East Asia

Four sources with knowledge of the matter say that President Donald Trump’s administration is evaluating a proposal for the creation of an international shipping registry on the U.S. Virgin Islands, as part efforts to expand the small commercial shipping fleet flying under the American flag. The Trump administration believes that increasing the number of U.S. flagged vessels will help the U.S. Commercial Shipping Fleet to better support the military during wartime and reduce Washington's dependency on foreign ships for transporting supplies and equipment along sea routes. The U.S. flag fleet is currently around 187 ships, and only 80 of them...

Sudan's Army said that its anti-aircraft system intercepted drones on Wednesday, which were targeting a Naval Base in Port Sudan, the capital of wartime. There were explosions heard in the city. It was not immediately known if they were near Flamingo's base. Port Sudan was the target of days of attacks, including drone strikes reported by Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. These assaults have destroyed the largest fuel depots in the country and damaged its main humanitarian aid gateway. Since the outbreak of the RSF-Army war in April 2023 that led to mass displacements, famine, and ethnically motivated killings, the...

Calculations based on official sources and data showed that Kazakhstan increased its oil exports from January to March by 7%, to 19.51 million metric tonnes (1.63 millions barrels per day), thanks to an increase in supply via the Caspian Pipeline. The oil output and exports of Kazakhstan, a country that ranks among the top 10 oil producers, are in the spotlight. This is because the Central Asian nation has exceeded the quotas set by the OPEC+ group, which has angered several members, including Saudi Arabia. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium exports oil via the Black Sea from Kazakhstan. Drone attacks have...

China's Guangzhou Port opened a direct shipping route to Chancay Port in Peru on February 2, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The move, it reported, would reduce logistic costs and boost trade with Latin America. Chancay, located north of Lima and offering non-stop trips to Asia, is now open for business. It can accommodate the largest vessels along South America's Pacific Coast. Beijing announced the announcement as it aims to strengthen its relationship with Latin America, a resource-rich region, amid trade tensions between the United States and China. CCTV reported that on Tuesday the 300-metre COSCO Volga vessel was loading...

According to LSEG data and traders, India's purchases of ESPO blend oil from Russia increased in April to their highest level since August 20,24 due to a decline in demand from Chinese companies. ESPO Blend, the flagship grade of light crude oil that Russia exports from Kozmino to Asian markets is most popular with Chinese refiners. Chinese state refiners reduced their purchases of ESPO blend oil in March and April due to sanctions against Russian companies, seasonal maintenance and other factors. This left more barrels for India, the second largest buyer of Russian oil. According to LSEG data and traders,...

China's Foreign Ministry has asked that all parties involved in the planned sale by CK Hutchison of its majority of ports to a BlackRock led consortium "act with caution", state news agency Xinhua said on Monday. As trade tensions between the United States and China intensify, the sale of the Hong Kong conglomerate's two ports, located adjacent to the strategically significant Panama Canal, is becoming highly politicised. The Wall Street Journal reported, on April 16, citing sources familiar with the situation, that MSC, which is a member of the BlackRock Consortium, had held discussions about moving forward with the bulk...

China's top regulator of the market said that it is closely monitoring CK Hutchison’s plans to sell most of its port operations to a BlackRock led consortium, and that parties should not attempt to avoid a review of antitrust. As trade tensions between the United States and China intensify, the sale of the Hong Kong conglomerate's two ports on the strategically significant Panama Canal has become a highly political issue. In a recent statement, the State Administration for Market Regulation stated that "no concentration of undertakings will be implemented without prior approval. Otherwise, legal liability may be incurred." The statement...

Sri Lanka's energy minister announced on Friday that the country will begin work on plans next month to create an energy hub in collaboration with India and United Arab Emirates. The nation is looking to leverage its strategic position to cement a return from the financial crisis. The three signed the deal during the visit of India's PM Narendra Modi to the island this month. He was the first world leader to visit since Anura Kumara dissanayake became president last September. Dissanayake was elected with promises of stability, after the worst financial crises in decades three year ago caused runaway...

Trading documents revealed that Venezuela will export a new medium blend of crude oil this month. This is part of a strategy to prevent a collapse in its revenue-generating sales of oil once the licenses of the U.S. sanctioned OPEC members expire next month. Washington revoked a few licenses in March that it had issued in the past to partners and customers of Venezuelan state company PDVSA for cargoes of Venezuelan oil bound for Spain Italy India and the U.S. The U.S. Treasury Department has given the companies until May 27, to complete their operations in Venezuela and ship all...

Cofco International, The building is constructing its biggest export port Terminal in the World in Brazil said Tuesday that China's state run food group is hiring dozens of people in South America's farm powerhouse. The move highlights the importance of Brazil for the company in the midst of an escalating trade war between the United States of America and China. This tends to increase sales of agricultural products such as soybeans from South American to Asian nations. Cofco's hiring spree in Brazil also comes as U.S.-headquartered competitors like Archer-Daniels-Midland Co and Cargill cut costs and headcount worldwide. Cofco responded to...

Bloomberg News, citing sources familiar with the situation, reported that Gianluigi Aponte, an Italian billionaire, is the main investor in a group looking to purchase 43 ports from the conglomerate CK Hutchison. Bloomberg reported that the Terminal Investment Ltd. (TIL) of the Aponte family, which according to their website manages a portfolio of diverse container terminals, will become the sole owner of the ports after the deal has been completed. Two of the ports in Panama would then be controlled by BlackRock Inc. BlackRock Global Infrastructure Partners, a subsidiary of BlackRock, will own 51% and TIL the remainder of the...

Cosco Shipping, a Chinese port operator, could launch legal proceedings in Peru if the local regulator determines that the prices at Cosco’s Chancay Megaport must be controlled. The firm stated this in a Friday statement. Cosco insisted that Chancay was a competitive market, despite INDECOPI's ruling to the contrary. Chancay has also stated that the Peruvian port authority previously acknowledged its competitiveness. The Peruvian transport agency announced on Thursday that it will regulate the rates at the port, after the market watchdog found the terminal to be operating without enough competition. Chancay, located north of Lima and offering non-stop trips...

Three traders reported that the freight rates for ESPO blend crude shipped from Russia's port of Kozmino into China in April fell to their lowest level since mid-January due to increased availability of tankers. The lower rates will mean that Russian exporters spend less money on freight and get more oil for their money. The freight rates for the route are now around $2-3 million per cargo for April loadings, down from $4-5 million in February and March. This is because more non-sanctioned tanks have entered the ESPO marketplace. Calculations based on data from three trading sources revealed that the...

A source familiar with this matter told Reuters on Thursday that the energy security council of U.S. president Donald Trump plans to hold a summit in Alaska early in June. It hopes Japan and South Korea announce their commitments to the Alaska LNG Project. Trump has praised the $44 billion Alaska LNG project. This project would send gas from North Slope fields in Alaska via a pipeline of 800 miles (1,300 km), for domestic use, and then ship it as LNG to customers in Asia, bypassing Panama Canal. The project has been discussed for many years but has not progressed...

A source familiar with this matter told Reuters on Thursday that the energy security council of President Donald Trump plans to hold a summit in Alaska early in June. It hopes Japanese and South Korean representatives will announce their commitments to the Alaska LNG Project. Trump has praised the $44 billion Alaska LNG project. This project would send gas from North Slope fields in Alaska via an 800-mile pipeline (1,300 km), for domestic use, and then ship it as LNG to customers in Asia, bypassing Panama Canal. The project has been discussed for many years but has not progressed due...

Sources in the trade and industry said that oil exports from Russia's western port are expected to increase this month due to lower crude production at Russian oil plants. However, the OPEC+ production limits may only have a small impact on Moscow’s export plans. The port of Primorsk may increase its daily loadings to an average of 2.0-2.1 million barrels next month, up from the 1.9 million barrels planned for April. Calculations showed that this is an increase of 5-10% per day. On account of low margins, refinery runs could fall by 80,000 to 100,000 barrels per a day. The...

China's capital, Beijing, hunkered in on Saturday after rare typhoons-like gales hit northern regions. The storms forced the closure of historical sites and disrupted travel. They also brought late snowfalls as well as hailstone showers to some areas. Wind gusts shook windows and cars, driven by a cold front from Mongolia. The vortex dropped temperatures by more than 12 degrees Celsius. The official Xinhua News Agency said that the winds will continue to blow over the weekend with gusts up to 150 kph. The winds brought hailstones to southern China and late snowfalls to Inner Mongolia. Beijing has issued its...

On Friday, the Panama Canal Authority announced that it had authorized the bidding for a new pipeline to transport liquefied gas (LPG), across the interoceanic watersway. The planning for projects to increase the capacity of the trans-shipment and storing of goods has increased since the Panama Supreme Court ruled last year that areas near the Canal should be returned to the Panamanian administration. The pipeline will allow LPG vessels discharge at one end while other tankers pick up cargo at the opposite end. This will reduce the traffic of vessels on the waterway. Japan's purchase The project will help to...

The data and calculations provided by sources in the trade industry showed that oil loadings at Russia's western port over the period April 1-8 will increase by 90,000 barrels a day (bpd), compared to the same period last March, to reach around 1.7 million bpd. Calculations showed that the exports and transits of Urals, KEBCO, and Siberian Light grades of oil from Primorsk to Ust-Luga, Novorossiisk and Novorossiisk will increase by 6% per day from March 1-8. Calculations based on three sources show that Russia's daily oil output from its western ports is set to increase by 100,000 barrels a...

PetroChina, Asia's biggest oil and gas producer announced on Sunday that its annual net profit had risen 2%, to a new record, due to moderately increased production, which helped offset lower oil price. PetroChina reported in a filing with the Shanghai Stock Exchange that its net profit in 2024 was 164.7 billion Yuan ($22.68billion), compared to 161.1 billion Yuan in 2023. Revenues also decreased 2.5%, to 2,938.0 Billion Yuan. CNOOC Ltd, a domestic peer company, reported an 11.4% increase in net profits to 137.9 bn yuan on Thursday. However earnings at the refining giant Sinopec dropped 16.8% to 50.3 bn...

Calculations based on three sources show that Russia's daily oil output from its western ports is set to increase by 100,000 barrels a day in April compared to March, as seasonal refinery maintenance will outweigh the production cuts under an OPEC+ deal. Exports and transits of Urals, Kazakh KEBCO, and Siberian Light Oil from Primorsk and Novorossiisk, as well as Ust-Luga, will rise by 5% this April in comparison to March. Sources said that the improved weather conditions and increased availability of tankers will both contribute to the increase in shipments. The United States placed sanctions in January on 183...

Oil Minister Sahabi Omarou announced that the Niger had expelled three Chinese oil executives over a dispute regarding disparities in salaries between expatriate employees and local workers who were paid less. Last week, it was reported that the Niger junta ordered three Chinese oil officials to leave within 48-hours. The officials included directors from the West African Oil Pipeline Company, the China National Petroleum Corporation and the joint venture SORAZ. Oumarou, a journalist on Wednesday, said: "We're not satisfied with how wealth is divided between the Niger state and its partner." He said that the average salary for a Chinese...

Two sources familiar with this decision said on Friday that the Niger junta had ordered three Chinese oil officials to leave the country. This is the latest step taken by regional military governments in an effort to gain greater control over their resources. Sources said that the request for the departure from Niger of the directors of China National Petroleum Corporation, West African Oil Pipeline Company and joint venture SORAZ oil refinery was made Wednesday. One source close to government confirmed that the Chinese officials had left the country on Friday. Another source close to the companies involved said that...

According to data provided by pipeline company KazTransOil, the number of metric tons exported in February, up from January, was 97,300 (roughly 28,000 barrels a day). Kazakhstan relies heavily on Caspian Pipeline Consortium, one of the largest pipelines in the world that crosses Russia and reaches the Black Sea port Novorossiisk. The BTC pipeline is the main alternative route for the CPC. It originates from Azerbaijan, on the other side of the Caspian Sea to Kazakhstan. To get Kazakh oil into Baku, either tanker shipments must be made across the Caspian Sea or a transcaspian pipeline needs to be built....