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Russian Urals oil price falls to $6/barrel under the price cap. This is a 14-month-low
Calculations showed that the Russian Urals crude price in Baltic ports dropped to $6 per barrel under the Western price cap, which is $60 per barrel. This was the lowest level since January 2024, as Brent prices continued to be weak and freight rates high. According to the cap, which was imposed by the Group of Seven and Australia in 2022 to reduce Russia's oil export revenue, buyers are only allowed access to Western services, such as insurance and shipping, when the price of Russian crude falls below $60 per barrel. LSEG data show that the price of uranus in Russian ports has remained above $60 for most of 2023. After dipping below the cap at Primorsk, Ust-Luga and Ust-Luga in February last year, they have remained there ever since. Calculations show that the recent drop in Brent oil, the global benchmark price, and an increase in freight costs have led to estimates for Urals oil to be loaded from Baltic ports on Tuesday at $53.95 a barrel. Estimates for Urals Crude from the Black Sea Port of Novorossiisk on Tuesday were $55.94 per barrel FBO. Trading and shipping sources, as well as calculations, showed that freight rates for shipments from Russian Urals oil to India via the Baltic and Black Sea ports rose to their highest level in a full year after U.S. sanctioned tankers involved with Moscow's energy imports. The calculations of the Urals Oil price are based upon the grade's current market price in Indian ports, delivered ex-ship, the transport costs, and the Brent benchmark for the previous day. Traders said that lowering the urals price cap could attract more Western shipping companies and insurance companies into the market. This may offset the high freight rates. Reporting by Kirsten Doovan; Editing by Kirsten donovan
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Sources say that Russian oil supplies to India recovered in March
India's Russian crude oil imports rebounded in March after a three-month decline. Non-sanctioned ships were delivering the cargoes and some supplies were diverted to Turkey, according five trade sources. The return of Russian oil to the third largest oil importer/consumer in the world is helping to ease a supply shortage and cool prices for Middle East rival grades. The Russian oil supply to India and China dropped sharply in the first half of this year after U.S. sanctioned on January 10, which targeted producers, insurance companies, ships, and middlemen. Data from analytics firm Kpler shows that India's imports, mostly of Urals crude oil, have returned to 1.54 million barrels a day in March after dropping to between 1.1 and 1.2 million bpd over the past three months because of concerns about sanctions. Sources said that the freight rates for tankers travelling from western Russian ports to India reached a record high of $8,000,000 in the past 12 months, which attracted more ships to offer service, while also cutting into Russian oil sellers' profits. They added that the decision of Turkey's largest refiner Tupras, to stop Russian oil imports, also liberated more supplies for Asian market. Kpler data shows that the Turkish imports of Russian oil have fallen to 127,000 barrels per day (bpd) so far in march from around 300,000 before January's sanctions. Sources said that the discount for Russian oil has narrowed from $2.50 to $3 per barrel for cargoes loading March for delivery in April to Indian ports to $2.60 to 2.80 per barrel for dated Brent. Sources said that some traders told Indian refiners that they would use western vessels to deliver their cargoes in order to avoid sanctions. A second source stated that the price of Urals Oil has dropped below the $60 per barrel price cap established by the Group of Seven countries, allowing for access to shipping services in the west. India, the second largest importer of crude oil from Russia, has said it will only buy Russian oil if it is supplied by companies and ships that have not been sanctioned by the United States. India, the No.2 importer of Russian crude oil, said that it would only buy Russian oil if it was supplied by companies or ships not sanctioned by America. India has become the largest buyer of Russian oil shipped by sea at a discounted price after Western nations imposed sanction on Moscow in response to its invasion of Ukraine 2022. India does not follow individual country sanctions but rather follows the United Nations. However, the fear of secondary sanctions from the United States is a problem because Indian banks and companies are heavily exposed to the U.S. Financial System.
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Amazon and Google pledge support for tripling nuclear energy capacity by 2020
Amazon and Google, among others, signed an agreement on Wednesday to support the goal of tripling nuclear energy production in the world by 2050. The pledge was made on the sidelines CERAWeek's conference in Houston. The pledge was also signed by the Japanese heavy equipment maker IHI Corp and the Shale company Occidental. In a press statement, the World Nuclear Association, the nuclear industry group which facilitated the pledge said that the pledge would gain support from other industries, including aviation, maritime and oil and natural gas. This pledge is in addition to over 30 other countries' vows to triple their capacity by 2050, also by 2023. According to WNA, nuclear energy is a clean source of power that generates 9% the world's electric power from 439 power plants. By early 2025, there will only be 411 nuclear reactors in operation, with a combined power of 371 gigawatts. (Reporting from Seher Dareen, Bengaluru. Editing by Shreya Biwas)
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Ukraine reports four deaths in Russian attack on grain ship in Odesa port
The Ukrainian authorities reported that a Russian missile strike on Tuesday destroyed a grain ship in the Black Sea Port of Odesa and killed four people. Oleksiy Kuleba, Ukraine's Deputy Premier, said that a ballistic missile hit the MJ Pinar Bulk Carrier, which was loading wheat to Algeria. The attack killed four Syrians, injured another Syrian, and also injured a Ukrainian. Kuleba stated that "Russia is attacking Ukraine’s infrastructure, including its ports, which play a role in ensuring food security around the world." The global grain merchant Louis Dreyfus Company stated in an email that the vessel was loading at Brooklyn-Kiev Terminal at Odesa Port, and terminal infrastructure had also been damaged. LDC reported that its terminal employees are safe. The dead were among the crew members of the chartered ship. Kuleba stated that another vessel had also been damaged without providing further details. Ukraine is also a major grain producer, just like Russia. It managed to restore large-scale shipping exports during wartime, despite Russian attacks on ports. Chicago wheat futures - a benchmark for global prices - were little changed Wednesday. Ukraine reported additional Russian strikes over night as the war continues to rage in parallel with U.S. efforts at negotiating a ceasefire. (Reporting and editing by Hugh Lawson, Yuliia Dysa, Pavel Polityuk, and Gus Trompiz)
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Vietnam and Singapore agree to strengthen ties, cooperate on subsea cable
Singapore and Vietnam agreed on Wednesday to intensify their cooperation in the areas of subsea cable, finance and energy. This marked an upgrade to Vietnam's top level in their relationship, during a trip by To Lam, the Communist Party chief in Vietnam, to Singapore. Singapore is the third Southeast Asian country, after Malaysia, and Indonesia, that Vietnam has "established a comprehensive strategic relationship" with. In a statement issued following the upgrade, Lam, Singapore's Premier Lawrence Wong, witnessed the exchange six agreements, and discussed cooperation on undersea cables development, digital connectivity and cross-border information flows. Southeast Asian countries are a major junction of cables connecting Asia and Europe. They aim to expand their network to meet the increasing demand for AI services, data centres, etc. Vietnam alone is planning to launch ten new submarine cables before 2030. In December, reported Sources familiar with the situation claim that Singaporean asset manager Keppel, and Vietnamese conglomerate Sovico Group discussed plans to build new undersea fibre-optic cables in order to boost the data centre industry of the region. Viettel, the state-owned Vietnamese telecom company, and Singtel, Singapore's Singtel, announced in April of last year a preliminary deal to build an undersea fiber optic cable that would connect Vietnam to Singapore. However, no contract for construction has yet been announced. Both leaders discussed peace, stability and industrial park expansion. In a joint statement, Singapore committed to supporting Vietnam in the development of international financial centers. Singapore is the top foreign investor in Vietnam, with $10.21 billion invested last year. This accounted for 27 percent of Vietnam's foreign investment. (Reporting and editing by Himani Sarkar, Christian Schmollinger and Phuong Vu)
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Japan's major firms have agreed to large wage increases for the third consecutive year
Many of Japan’s largest companies, from Toyota to the tech conglomerates, have responded to union demands for wage increases for a third year in a row. They are trying to help employees cope with inflation while retaining staff due to labour shortages. On Wednesday, as annual "shunto", or "spring labor offensive" negotiations concluded at top firms, Hitachi Electronics said that it had agreed to an unprecedented 6.2% increase in wages per month in accordance with union demands. Toyota, Japan's largest carmaker, and the leading manufacturer in the country, has agreed to raises up to 24,450 Japanese yen ($165), as well as bonuses equivalent to 7,6 months of salary. The company did not reveal a percentage for the increase, but stated that the total pay increase for all employees will be the same as last year's which was the highest since 1999. A weaker yen and record corporate profits also helped to support the decision to raise pay this year. Economists predict that the average pay increase will be similar to the 5.1% increase last year, which was the largest increase in 33-years and allowed the central bank's super-loose policy to end. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, NEC and other electronics companies also fully responded to the union's demands. Prior to 2023, the annual wage increases in Japan were only 1-2%. As a result, Japan is still well below the average of the OECD rich country group. Rengo, Japan’s largest umbrella group of labour unions with 7 million members said last week that its unions wanted an average increase of 6.09%. This was up from 5.85% the previous year, and marked the first time in more than 32 years when a higher rate had been requested. The "shunto", or "pay-increase" talks, this year are largely focused on whether small and medium sized companies which employ 70% of Japan's workers will also see strong increases in pay. Toyota plans to increase its payments for domestic components in order to fund the pay increases of suppliers. The Bank of Japan is expected to raise its policy rate to 0.5% from the current very low level. The government of Prime Minister Shigeru Shiba also wants to increase wages to stimulate consumer spending, as rising food prices and other essentials have kept inflation-adjusted wage growth at around zero. In January, the consumer inflation rate, which is used to calculate real salaries, including fresh food but excluding rent costs, increased to 4.7% on an annual basis. This was the highest reading for two years. Kazutaka M. Maeda is an economist with the Meiji Yasuda Research Institute. He said that a 5-5.5% pay increase this year "would just offset inflation, and not drive consumers spending." ($1 = 147.8900 yen) (Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki; Additional reporting by Ritsuko Shimizu, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Kentaro Okasaka and Kathleen Benoza; Editing by Edwina Gibbs) The annual salary talks are a defining feature of Japanese business. Relations between management and labour tend to be closer than in other countries. ($1 = 147.8900yen) (Reporting and editing by Edwina G. Gibbs; Additional reporting from Makiko Yamazaki, Ritsuko Shiraki Tetsushi Kajmoto Kentaro Okasaka Kathleen Benoza)
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Yemen's Houthis will resume attacking Israeli ships after Gaza Aid deadline has ended
Yemen's Houthis announced on Tuesday that they will resume attacks against Israeli ships traveling through the Red, Arabian and Gulf of Aden seas as well as the Bab al-Mandab strait. This marks the end of a relative calm which began in January, when the Gaza ceasefire was signed. From November 2023 onwards, the Houthis launched over 100 attacks against shipping. They claimed to be in solidarity with Palestinians due to Israel's conflict with Hamas. The group, which was responsible for the disruption of global shipping by forcing companies to take longer and more costly journeys through southern Africa, also sank and seized two ships during that time. The leader of Yemen’s Houthis warned Friday that the group will resume its naval attacks against Israel if Israel does not lift its blockade of Gaza aid within four days. Israel stopped aid trucks from entering Gaza on March 2 as the standoff over the ceasefire escalated. Hamas called for Egyptian and Qatari mediation to intervene. The group stated in a statement sent via email on Wednesday that "this ban will remain in place until the crossings into the Gaza Strip are opened and humanitarian aid including food and medical supply is allowed to be entered." They added that the ban was effective immediately. After President Donald Trump called for it, the U.S. State Department announced earlier this month that they were implementing the designation as a "foreign terror organization". Trump's January 2019 Agenda re-designated The Houthi movement is being designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, in order to punish it for its attacks against commercial shipping in Red Sea and U.S. warships that defend the vital maritime area. (Reporting from Jaidaa T. Taha in Cairo, Menna A. Alaa Eldin in Dubai, and Stephen Coates and Leslie Adler in New York)
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If Trump's trade war escalates, Canada may restrict its oil exports.
Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada's Energy Minister, said that if the trade dispute escalates with the U.S. further, Canada may take non-tariff steps such as limiting its oil exports or levying duties on exports. "When we talk about non-tariff reprisal, it can be about limiting supply or putting our export duties on certain products. Wilkinson told a reporter that it could go beyond energy and minerals. He also suggested that non-tariff measures could be used on minerals of critical importance, forcing the U.S. even more to depend on China. He said, "Everything's on the table." Canada is the largest supplier of oil imported to the United States. It provides around 4 million barrels a day, mainly to Midwest refineries that are designed to run the Canadian grades. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, escalated Tuesday's trade war against Canada. He promised to double tariffs that would take effect in just hours on all steel and aluminum imports from America's neighbor. However, he said later that he was likely to lower them if Canadian officials agreed to talk. Trump's latest salvo follows Ontario Premier Doug Ford's statement that he will impose a 25% surcharge to the electricity Canada's largest province supplies to over one million U.S. households unless Trump drops his tariff threats against Canada exports. Ford agreed to drop the surcharge after meeting with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, urging for cooler heads. Brian Jean, Alberta's Energy Minister, who is responsible for the majority of Canada's Oil Industry, stated earlier Tuesday that he wanted to de-escalate this dispute and provided Washington with several options. Canada has limited options for sending oil to other markets, so any restrictions on Canada's oil imports from the United States will hurt Canadian producers. Wilkinson stated that the Trans Mountain pipeline, as well as rail, could be used to transport some Canadian oil. He added, "I don't believe the threat is as great as it might be in other sectors for Canada's oil producers." Wilkinson said Canada may impose tariffs on U.S. Ethanol as part of the second tranche of trade sanctions if Trump escalates the trade war. Wilkinson stated that U.S. Ethanol, an important trade product for U.S. Farmers, would be "absolutely" included in the list if Trump were to move forward with his plans to impose tariffs of 25% on Canadian goods by April. Canada has threatened to impose retaliatory duties on US imports worth $155 billion. The first tranche of goods to be affected by tariffs is $30 billion, but the rest of the list will also be considered. Exports of U.S.-made ethanol to Canada have reached record levels in recent months, helping Canada to meet its clean fuel program. Wilkinson stated that it is cheaper than Canadian ethanol due to the subsidies provided by the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. Farmers sent a record 1,54 million gallons ethanol to Canada last September, which is roughly twice the amount three years earlier. "We began the day at one point. "Things went in many directions and we ended back where we were yesterday," Wilkinson said about the rapid-fire movements that scrambled the financial markets. "It's crucial that we reach a conclusion that includes the removal of tariffs as soon as possible." Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw in Houston and Arathy Sommesekhar; Editing and proofreading by Nia and Lincoln Feast.
Owner says that the Russian captain arrested in UK ship accident is the one who was at fault.
The German company that owns the ship said Wednesday that the Russian national who was arrested in connection with the crash of a U.S.-flagged tanker near the coasts of England, is the captain.
On Monday, the Solong collided with the Stena Immaculate tanker, which was carrying jet fuel to the U.S. Military. The captain of the Solong was arrested by British police on suspicions of gross negligence and manslaughter a day later.
The 59-year-old man is still in police custody, according to the police.
Owner Ernst Russ, based in Hamburg, said that the Russian captain of the Portuguese flagged Solong is also the crew mix.
Stena Immaculate, which was at anchor, was hit by the smaller Solong, causing massive fires and explosions. One crew member was presumed to be dead and one was missing. Fuel was released into the ocean, causing concerns about its impact on the environment.
The Telegraph reported, as speculation about the collision's cause grows, that the Solong failed a steering-related safety test last year. This was based on a routine safety inspection carried out in Dublin by Irish officials in July.
(source: Reuters)