state-run oil company, Petrobras, has been hit with another potential...
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28 October 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Trade flows from the US to India are expected to flourish further, especially as New Delhi is trying to reduce its reliance on OPEC suppliers...
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28 October 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Security continues being the biggest obstacle for Libya, one of Africa’s most significant oil producers. Lack of stability and the ongoing conflict...
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24 October 2019 Bill Mongelluzzo
Fueled by a dozen new plants and more capacity on the way, United States resin exports jumped 35 percent in the first half of the year as growing...
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24 October 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Russia’s production of crude oil did not exceed 11.25 million b/d in first half of October, according to official data released earlier this...
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23 October 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Angola has been facing some severe challenges in its effort to maintain crude oil production since the oil price collapse in 2014.
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22 October 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Ecuador's crude oil exports reached a new record low in October. Average volumes loaded on tankers since early October currently stand below...
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Crude Oil Trade: High transportation costs unsustainable, as inflated freight rates unlikely to last
15 October 2019 Rahul Kapoor Fotios Katsoulas
VLCC freight rates at USD 300,000 per day to carry crude oil from the Middle East to Asia aren’t sustainable for a prolonged period in our view....
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14 October 2019
Maritime Cyber Security: Tackling the weakest link in cyber risk management
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11 October 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
OPEC decided to raise the oil output ceiling for Nigeria to 1.774 million b/d, from 1.685 million b/d.
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08 October 2019 Byron McKinney
The latest edition to the US Department of the Treasury’s Executive Order 13846 on re-imposing sanctions with respect to Iran has led to several...
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07 October 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Chilean Supreme Court order to re-assess mining project signals legal uncertainties and likely delays for large-scale developments
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Crude Oil Trade: Changes in the suppliers’ market, while Indian imports marginally down in September
04 October 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Crude Oil Trade: Changes in the suppliers’ market, while Indian imports marginally down in September
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03 October 2019 Daejin Lee
Dry Bulk Trade: Record Brazil Corn Shipments a Warning Signal for Q4 US Grain Season
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03 October 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Crude Oil Trade: Russian production down, with seaborne exports unchanged in September
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Crude Oil Trade : COSCO tankers key to Chinese oil imports, US sanctions implication highly negative
01 October 2019 Rahul Kapoor Fotios Katsoulas
The dominant role played by tanker subsidiaries of COSCO Shipping Corporation in Chinese oil imports will have a ripple effect as buyers scramble...
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25 September 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Shipments of crude oil from Iraq have been increasing in September. Volumes currently surpass 3.7 million b/d, as shown by data from IHS Markit...
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24 September 2019 Byron McKinney
The Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) has issued a fine of $4 million to the British Arab Commercial Bank (BACB) regarding violation of...
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23 September 2019 Daejin Lee
Indonesia will again ban exports of nickel ore, encouraging investors to build smelters at home to produce value-added products: Nickel prices...
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20 September 2019 Rahul Kapoor
Chinese iron ore imports are unlikely to show any signs of easing in the near-term with imports likely to stay elevated despite economic malaise...
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19 September 2019 Rahul Kapoor Daejin Lee
A sequential decline in August iron ore export volumes from Brazil is at odds with Capesize freight rates surging to a six-year high in recent...
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18 September 2019 Rahul Kapoor Fotios Katsoulas
Saturday’s drone attacks on Saudi Arabia’s critical oil production assets will drive up uncertainty in the global tanker industry given the region’s...
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16 September 2019 Rahul Kapoor Fotios Katsoulas
Drone attacks which damaged critical oil production assets in Saudi Arabia will alter global crude tradeflows. The country’s oil output is estimated...
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12 September 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
As China’s economic growth is expected to continue to slowdown, Russia has started focusing more on the Indian market. The two countries recently...
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11 September 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
With OPEC increasing its output and exports in August, the big topic in the market has been what to expect as the cartel’s next meeting is approaching....
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10 September 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Venezuela's crude oil exports continued to fall in August, they have now estimated to have reached their lowest level in 2019.
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09 September 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Brazilian oil production increased last month and is now estimated to be approaching 2.8 million b/d. Growth has reached 8% year-on-year.
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06 September 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
With the trade war between China and the US escalating and with tariffs now in effect, it comes as no real surprise that oil prices have been...
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05 September 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Oil prices have been under more pressure since early September, with OPEC expected to meet next week to discuss how prices could be supported....
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29 August 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
There is no doubt that Saudi Arabia is still determined to support oil prices, even if its production would have to be further cut. The country’s...
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28 August 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
European importers’ appetite for West African crude oil barrels seems to be quite strong lately. Nigeria's Egina, one of the newest oil grades...
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27 August 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Beijing has made it clear that its support to Caracas will last, after the recently announced expansion of Chinese investment in Venezuela’s...
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23 August 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Total volumes of crude oil liftings from Russia have been marginally down in July and August, as the decline reached 1.2% since June, however...
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22 August 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Saudi Aramco will take over a fifth of Reliance Industries’ refining business. It has become very clear that after strengthening its market in...
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21 August 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Algeria has failed to diversify away from oil and gas, which still represent 95% of total exports and around a third of GDP.
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20 August 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
The beginning of August wasn’t so positive for the Aframax segment, with rates having failed to recover, as earlier anticipated. The situation...
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19 August 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
In 2019 to date, suezmax vessels have proved rather sensitive to market volatility. In the European market, rates to move cargo from the Black...
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16 August 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Good news from Libya, as production has gradually restarted at El Sharara. This is the country’s largest oilfield, south of Zawiya port. Capacity...
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15 August 2019
OFAC recently announced its Reporting, Procedures and Penalties Regulations (RPPR) that outlined the recordkeeping and auditing functions for...
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15 August 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
China has been dominating with volumes of Angolan exports accounting for more than 60% so far this year. Flows to the Far Eastern country have...
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14 August 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
With the country’s crude oil output under pressure, India has been increasingly dependent on imported barrels to meet domestic requirements....
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13 August 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
According to the Japanese Agency of Energy and Natural Resource (AENR), Japan imported around 27 million barrels of crude oil in June 2019 from...
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12 August 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
With oil prices deepening fast, it has become clear that employment has been increasing in the VLCC market, even older units have secured voyages...
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09 August 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Brazil’s crude oil production has been under pressure lately, having dropped by around 6.5% during the last three months, after an impressive...
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08 August 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
It seems Kuwait has been very active in taking measures to improve conditions in favour of its oil industry, in an effort to strengthen its position...
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07 August 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
August didn’t start well for the West African crude oil producer. Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), one of the country’s...
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06 August 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
It came as no surprise that Saudi Arabia’s oil revenue declined 5% year-on-year, as the OPEC+ production cut agreement has been shaping the country’s...
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05 August 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Sudanese crude oil lifting volumes have averaged 134 thousand b/d so far in 2019, with China absorbing more than 60% of these barrels.
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23 July 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Mexico has been liquifying some of its oil assets, but instead of deep-water blocks, it has mainly been oil fields closer to shore. This has...
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22 July 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
The Andean producer has been trying to recover after a tough 2018 driven by weaker oil production, volatility oil prices, security issues and...
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19 July 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
There is a lot of optimism to report from Brazil with oil companies getting ready to boost exports as the pre-salt production increases. International...
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18 July 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
According to data by IHS Markit’s Commodities at Sea, Venezuelan crude oil loadings in June were around 870 thousand b/d. This suggests that...
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17 July 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Last week, oil prices recovered significantly, primarily supported by the continued decline in US crude inventories. This suggests that the supply...
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15 July 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
July is a typically poor month for the VLCC segment, with activity slowing down across all major exporting regions. There has been limited optimism...
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15 July 2019
The recent announcement from FedEx that the multinational cargo carrier has filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Commerce is the latest...
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09 July 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
South Korea’s appetite for sweet crude oil grades has been strengthening since late 2018, with the Far Eastern importer favouring imports from...
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05 July 2019 Daejin Lee
IHS Markit freight forecast models, released yesterday, predict dry bulk freight rates to strengthen in the second half, as more aggressive stimulus...
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28 June 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Mexican crude oil production has been under severe pressure, with volumes down so far this year.
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20 June 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
The North African producer seems to have recovered well, even with increasing concerns around the impact of the ongoing civil conflict. Libya’s...
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18 June 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Spot rates in the Middle East Gulf have increased dynamically on Thursday and Friday after two tankers were attacked in the Gulf of Oman. Concerns...
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12 June 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
The Angolan government, led by President Joao Lourenco, has made significant steps to support the future crude production of the country, which...
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11 June 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
China’s crude oil imports from Iran increased dynamically in April, before the end of the sanction waivers pushed volumes to decline sharply...
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10 June 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
With Iran having already expressed its opposition to OPEC for any delay of the cartel’s next meeting, another fight between members might not...
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07 June 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
The US sanctions on Iran gave a great opportunity to Iraq, which shortly after increased its target for crude oil production to 6.2 million b/d...
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06 June 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
In parallel to the trade war between Washington and Beijing, the global oil market will likely need to adjust once again, as President Trump...
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05 June 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
A sharp decline was observed in late May, with Brent standing above USD 63.6 per barrel on 3 June, noon (UK time). The market seems worried about...
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04 June 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
West African loadings seem to have increased by 4.6% month-on-month in May, but this wasn’t enough to support Suezmax earnings in the region...
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03 June 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
There has been some recovery lately for Aframaxes in the Mediterranean, after the pressure felt last month due to the plethora of vessels available...
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31 May 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Apart from Lula, Chinese buyers seem to be increasingly interested in another Brazilian grade, Buzios. Petrobras expects this new medium sweet...
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30 May 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Russia’s seaborne exports seem to have started to decline, even if the change is only marginal. Loadings during the first three weeks of May...
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29 May 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Since early May, all US waivers on Iranian barrels came to an end, but the big question is whether and how many Iranian barrels reach their destination...
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28 May 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Market conditions continue to change lately, with sentiment adjusting to recent news. Oil prices have been falling during the last couple of...
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28 May 2019
There has been a flurry of sanctions related penalties issued by US authorities in April and May 2019, continuing the overall theme so far of...
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22 May 2019
The Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) has for the first time issued guidelines on what it believes constitutes a robust compliance program...
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16 May 2019
China’s total seaborne imports of all types of coal appear to have increased in May, from the level of April. Australian cargoes also appear...
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14 May 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
With around six weeks left until the next meeting of OPEC+ countries, Russia doesn’t appear to be reducing its output and exports.
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13 May 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
In parallel to uncertainty increasing after saboteurs attacked Saudi Arabian oil tankers amid Middle East tensions between the US and Iran, the...
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09 May 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
With the freight market going through a quiet period, it came as no surprise that there has been no significant change in the freight market...
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08 May 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Recent data by IHS Markit’s Commodities at Sea suggests the US has started increasing its imports from exporters across Americas and West Africa....
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01 May 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
April was a difficult month for VLCC owners, with freight rates in the Middle East Gulf still feeling the pressure of OPEC production cuts.
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30 April 2019
Post-Brexit, the UK has to provide funding for farmers and rural communities development to replace the EU funding of 26 billion EUR.
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30 April 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
With Iranian sanction waivers coming to an end, oil traders must adjust quickly to the new market conditions. There is still optimism that at...
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29 April 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
With tonnage increasing east of Suez, rates for Aframaxes were pushed lower on Easter Monday, as charterers had more choices available.
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26 April 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Waivers from US sanctions on Iranian barrels will expire on May 2, as scheduled.
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26 April 2019
The US is turning to the EU to find ways to decrease the trade deficit that reached close to 890 billion USD in 2018, the largest in over 20...
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25 April 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
More and more banks and other institutions are publishing forecasts suggesting that the oil price could increase during the next couple of months...
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24 April 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
There were some marginal improvements observed in the last couple of weeks in freight rates for VLCCs, supported by steady charterer interest...
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23 April 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Saudi Arabia is determined to proceed with the plan of OPEC+ to maintain oil production at low levels.
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23 April 2019
Following the recent North Korea sanctions advisory dated (March 21, 2019) issued by the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Affairs...
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18 April 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Total loadings during the first ten days of April suggests activity has dropped 6.5% month-on-month and around 4% year-on-year.
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17 April 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Beijing has further strengthened its influence, this time in East Africa, after securing access to more natural resources, by funding the construction...
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16 April 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
In early April, charterers were showing preference towards loading on Suezmaxes than on VLCCs, even for cargoes heading to India.
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15 April 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
With the US turning into a net exporter of crude oil, flows from Nigeria to the US Gulf have been dropping since early 2018.
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12 April 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
The big question in the market once the US imposed sanctions against Venezuela earlier in 2019 has been “then who?”. This refers to the importer(s)...
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11 April 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
For Ancient Greeks, Plutus, the god of wealth, was depicted as a boy in the arms of Eirene, the goddess of peace. It looks like prosperity can...
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10 April 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
April started with the market’s sentiment in the Middle East Gulf (MEG) deteriorating further, as several shipowners compete for a smaller amount...
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03 April 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
According to recent data provided by IHS Markit’s Commodities at Sea, Russia’s seaborne exports increased in March, having surpassed five million...
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29 March 2019
Maritime & Trade Overview
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25 March 2019 John Miller
After recovering from the war with the US, which decimated the countryside and killed millions of people, Vietnamese leaders in the 1980s started...
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22 March 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Saudi Arabia, as most other crude oil producers across the Middle East, look determined to supply full contractual term volumes to Asian refiners....
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20 March 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
With most experts anticipating Venezuela’s output to further decline over the next couple of weeks, PDVSA, the country’s state-run oil produce...
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19 March 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
It didn’t take long after the positive news on Libya, with production of the country’s major oil field expected to fully recover by end of this...
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18 March 2019 John Miller
For decades, Africa’s top economies have sought to build a new brand of widespread durable prosperity and escape the painful legacy of colonialism....
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18 March 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Saudi Arabia and most other OPEC members have proved rather decisive so far in terms of output cuts agreed in the last OPEC+ meeting, with most...
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15 March 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
With continued uncertainty around Brexit, the IEA recently commented that a “disorderly Brexit” would affect global oil demand, as consumption...
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14 March 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Venezuelan crude oil production is set to fall further, if US sanctions remain in place, and is now expected to reach 750,000 bpd during this...
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13 March 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
The crude oil trade is highly affected by geopolitical parameters, which directly shape the size and the direction of flows around the world....
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12 March 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
The VLCC market has been realising significant gains driven by the increasing loading activity in the US Gulf. However, the country’s only deep-water...
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11 March 2019 John Miller
Perhaps no country risks losing more from the winds of protectionism and tariffs sweeping the world than Germany.
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07 March 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Exports of OPEC members seem to have further declined in February, with the overall change month-on-month remaining around -6.7%.
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04 March 2019 John Miller
As European and Arab leaders gathered in late February for a summit in Egypt, they promised to focus on boosting trade between the two regions....
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26 February 2019 John Miller
If you were to design an economy perfectly tailored to succeed in the modern global economy, it might look like Australia’s. The country of 23.5...
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22 February 2019
The backstop means there would be a single EU-UK customs territory. There would be no tariffs, quotas, or rules of origin checks between the...
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20 February 2019
With China’s economic growth near a three-decade low, having reached 6.4% in 2018, there is a lot of concern about the global crude oil market’s...
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19 February 2019 John Miller
The global iron ore business is entering a new era of uncertainty. After a two-decade boom, mining and seaborne trade of the mineral essential...
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15 February 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
India, the world’s second biggest crude oil importer, absorbed around 9.5% of global trade flows last year. The country has been recently switching...
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12 February 2019 John Miller
One of global trade’s most pivotal factors has become the Chinese New Year, which kicked off this year on February 5.
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11 February 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
Last year, Libyan crude oil production averaged around 50,000 barrels per day (b/d) lower than the 1 Mn b/d target earlier set by the state....
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07 February 2019
If the UK leaves the EU customs union, it would be able to negotiate free trade agreements on its own terms with non-EU countries, and the EU....
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05 February 2019 Fotios Katsoulas
A month is already gone and the first messages we get for 2019 might not be as promising as some shipowners would have earlier wished for.
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04 February 2019 John Miller
Coal is having a rebound moment. Even as US and European miners endure bankruptcies, and regulations to cap carbon emissions, the black rock...
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29 January 2019
Despite the earlier optimism among some owners, January hasn’t been an easy month for the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) segment.
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25 January 2019 Dr. Victor Shum Anindya Boral
A Changing Crude Oil Market and Implications for Asian Buyers
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28 December 2018 John Miller
The fastest-growing wine market is China, where a bottle of Bordeaux is replacing a traditional Chinese liquor called baijiu as the alcohol of...
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17 December 2018 John Miller
Peru is already the world’s second largest copper exporter and recent elections indicate it’s prepared to bet even more heavily on mining.
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11 December 2018 John Miller
It’s almost Christmas, peak buying season for the $100 billion global toy market. That means it’s time for manufacturers, shipping lines and...
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04 December 2018 John Miller
The US is still the world’s top grain exporter, but Russia is closing the gap, with India, France, Argentina and Canada following. US farmers...
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27 November 2018 John Miller
As Indonesia heads into a presidential election next April, the world’s fourth most populous country is attempting to attract foreign investment...
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18 November 2018 John Miller
A summary of Hong Kong's top sources of imports, exports and new trade deals with Australia
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13 November 2018 John Miller
As Colombia recovers from bloody civil strife, contains a resurgent cocaine trade, and firms up its economy under a new president, it will need...
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12 November 2018
New TPP – the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) will enter into force December 30th. CPTPP has been...
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08 November 2018 IHS Markit Maritime & Trade Expert
When the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO’s) legal committee met for its 105th session in April, the subject of fraudulent ship registrations...
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05 November 2018 John Miller
Trade and production of plastics are getting a boost from more gas drilling, even as the fuel-based material faces opposition because it’s so...
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29 October 2018 John Miller
The modern factory food industry which nourishes many of the world’s 7.6 billion people demands large supplies of wheat, corn, sugar and soybeans....
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22 October 2018 John Miller
Exit polls taken after the recent local elections in Poland suggest a moderate victory for the country’s embattled right-wing populist government....
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16 October 2018
The dispute resolution process of the 1994 NAFTA will be preserved. Canada can challenge duties placed by US on Canadian exports on an expert...
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15 October 2018 John Miller
If Jair Bolsonaro beats Fernando Haddad for Brazil’s presidency on Oct. 28, it’s expected to spur Brazilian exports at the expense of environmental...
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09 October 2018 John Miller
The trade war between the US and China has cast a gloom over the global economy. Higher tariffs are expected to increase prices and dent demand...
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03 October 2018
The EU Japan Economic Partnership Agreement signed July 17, 2018. Expected to enter into force in 2019 and eliminate tariffs on most commodities....
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01 October 2018
In this webinar we will demonstrate how you can utilize the special study, “A Sea Change: Plastics Pathway to Sustainability”, to adjust your...
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01 October 2018 John Miller
NAFTA is alive. Canada and the Trump administration found common ground late Sunday night, signing a last-minute pact to revamp the North American...
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24 September 2018 John Miller
All year, even as the Trump administration and Chinese leaders fired round after round of new tariffs at each other, both sides targeted mostly...
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20 September 2018
On Monday September 17th, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) released a list of approximately $200 billion worth of...
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17 September 2018 John Miller
As Hurricane Florence marched up the US East Coast this weekend, killing at least 16 people and wreaking havoc with unrelenting rain and flooding...
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13 September 2018
US Exports reached 1.5 trillion USD in 2017. China is the 3rd largest US Export market, by value, after Canada and Mexico. US Exports to China...
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10 September 2018 John Miller
As we discussed last week, the car industry has taken big hits in the global trade war, which so far has targeted industrial sectors.
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06 September 2018
The US Mexico NAFTA and the EU Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) could affect US Automotive Exports to EU
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05 September 2018 John Miller
The world’s brewing trade war could have a significant impact on automakers, parts manufacturers, logistics firms, and investors.
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30 August 2018
The US administration is planning on sending the agreement to the US Congress on Friday. This puts pressure on Canada to make a decision.
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27 August 2018 John Miller
One of the key chess pieces is in the ongoing US-China trade spat is a classic Beijing industrial plan. In 2015, China released a new ten-year...
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20 August 2018 John Miller
The global trading infrastructure, from shipping lines to investment banks, turns its eyes to Turkey. The country of 80 million, a bedrock economy...
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13 August 2018 John Miller
Supply chains are feeling the winds of trade wars.
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06 August 2018 John Miller
As the European Union, China and the US dig in for a trade war, one global sector is bracing for its role as foot soldiers in the commercial...
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30 July 2018 John Miller
Last week, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker flew to Washington to cool a brewing trans-Atlantic trade war.
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17 July 2018 John Miller
For centuries tobacco drove global trade and helped shape the modern world.
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09 July 2018 John Miller
On Friday, US customs kicked off Washington’s latest line of trade defense against China, putting tariffs on $34 billion worth of products, including...
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02 July 2018 John Miller
In 1975, with oil prices spiking and the US rocking from the shock of Watergate, the world’s six biggest industrialized democracies met in a...
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25 June 2018 John Miller
There’s less than a week to go before Mexico’s July 1 presidential election, and polls indicate that the favorite is the leftwing populist Andrés...
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18 June 2018 John Miller
This weekend, Beijing showed why, unlike some other countries, it likely has the upper hand in negotiating trade terms with the US.
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11 June 2018 John Miller
The US-Canada trade feud underscores the risks faced by Canadian firms doing business with the US, especially carmakers and industrial suppliers....
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04 June 2018 John Miller
The US ramped up trade friction last week with key allies Canada, Mexico and the European Union, by implementing proposed metal tariffs, underscoring...
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29 May 2018 John Miller
One of the tenets of 21st century globalization has been that Africa, Asia and Latin America’s new middle classes will want and pay for a high-protein...
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18 May 2018 John Miller
President Trump’s decision to pull out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and reimpose sanctions is likely to accelerate Tehran nation’s turn...
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14 May 2018 John Miller
While China has turned into the world’s top exporter in the new century, and accumulated the accompanying riches and status, the second biggest...
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07 May 2018 John Miller
With multilateral trade treaties, from the European Union to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, taking hits from protectionist politicians this year...
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30 April 2018 John Miller
The world’s appetite for fish has boomed prodigiously over the past 30 years, and is expected to keep expanding.
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23 April 2018
We’ve spent a lot of time in this space of late talking about tariffs, protectionism, the weakening of trade deals and the World Trade Organization...
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16 April 2018 John Miller
With trade tensions between China and the US threatening American exports, President Trump last week floated an idea. Maybe, he said, the US...
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09 April 2018 John Miller
As we’ve been documenting in this space, the prospect of a U.S.-China trade war has rattled world markets, shipping lines and commerce officials...
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02 April 2018 John Miller
As it had threatened, China has imposed new import duties on $3 billion worth of U.S. imports, including a 15% tariff on fruit, to retaliate...
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27 March 2018 John Miller
After almost twenty years, the global economy is moving into a new trading order, and the emerging rules governing how corporations and companies...
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19 March 2018 John Miller
As negotiators from the U.S., Canada and Mexico prepare to start their eighth round of redoing the North American Free Trade Agreement in April...
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14 March 2018 John Miller
The declaration by President Trump of U.S. import tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum has sparked what some analysts say could be the...
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12 March 2018 John Miller
The Trade Numerologist: Latin America’s Trade Slump
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02 March 2018 John Miller
It looks like the Trump truce on dramatically ramping up tariffs on imports into the U.S. is abating.
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01 March 2018 John Miller
A recent surge in Russian demand for bananas has tightened supplies of the ubiquitous fruit, driving up prices and underscoring how one country...
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20 February 2018 John Miller
The booming market for electric cars like the Tesla Model S, Chevy Volt and Toyota Prius Prime is driving a strong shipping trade in lithium-ion...
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19 February 2018 John Miller
Since the invention of the modern bicycle in France, Germany and the U.S. in the 19th century, manufacturers have cranked out billions of two-wheeled...
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07 February 2018 John Miller
The winds of global trade are shifting, and they are bound to impact China, the world’s biggest exporter.
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06 February 2018 IHS Markit Maritime & Trade Expert
Politics will continue to dominate Turkey’s headlines at home and abroad in 2018, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan steadily tightens his grip...
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06 February 2018 IHS Markit Maritime & Trade Expert
The container shipping industry, widely seen as slow to embrace technology, could be on the verge of a year of significant advance.
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06 February 2018 IHS Markit Maritime & Trade Expert
Surplus capacity coming into the market and demand growth unlikely to match supply appears to have placed a restraining hand on Asia-Europe contract...
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