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The resumption of Colombian coffee production could take several weeks. Processing is also affected.
Market participants stated on Friday that the normalization of Colombian coffee logistics, including the return of beans to a major exporting port, and then to export markets could take up to two weeks. Fixing processing installations may take even longer. Market participants said that the 7.4-magnitude quake in the Colombian coffee region?killed almost 300 people, caused landslides along dozens of roads and destroyed a number of warehouses and export ports. Carlos Santana is a director of global coffee trader ECOM. He said that he estimates it will take 15 days to normalize the coffee flow. Colombia supplies around 25% of coffee beans consumed in the United States. This is the largest market for the beans. He added, "The port is not closed but it's hard to get the coffee there and several warehouses have structural damage." ATM Terminals, which manages the Buenaventura Port, has said that operations have been gradually resumed. This includes movement in the port warehouses of coffee and sugar. However, it is not yet open to receiving more containers filled for export. According to the company, the earthquake caused structural and machine damage at the dry mill run by Caravela Coffee, located in Armenia, an area in the west-central region of Colombia's main "coffee belt". The?shared on social media a CCTV video showing the moment of tremor. The mill is used for processing green coffee to make it ready for export. "We don't know yet when we will be able to restart our operations safely. "We are still dealing with the lack of electricity in the mill," said Caravela's Chief Executive Alejandro Cadena. The coffee supply will be?tightened by the?temporary suspension of Colombian shipments. Expana, a price reporting and analyst agency, said that the event occurred amid ICE-certified arabica stock shortages. This kept nearby supply tight. Buyers looked to Brazil to offset any Colombian disruptions. (Reporting and editing by Alistair Bell; Marcelo Teixeira)
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Mexico races to remove record seaweed growth from Caribbean beaches
Mexico is battling a record amount of sargassum, a brown seaweed that has a foul smell. The seaweed is choking beaches along the Caribbean coast. According to new data, officials in Quintana-Roo, which is home to popular resorts such as Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and 'Tulum,' have cleared 105,000 metric tonnes of sargassum this year. This figure already surpasses the previous record of 92,783 metric tons set last year. This haul puts the state in a position to surpass earlier projections of 2026, and intensify what officials describe as one of "the worst sargassum season on record." The authorities had estimated that 119,000 tons of sargassum could wash up on the shore this year. Scientists believe the massive blooms have been fueled by fertiliser-rich runoff, including nitrogen and phosphorus from Brazil and other agricultural powerhouses. As the seaweed rots, it releases hydrogen sulfide which irritates the nasal airways. Oscar Rebora is the Quintana Roo environment minister. He said that forecasts are uncertain. Rebora added that the most recent tally as of Tuesday was the current one. He said that Playa del Carmen had the highest volume of seaweed collected to date. The seaweed is a constant for workers who are charged with cleaning the beaches. Vitinia Villemontes, a cleanup worker in Puerto?Morelos said that sargassum has been arriving non-stop. "This year, it just didn't stop." "Sargassum continued to arrive from July to July," she said. "It is virtually impossible to keep it under control." Sargassum is a weed that has been encroaching on beaches in the 'Caribbean for the last decade. It threatens the tourism industry, which underpins the economy of Quintana Roo. Some companies claim that creating a market to sell the algae could offset the high costs of collection. Carbonwave, a company that processes sargassum to?liquid biostimulants, fertilizers and other products, said: "We believe creating value out of it is one of the strategies we can use to reduce the sargassum issue." Mexico's Environment Ministry has identified dozens projects to turn sargassum products into bioplastics, biofuels, and fertilizers. The government's support for commercializing the sargassum is limited. Most of its funds are still used to clean up. (Reporting and Writing by Daina-Beth Solomon, Andrea Ricci and Paola Chiomante)
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India reduces windfall tax on petrol, diesel and aviation fuel exports
According to a government directive, India has reduced 'windfall taxes' on the export of?petrol?,?diesel? and?aviation?turbine fuel? with effect from Saturday. The government order showed that the duty on diesel exports was reduced to 24 Indian rupees ($0.2515) a litre (down from 25.5 rupees) and the duty on petrol was set at zero rupees per kilogram. The tax on "aviation turbine fuel" has been reduced to 19.5 rupees a litre, from 22 rupees previously. India introduced windfall taxes to capture the extraordinary gains from rising oil prices in July 2022. Two years later, it scrapped them. The levy was introduced in March 2026, after oil prices spiked during the U.S./Israeli war against?Iran. India revises its export levies based on the international price of?crude oil and petroleum-based products every two weeks.
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US puts pressure on EU to "deliver" on non-tariff commitments
On 'Friday, the United States called on the European Union to relax its laws that place a?responsibility? on large companies for the environmental and social?impact? of their global supply chain. The United States claimed the EU had promised such measures wouldn't hamper EU-U.S. commerce. U.S. U.S. Now it's up to the EU. "Under the Framework Agreement, EU pledged to?ensure that its Corporate Sustainability due Diligence Directive (CSR) and Corporate Sustainability reporting Directive (CSR) 'does not impose undue restrictions on the transatlantic trade", Puzder wrote. "Extraterritorial Provisions harm American businesses and workers but not only the U.S. will suffer." According to Puzder, EU laws require that large companies, including U.S.-based firms, operating in the EU disclose their environmental and societal impacts, as well as working conditions, across their supply chain. According to a spokesperson for the European Commission, the EU and U.S. continue to work together on non-tariff and tariff issues. The spokesperson stated that the EU had explained its non-tariff rules and stressed its willingness to work with the U.S. in order to increase trade wherever possible. The spokesperson added: "We have always been clear that our rules framework and regulatory autonomy are not negotiable." Washington also wants the EU to amend the Carbon Border Adjustment Method (CBAM), a system that imposes fees on goods imported without meeting EU standards for carbon emissions. New pressure is being applied as U.S. officials and EU officials focus on non-tariff obstacles after the tariff commitments made in July 2025 have taken effect. Three sources familiar with the talks said that they expect joint statements to be released in the fall covering the non-tariff components of the Turnberry Agreement. Brussels has already weakened some of the policies that Washington criticised over the last year, including its anti-deforestation laws and methane emission rules. Sources familiar with EU policy said that the bloc did not plan to make any further concessions. SUSTAINABILITY RULES Last year, the EU also reduced its corporate sustainability regulations, known as CSRD or CSDDD after being pushed by businesses and governments, including those of the U.S.A. and Qatar. Changes agreed in December restricted the scope of Corporate Sustainability Due diligence Directive (CSDDD), and delayed the deadline for compliance by two years, to mid-2029. Corporate Sustainability Reporting (CSRD), a directive that requires companies to disclose their environmental and social impact, will only apply to firms with more than 1,000 workers, compared to the original threshold of over 250 employees. U.S. firms, such as ExxonMobil, had sought more extensive changes including an exemption of foreign firms. A statement that accompanied Puzder's blog post stated: "While the United States recognizes some positive changes in the December 2020 Sustainability Omnibus (Sustainability Omnibus), these reforms did not fully address U.S. concern regarding these directives."
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South Africa's Traxtion Bets on Regional Rail Reforms and Mineral Boom
Traxtion, the South African rail service provider, is positioning itself for a?profitable regional mineral boom as well as sweeping reforms on the continent which are opening up freight rail networks to private firms. Traxtion announced in December a rolling stock investment program of 3.4 billion rands ($210 million), to increase its capacity and help support rail reforms in a region which exports important minerals such as copper and lithium. This investment includes the purchase of 46 locomotives, 920 wagons. Holley said: "The fact we announced this investment shows our confidence in the direction in which the rail freight industry is heading, both in South Africa and the region." South Africa has opened its state-owned rail freight?network up to private operators via an open-access system. This allows them to run trains on state-owned infrastructure to increase capacity, efficiency, and private investment. Traxtion also operates in other mineral-rich nations, such as Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo. They are opening their freight rail networks up to private firms through concessions to increase commodity exports. Trafigura has been awarded a 30-year contract in Angola for the Lobito Corridor Railway, and the DRC gave Mota-Engil the concession to upgrade the rail infrastructure connecting Congolese mines with?Lobito. A $1.4 billion Chinese-backed contract is revamping the TAZARA rail link between Tanzania and Zambia, while Zimbabwe has a $533,000,000 rail modernisation program with China Railway International Group. Holley stated that the regional rail policy environment needs to be improved to allow private operators to raise funds and create an interconnected network of?interstates, in order to increase efficiency and lower costs. He added that "this consolidation of the open-access policy in the region represents a fundamental change in the way freight will be moved."
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US puts pressure on EU to "deliver" on non-tariff commitments
The United States called on the European Union to ease laws that place a'responsibility' on large companies for their global supply chain environmental and social impact. They argued the EU had promised such measures wouldn’t hamper EU-U.S. commerce. U.S. U.S. Now it's up to the EU to deliver. "Under the Framework Agreement, EU committed to 'ensure' that Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence directive and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive 'does not pose unnecessarily restrictions on transatlantic commerce'," Puzder wrote. The U.S. will not be the only one to suffer from extraterritorial laws. "Those who suffer will be Americans." According to the EU laws, Puzder, large companies in Europe, including U.S.-based firms, are required to disclose their environmental, social, and working conditions impacts. A spokesperson for the European Commission did not respond immediately to a question?for comments. Washington also wants the EU to amend the Carbon Border Adjustment Method (CBAM), a mechanism that imposes fees on goods imported without meeting the bloc’s carbon emission standards. After the tariff agreements agreed on in July 2025 came into effect, U.S. officials and EU officials are now focusing their attention on non-tariff obstacles. Three sources familiarized with the talks said that they expect joint statements to be released in the fall covering the non-tariff components of the Turnberry Agreement. Brussels has already'softened' some of the policies that Washington criticised over the last year, such as its anti-deforestation laws and methane emission rules. Sources familiar with EU policy said that the bloc did not plan to make any further concessions. SUSTAINABILITY RULES Last year, the EU also reduced its corporate sustainability regulations, known as?CSRD and?"CSDDD?, after being pushed by businesses and governments, including those of the U.S. The changes agreed in December restricted the scope of Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), to the largest companies, and extended the deadline for compliance by two years until mid-2029. The 'Corporate Sustainability reporting Directive (CSRD)', which requires companies report their environmental and social impact, will only apply to firms that have more than 1,000 employees. This is a change from the original threshold of over 250 employees. ExxonMobil and other U.S. firms had asked for broader changes including an exemption for all foreign firms. A statement that accompanied Puzder's blog post stated: "While the United States recognizes some positive changes in the December 2020 Sustainability Omnibus but those reforms have failed to address U.S. concern regarding these directives."
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Sources say that the Sheskharis terminal in Russia's Black Sea halted loadings following a drone attack.
Three sources familiar with the matter confirmed that the suspension of crude oil exports was due to a drone attack on Friday. This added to the disruptions at one of the country's main export outlets. Sheskharis, Russia's largest oil export facility in the Black Sea, handles approximately 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The shutdown of the Sheskharis terminal adds pressure to Russia's energy infrastructure, which has been repeatedly attacked in recent months. On Friday, the administration of Novorossiysk sent out a new drone alert to residents. This indicates that there is a continuing threat in the port area. A source said that a tanker, which was scheduled to load crude oil at the port, left early Friday morning for the 'open sea' after a drone attempted attack on the terminal. The source said that as a result, the port stopped receiving crude oil at the terminal and suspended loading of crude because the storage tanks were full. Sources could not be identified due to?the sensitive nature of the issue. The disruption comes after a period in which export volumes were high. According to a source familiar with export data, crude loadings from Novorossiysk were close to 1,000,000 bpd by July, and about 800,000 bpd by June. Novorossiysk exports?Russian Urals crude oil, Kazakhstan's KEBCO mixture and?Siberian Light Oil. The suspension comes after a series disruptions in oil exports out of Russia's Black Sea coast. Last month, Ukrainian drone attacks temporarily stopped loadings at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal near Novorossiysk. This reduced exports of CPC Blend and affected supplies to major customers, including Turkey.
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Boeing's Wisk Sale is unlikely to spark another divestment Round
Analysts said that Boeing's announcement that it was selling Wisk 'Aero this week is less of a sign 'of a wider breakup' than an attempt to "shed" a struggling non-core business which had become a distraction for the aerospace giant's efforts to turn around. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg had previously stated that he planned to sell non-essential components of the company, including its subsidiaries, in order to stabilize the balance sheet and focus more on its core business -- commercial aviation, defense and space. Since 2024 when the portfolio review was completed, only two major sales have taken place: Jeppesen, a digital aviation services provider, for $10,6 billion in 2025, and Monday's purchase of Wisk, drone manufacturer Insitu, and airspace-services company SkyGrid, for a nearly 20% share in Archer Aviation. The Archer stake, which Boeing will not receive until the deal is closed, is only worth a little over $1 billion according to its Thursday night share price. The company received a much-needed cash injection to stabilize its balance sheet by selling Jeppesen, but the sale of Wisk was a risky distraction and a way to offload risks. The development and certification of 'air taxis' and similar aircraft took a lot longer and cost more money than the advocates expected. They must still prove that they are viable commercially and overcome significant regulatory hurdles. Aboulafia stated that Wisk cost Boeing time and money, but there was no obvious payoff. Boeing sold Wisk Aero to other major electric vertical lift-off and landing (eVTOL), but they declined the sale. This deal is a win-win situation Boeing and Archer have agreed to a?collaboration and technology-sharing deal that will allow Boeing to use Wisk's autonomous-flight core technology for its current and future commercial aircraft programs. Brian Yutko said that the deal was a win-win for both parties. Yutko served as CEO of Wisk from May 2025 until he assumed his current position at Boeing. Archer brings together complementary autonomy capabilities and electric aviation technologies developed over many decades. Boeing's equity stake in Archer allows us to maintain market exposure and gain strategic upside. We can also continue to integrate these technologies into our products and sharpen our focus on our core commercial, defence and services businesses. Archer Aviation CEO Adam Goldstein said on X that the share price of Archer was up 24% as of Thursday. This is a significant increase since the announcement of the deal. While some critics saw 'Boeing’s equity stake in the deal as a sign that the company wanted to?offload risk, Archer Aviation Chief Executive Adam Goldstein stated on X: "the deal structure shows that Boeing understands the value of this combination ..." Aboulafia, and other industry experts, said that Boeing is now focused on increasing its jetliner production rather than pruning its portfolio. (Reporting and editing by Kate Maybery in Seattle, with Dan Catchpole reporting from Seattle)
Bousso: The quest of ROI-Gulf Exporters to bypass Hormuz is reshaping the region.
Middle East oil producers will have to face the consequences. The Iran War exposed the dangers of relying solely on one chokepoint to export vital oil and natural gas. Gulf governments were left with a clear strategy imperative: diversify at all costs. A blockade of Strait of Hormuz by Iran was long viewed as an "event of doomsday". It would never occur. Experts believed it would take a massive military effort, and Tehran would not be willing to choke off its own exports. These assumptions proved to be wildly wrong. Iran used cheap drones, small vessels, and mines to impose a nearly airtight blockade, but continued to export its oil.
The result was a global energy crisis that affected the entire region.
The countries lost export revenue and had to close down 11 million barrels of oil per day (bpd), along with refineries and LNG installations.
Washington and Tehran agreed to negotiate an agreement for a permanent ceasefire, but the "Hormuz Genie" can't be put back in the bottle. Future closures now pose a persistent and real risk to the region's economy and its people.
The Gulf countries have become economically dependent on developing alternative routes to export energy, chemicals, and fertilisers.
Pipeline Dreams
Saudi Arabia is the best example of how building pipelines to circumvent Hormuz can be beneficial.
The world's largest oil exporter diverted 60% of its shipments before the war to the Red Sea Port of Yanbu using a pipeline that crossed the country from the Gulf Coast. In the 1980s, Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil company, built the 1,200 kilometre (745 mile) route to protect against such a scenario.
The strategic foresight was rewarded.
In April, the International Monetary Fund stated that it expected Saudi Arabia's economic growth to be 3.1% by 2026. This is just 1.4 percentage point less than its pre-war prediction.
According to the IMF, Qatar's economy, which has no other routes for its oil exports and LNG, could contract by 8.6% in this year after growing by 2.8% by 2025.
Other regional players are taking note.
United Arab Emirates were able to bypass Hormuz in part by using their pipeline?to the Fujairah terminal located outside the Strait. Fujairah was damaged by Iranian fire but the UAE still managed to export 1.8 million barrels per day, or roughly half its pre-war production.
Abu Dhabi, who left OPEC last May to pursue a growth strategy that is ambitious, has now accelerated construction of a new pipeline, doubling export capacity through Fujairah to 2027.
Iraq is still in a very unenviable situation. The majority of the country's production is based in the south, so it is heavily dependent on Hormuz. Companies and authorities in Iraq are therefore looking at ways to improve and expand the northern export routes via Turkey and Syria. Security and political concerns are still major obstacles.
THE QATARI CONUNDRUM
Qatar and Kuwait are faced with a much more complex problem. Both countries, lacking alternative export routes on their own territory, will be forced to rely on neighbours in order to circumvent Hormuz.
Qatar is the world's largest LNG exporter. For Qatar to gain access to beyond the Strait of Gibraltar, it would have to build a pipeline across the Red Sea or through Saudi Arabia, either via Fujairah, Oman or the UAE. Each option has its own geopolitical and economic complications.
Costs would be astronomically higher if such projects required constructing new liquefaction capacities outside of the Gulf.
This would also make Qatar highly dependent on Saudi Arabia and the UAE, countries whose relationship with Doha has?been strained over recent years. This creates the political and strategic risk that Qatar has sought to avoid for years.
Kuwait faces a similar dilemma. To develop alternative export routes, it would be necessary to deepen energy integration with Saudi Arabia. This highlights how geography could reshape future regional alliances.
DIVERSIFICATION OVERSEAS
Diversification of geographic focus beyond the Middle East is another response that has gained traction.
Gulf national oil companies have been expanding overseas operations to create a hedge for future disruptions in the region. QatarEnergy (QE) and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company(ADNOC), which have built international portfolios that include oil, gas, and renewables, are leading the way.
This trend will likely accelerate. Acquiring stakes overseas in upstream assets such as refineries, LNG installations and storage terminals would generate valuable income streams, which are not exposed to Gulf risks. Such investments are a good way to ensure that you can still grow in a world without the certainty of Hormuz.
The race to diversify will shake up government strategies, reshuffle alliances and redirect investments as Middle East producers start the recovery process. It could, in other words reshape this region for many decades.
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(source: Reuters)