Corruption Focus; Next Transportation Fuel
Corruption Focus The Biden Administration will emphasize its Strategy on Countering Corruption at this week’s Summit for Democracy. Shell companies will be required to report their true owners and the goal is to strengthen democracies by weakening corruption. Not all think this is a good...
Growing Threat to Trade
Russia is positioning to invade Ukraine if it wants, and China is seeking to put a military base on the Atlantic in Equatorial Guinea. Then there is China’s threats to Taiwan and Iran’s potential abandonment of the nuclear agreement. One of the above could limit grain exports out of...
European Market Analysis
Regional News Russia continues to build its troop presence on the border with Ukraine and has mobilized some 170,000 troops to the region. That is 70,000 more troops than were on the border during last year’s spring build-up. Presidents Putin and Biden are expected to talk Tuesday,...
Greens on Defense; Apparel Peril; NAFTA Changes Parties
Greens on Defense For decades the policy bible for Greens in Europe has included scriptures against GMO’s and nuclear energy. But GMO’s can aid sustainability and nuclear power is inherently carbon neutral. EU Commission leaders have spoken opportunistically about new genomic techni...
FOB Prices and Freight Rate App (Updated 3 December)
Ocean Freight Comments - 3 December 2021 By Jay O'Neil Commodity Consulting October and November 2021 are now in the past but the market volatility they brought remains. Over the last six weeks markets have been up, down, up, and all around. Dry-bulk markets are acting as if they have bottomed...
Interactive Ocean Freight Rates (Updated 3 December)
Ocean Freight Comments - 2 December 2021 By Jay O'Neil Commodity Consulting October and November 2021 are now in the past but the market volatility they brought remains. Over the last six weeks markets have been up, down, up, and all around. Dry-bulk markets are acting as if they have bottomed...
Energy and Food Lessons; Implications of Ukraine; Omicron Buys WTO Time
Energy and Food Lessons Energy and food prices are spiking at the same time policy reform advocates are seeking wholesale changes in the production of both resources. Already policymakers in Europe are having to consider using more natural gas and nuclear energy than originally envisioned in th...
China Strategy; Biotech Breakout
China Strategy The U.S., EU and Japan have agreed to collaborate on how to deal with non-market economic practices – read China. The debate over how to address China is the most important topic in Washington these days. Opinions are varied. Former U.S. State Department official Daniel Rus...
AI Impact
As the media tracks the spread of the Omicron version of COVID, there are reports of additional outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in Europe. Like COVID, there are many varieties of avian influenza (AI) with low pathogenic the predominant form but high pathogenic forms consti...
Anti-vaxxers Come to Ag; Identity Politics Come to Trade
Anti-vaxxers Come to Ag The Green Revolution created modern agriculture, which has been called a mechanism for turning fossil fuels (inputs) into food. In a matter of just a couple of decades, fertilizer, pesticides, and genetics enabled staple crop yields to triple. Now Europe is trying to str...
India’s Dangerous Reversal; Dems vs. Coms
India’s Dangerous Reversal Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent reversal on farm policy reforms will reverberate for years to come. Essentially, the nation will revert to a system that used a market support price (MSP) to boost farmer income but at levels above what would al...
European Market Analysis
Regional News France has detected the highly pathogenic bird flu virus on a farm in the northern part of the country, officials said on Saturday. The news comes after several other European countries have detected outbreaks this fall. Russian wheat farmers continue to face dry condi...
Corruption Focus; Next Transportation Fuel
Corruption Focus The Biden Administration will emphasize its Strategy on Countering Corruption at this week’s Summit for Democracy. Shell companies will be required to report their true owners and the goal is to strengthen democracies by weakening corruption. Not all think this is a good...
Growing Threat to Trade
Russia is positioning to invade Ukraine if it wants, and China is seeking to put a military base on the Atlantic in Equatorial Guinea. Then there is China’s threats to Taiwan and Iran’s potential abandonment of the nuclear agreement. One of the above could limit grain exports out of...
European Market Analysis
Regional News Russia continues to build its troop presence on the border with Ukraine and has mobilized some 170,000 troops to the region. That is 70,000 more troops than were on the border during last year’s spring build-up. Presidents Putin and Biden are expected to talk Tuesday,...
Greens on Defense; Apparel Peril; NAFTA Changes Parties
Greens on Defense For decades the policy bible for Greens in Europe has included scriptures against GMO’s and nuclear energy. But GMO’s can aid sustainability and nuclear power is inherently carbon neutral. EU Commission leaders have spoken opportunistically about new genomic techni...
FOB Prices and Freight Rate App (Updated 3 December)
Ocean Freight Comments - 3 December 2021 By Jay O'Neil Commodity Consulting October and November 2021 are now in the past but the market volatility they brought remains. Over the last six weeks markets have been up, down, up, and all around. Dry-bulk markets are acting as if they have bottomed...
Interactive Ocean Freight Rates (Updated 3 December)
Ocean Freight Comments - 2 December 2021 By Jay O'Neil Commodity Consulting October and November 2021 are now in the past but the market volatility they brought remains. Over the last six weeks markets have been up, down, up, and all around. Dry-bulk markets are acting as if they have bottomed...
Energy and Food Lessons; Implications of Ukraine; Omicron Buys WTO Time
Energy and Food Lessons Energy and food prices are spiking at the same time policy reform advocates are seeking wholesale changes in the production of both resources. Already policymakers in Europe are having to consider using more natural gas and nuclear energy than originally envisioned in th...
China Strategy; Biotech Breakout
China Strategy The U.S., EU and Japan have agreed to collaborate on how to deal with non-market economic practices – read China. The debate over how to address China is the most important topic in Washington these days. Opinions are varied. Former U.S. State Department official Daniel Rus...
AI Impact
As the media tracks the spread of the Omicron version of COVID, there are reports of additional outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in Europe. Like COVID, there are many varieties of avian influenza (AI) with low pathogenic the predominant form but high pathogenic forms consti...
Anti-vaxxers Come to Ag; Identity Politics Come to Trade
Anti-vaxxers Come to Ag The Green Revolution created modern agriculture, which has been called a mechanism for turning fossil fuels (inputs) into food. In a matter of just a couple of decades, fertilizer, pesticides, and genetics enabled staple crop yields to triple. Now Europe is trying to str...
India’s Dangerous Reversal; Dems vs. Coms
India’s Dangerous Reversal Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent reversal on farm policy reforms will reverberate for years to come. Essentially, the nation will revert to a system that used a market support price (MSP) to boost farmer income but at levels above what would al...
European Market Analysis
Regional News France has detected the highly pathogenic bird flu virus on a farm in the northern part of the country, officials said on Saturday. The news comes after several other European countries have detected outbreaks this fall. Russian wheat farmers continue to face dry condi...