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South Korea's NOFI offers up to 60,000 tons of soymeal
European traders reported on Wednesday that leading South Korean animal feed manufacturer Nonghyup Feed Inc. has announced an international tender for the purchase of up to 60,000 tons of soymeal, sourced from South America or China. They said that the deadline for submitting price offers to the tender is also on Wednesday, May 14. Soymeal in a consignment between 40,000 and 60,000 metric tonnes was wanted for delivery to South Korea on or around September 20. They said that shipments were needed between July 24 and august 12 for South America, or between September 1 to 20 for China, or between August 18 and september 6 if they came from the U.S. Pacific Northwest Coast. Traders said that they were seeking offers in both outright and cost and freight included (c&f), as well as a premium to the Chicago September 2025 contract for soymeal. NOFI also released a separate bid to purchase up to 138,000 tonnes of animal feed corn, which also closes on Wednesday. (Reporting and editing by Emelia Matarise, Emelia Hogan)
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South Korea's NOFI offers to purchase up to 138,000 T of corn
European traders reported on Wednesday that the leading South Korean feedmaker Nonghyup Feed, or NOFI as it is commonly known, has launched an international tender for up to 138,000 tons of animal feed grain. Also, the deadline for submitting price offers to the tender is Wednesday, May 14th. Two consignments of corn, each ranging from 45,000 to 69,000 tonnes, are expected in South Korea in September. Around September 10, the first corn shipment was expected to arrive in South Korea. Shipping is required between August 8 and 27, if the product comes from the U.S. Pacific Northwest Coast, or the U.S. Gulf, between July 19 and August 7, from South America, between July 14 to 2nd, or from South Africa, between July 24 to 12th. Second corn shipment is expected to arrive in South Korea on or around September 20. If you are sourcing from the U.S. Pacific Northwest Coast, the shipment will be between August 18 and September 6, if from the U.S. Gulf of Mexico between July 29 and August 17, if from South America or South Africa between July 24 and August 12, or a combination between those dates. The sellers have the right of choice in the origins they supply. Traders said that they were looking for offers in both outright prices per tonne c&f as well as a premium to the Chicago September 2025 Corn contract. The traders said that Asian demand was sparked by the Chicago corn futures falling to a five-month low on Tuesday due to technical selling, and good planting conditions in the U.S. Corn Belt. NOFI also announced a separate tender on Wednesday to purchase up to 60,000 tonnes of soymeal. (Reporting and editing by Rashmi aich, with Michael Hogan)
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Maguire: How to gauge China's potential power rebound after the trade truce
The recent agreement between the United States of America and China to pause hostilities in trade for 90 days is likely to spur new activity within China's massive manufacturing sector. This will have repercussions on the country's need for energy. The trade truce, on paper, is only temporary and could be rescinded by either party if they feel unfairly treated in negotiations. The sharp reduction in tariffs during the truce period marks a significant deescalation of trade tensions and should lead to a rebound in output and sentiment among Chinese manufacturers. Here are some key metrics you can use to track the impact of the trade tensions reduction on power generation, emissions and manufacturing output in China in the next few months. CLEAN START As factory production increases across China, the share of clean energy sources in China's overall mix of electricity generation will decline. Ember data shows that clean power sources made up a record 39% (950 TWh) of China's electric supply during the first quarter 2025. This was aided by a 18% increase in the production of clean electricity from the same period of 2024. Clean energy has increased its share in the mix of power generation partly due to Beijing’s efforts to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, which have resulted in a steady increase in clean power production capacity. The subdued tone in China's manufacturing sector between January and March also contributed to a higher share of clean power. Since the beginning of the year, scores of Chinese factories have reduced their output as Trump's tariffs threatened or came into effect. This has led to a reduction in the power consumption of these plants. In turn, this allowed utilities to reduce the use of fossil fuels in electricity generation. Ember data show that fossil fuel-fired power production was down by 4% compared to the previous year, at 1,494 TWh. The use of fossil fuels in China's energy mix will continue to increase, and any sustained improvement in industrial output and factory production is likely to give it a boost. SUMMER PEAK The impending factory production rebound is likely to occur during China's traditionally peak period of power consumption. This could lead to record electricity generation and usage over the summer, regardless of whether the trade truce lasts. China's electricity demand peaks in the summer, due to a greater use of air conditioners. The temperatures can reach over 85 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) in Beijing on average. In order to meet the high demand, power companies tend to rely heavily on fossil fuels, particularly during evenings, when air conditioner usage increases and solar farm production falls. China's energy firms could be forced to reduce fossil fuel generation more than usual if China's massive manufacturing sector increases its collective output in the summer. The use of fossil fuels could reverse the gains that were made in China by using clean energy sources during the first quarter of this year. The increased use of fossil fuels could also cause a new rise in emissions from the power sector, which are already at their highest during summer. This could reach a record high in 2025, if fossil energy production also reaches new heights. OUTPUT MOTOR MONITORING The trade truce is likely to spark an increase in manufacturing, but some materials will see a greater rise in production. Assemblies will increase and stockpiles will be replenished, resulting in a significant increase in the production of resins, plastics, and copper wires. Tariffs reduced, exports of Chinese goods and products are expected to increase in the next few months. Solar cells, toys, furniture, and other items that are not easily produced at scale elsewhere should respond quickly to the lower tariffs. This can give a good indication of the health of China's manufacturing industry. The traffic at key Chinese container port could also be a good indicator of the health of Chinese manufacturers. Shipments of semi-finished and finished products are expected to increase in the coming months. These are the opinions of a columnist who writes for.
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MSCI's May revision includes India's Coromandel and Nykaa in the key index
MSCI added two Indian companies, fertiliser maker Coromandel International as well as beauty products retailer Nykaa, to its Global Standard Index earlier on Wednesday. This was part of the index rejig for May 2025. The key global index does not include any Indian stocks. Changes will take effect after the close of markets on May 30. According to IIFL Alternate Research estimates and JM Financial, the inclusion could result in passive inflows of $216-$227 millions into Coromandel. MSCI has also added Coromandel, as well as airport operator GMR Airports to its India domestic index. Sona BLW Precision Forgings was removed. MSCI's global small-cap index saw 11 new stocks added and 21 deleted. The MSCI India Domestic Small-Cap Index saw 12 stocks added and 21 stocks removed. Due to their increased weights in Global Standard, the drug maker Cipla and telecom infrastructure provider Indus towers as well as textiles and chemicals manufacturer Grasim Industries will likely see passive inflows between $33-$45million, $36-$40million and around $17million. According to IIFL Alternate Research estimates and JM Financial, Astral could experience outflows of $15-17 million as a result of weight reduction. According to IIFL Alternate Research, India's weight within the MSCI Global Standard Index has increased marginally from 19.4% to 19.4%. India's weight in the MSCI Global Standard index was about 19% at the time of the February revision. MSCI's last revision in February added Hyundai Motor to its global standard index and removed Adani Green Energy.
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Documents show that Venezuela has topped up its heavy naphtha stock ahead of the expiration date for licenses.
According to shipping documents, Venezuela's PDVSA increased imports of heavy naphthalene, a fuel that is used to dilute the extra-heavy oil produced and to make it exportable. This was done in anticipation of expiring U.S. licensing this month. Since 2022, the U.S. Treasury Department allowed Venezuela to import oil diluents as part of oil exchanges with joint-venture partners and customers. But in March, President Donald Trump’s administration revoked licenses authorizing these deals and gave companies until 25 May to end transactions. PDVSA only delivers Venezuelan crude oil to customers who can pay in advance for the cargoes, or exchange them for diluents such as heavy naphtha and light crude. Last month, cargoes for U.S. Chevron had to be canceled due to payment uncertainty. Venezuela requires diluents in order to produce crude grades that are exportable. The imports of naphtha have restocked the stocks of the state oil company, providing diluents to cover future months, and compensating for lower productions of medium and light crudes in Venezuela, which are also used as diluents. A shipper who deals in imports said, "There is so much heavy naphtha that there are no tanks available at this time. They have to stop cargo discharges and look for other storage options. They use floating storage vessels." Documents show that the extra oil supply will double Venezuela's oil exports to 165,000 barrels a day (bpd), including foreign crude, naphtha, and other fuels. PDVSA agreed last month to a major deal with Maurel & Prom, a partner of its company, and Vitol. The agreement increased the volume of a longstanding swap between crude oil and naphtha. The agreement stipulates that the Venezuelan crude oil will be shipped to the United States and the U.S. Naphtha to PDVSA. PDVSA, Maurel & Prom and PDVSA did not respond to requests for comments. Vitol declined comment. Documents show that PDVSA imported light oil and naphtha from other sources. Documents show that PDVSA inventories at Jose port of crude oil and naphtha have exceeded 9 million barrels this week. In February, they were only 6.6 million. Reporting by Staff
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Carney unveils cabinet to restore US-Canada relations
Mark Carney, the Canadian Prime Minister who won a re-election last month on a promise to take on U.S. president Donald Trump, announced a new Cabinet Tuesday, which he claimed would help define a brand new relationship between Canada and the United States. Carney reduced the number of Ministers from 39 to 29, but kept key players like Finance Minister Francois Philippe Champagne and Dominic LeBlanc who is responsible for U.S. Trade. After four years, he transferred Melanie Joly to Industry from Foreign Affairs and replaced her by Anita Anand. In a press release, Carney's Office said that "Canadians voted this new government because they had a mandate to establish a new relationship of economics and security with the United States. (And) to build a more robust economy." "... "This focused team will act with urgency and determination on this mandate for a change." Chrystia Freiland, whose resignation from the Finance Ministry in December last year helped to oust a Trudeau who was becoming increasingly unpopular, retains her position as Minister of Transport and Internal Trade. Jonathan Wilkinson was removed from the cabinet and replaced by Tim Hodgson, a former Goldman Sachs banker. Carney claims that Canada must invest billions of dollars to begin shifting the focus of the economy away from the United States. He also promises to reduce government spending. He has made immediate promises of a tax reduction and the removal of all trade barriers between provinces. The Liberal platform, with its promise of additional spending in the range of C$130 billion (US$92.85 billion), predicts a deficit for 2025-2026 that is C$62.3billion, a far greater amount than the C$42.2billion forecasted by December. ($1 = 1.4001. Canadian Dollars) (Writing and Editing by Rod Nickel).
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India accepts additional Russian marine insurers
A government notification shows that India has approved the use of three Russian insurers including Sberbank, which provides marine insurance to ships entering Indian ports. This will help Moscow to maintain oil supplies on a major market. India is now the second largest buyer of Russian oil by sea after China, as Western nations have shunned purchasing and imposed sanctions against Moscow because of its military actions in Ukraine. India has now recognised eight Russian entities as eligible to offer protection and indemnity coverage (P&I). The order stated that the permits for Sberbank Insurance Ugoria, and ASTK will be valid until 20 February 2026. Last month, it was reported that three companies were seeking approval from Indian shipping regulators to provide P&I coverage. Oil cargoes, which are at risk of spills and require the highest standards in safety due to their high value, need insurance. The International Group of P&I Clubs does not cover Russian entities for claims of personal injury and environmental cleanup. The United States and European Union have been increasing their scrutiny of Russia's supply chain for oil, and this includes compliance with the price cap established by the Group of Seven Democracies, which applies to the use of Western vessels and insurance. This has made it more difficult for Moscow export its oil. In order to circumvent the restrictions, Indian refiners purchase Russian oil delivered, and sellers provide vessels and insurance. In February, India's oil minister said that the country only wanted to purchase Russian oil from companies and vessels that were not subject to U.S. sanction. (Editing by Louise Heavens, Mark Potter and Mark Potter).
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Maguire: Tracking Texas power system as heat waves loom in Texas
A heat wave that is expected to bring temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit this week is causing the main power system in Texas to prepare for an increase in electricity demand. Electric Reliability Council of Texas reported that the growing demand for electricity from industry and data centres, along with widespread air conditioning use, is expected to push peak electricity usage to an all-time high of 84,000 megawatts this week. According to industry analysts this demand load is 9% higher than the previous peak demand for May. This will put one of the largest power systems in the country under extreme strain over the next few days. Here are some key tools power analysts can utilize to monitor how the ERCOT is performing. REAL-TIME MONITORING Power trading tools, such as LSEG Workspace, allow analysts to monitor the forecasts of temperatures, peak loads and power supply from major generation sources. The latest weather forecasts tracked by LSEG predict that temperatures in the ERCOT will average around 82 Fahrenheit (28 Celsius) from May 16 to June 30, which is approximately 7 degrees or 9% higher than the long-term mean. Power demand models predict an increase in the system load between May 12 and 16. LSEG's average weather-based models of power demand predict that the power demand from May 12 to May 16 will be approximately 30% higher than the current power load. Analysts can track the evolution of the power generation mix at ERCOT in the next few days as a response to the increase in electricity demand. In the near future, solar farms and natural gas plants will be the largest sources of power within the ERCOT network. Wind farms, coal and nuclear reactors will also play a key role in the supply. This week, analysts can track the power prices to see how the strain on the ERCOT is affecting consumers. LSEG Workspace, along with other tools for the power system, provides real-time power prices and day-ahead estimates across the key regions of the ERCOT network. This allows traders to identify potential localized hotspots within the broader system. WIDER LENS Analysts can also use tools to track the evolution of ERCOT's power system over time. This allows them to compare how well-equipped system managers were in previous grid strain periods. Cleanview, an energy data portal, allows analysts and power supply analysts to track the capacity increase of battery storage systems. Cleanview's website shows that since 2023, Texas added nearly 4,400 megawatts of battery storage and around 9,000 MW of solar generation. These capacity additions were the most among all the states in that time period, and show that the ERCOT managers have been aggressive about adding storage and generation capacity to the network. Analysts can track ERCOT's power mix over time by generation share, giving them a better understanding of how ERCOT managers adjust system resources to meet demands. Gridstatus.io, an online monitoring tool for electricity, allows analysts to view how battery storage plays a growing role in providing extra power during peak demand periods. Batteries supplied more than 9% of the total ERCOT electricity between 8 pm and 9 pm on May 11. This was higher than the amount supplied by wind farms or nuclear reactors during the same time period. Batteries continue to be a vital component of the system balance this week. This is especially true when solar power drops at night, just as families across the state return from school and work and turn on their cooling systems. These are the opinions of the columnist, an author for.
What is the issue in US discussions with Ukraine and Russia
U.S. officials will meet with negotiators in Saudi Arabia from Ukraine and Russia to discuss details of the proposed 30-day ceasefire for strikes on energy infrastructure as well as an overall peace agreement. Negotiators from Russia and Ukraine will not be present in the same meeting room. On Sunday night, officials from Kyiv will meet with the U.S. delegation in Riyadh. Then, on Monday, the Russian and U.S. negotiators will meet. Last week, U.S. president Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in order to promote his efforts to end the three year war in Ukraine. Here are some issues that Russia and the U.S. are currently discussing:
ENDING ATTACKS ENERGY INFRASSTRUCTURE
According to the White House, Trump and Putin agreed last week that "the movement towards peace will begin", with a 30 day pause on attacks against Russian and Ukrainian energy installations.
The ceasefire, which was narrowly defined, has been cast into doubt. Moscow claims that Ukraine struck an oil depot in southern Russia, while Kyiv says Russia struck hospitals, homes and knocked power out to some railways.
Zelenskiy stated that Kyiv will draw up a listing of facilities which could be included in the partial ceasefire. He said that the list could not only include energy infrastructure but also rail or port infrastructure. A moratorium on energy-infrastructure strikes may favour Moscow over Kyiv. This is because it will prevent Ukraine from launching long-range attacks on Russian oil installations, which has been a major way to inflict pain on its adversary.
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
In a U.S. press release, Trump said that during his phone call with Zelenskiy, he had suggested the U.S. might help manage, and even own, Ukraine's energy infrastructure and nuclear power plants.
Zelenskiy stated that he and Trump had discussed the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia plant in Ukraine, Europe’s largest nuclear facility. Russia and Ukraine both accuse each other of putting the nuclear plant at risk by their actions.
Zelenskiy stated that Kyiv was ready to discuss U.S. participation in modernizing the facility if it returned to Ukraine.
Ukraine will benefit long-term from regaining the control of this facility that generated 20% of all its power production before the war.
Zelenskiy warned that it would take at least two and a quarter years to bring the plant up and running due to the numerous technical problems it faces. According to industry sources, it would take huge amounts of investment.
BLACK SEA SHIPPING The Kremlin stated that Putin had "responded in a constructive manner" to a Trump proposal on protecting Black Sea Shipping and they have agreed to start negotiations.
The United Nations and Turkey helped to mediate a deal in July 2022, the so-called Black Sea Grain Initiative. This allowed for the safe exportation of 33 million metric tonnes of Ukrainian grain across Black Sea despite war.
After a year of protesting that the exports of its food and fertilizer were severely hindered, Russia resigned from the agreement.
According to the World Bank's Global Commodities Outlook for April 2024, despite Black Sea shipping risk, both Russia & Ukraine shipped grain to global markets with no major issues. The World Bank also stated that the Black Sea Grain Initiative collapse had minimal consequences.
PRISONER EXCHANGES Russia & Ukraine each exchanged 175 prisoners-of-war on Wednesday. Russia also handed over 22 severely wounded Ukrainian prisoners as part of a gesture of goodwill, according to the Russian Defence Ministry.
Zelenskiy said that the exchange was one of the biggest of its kind, and the 22 Ukrainians who were involved in it were "severely injured warriors" and people whom Russia had persecuted because of fabricated crimes.
NATO MEMBERSHIP
Putin wants Ukraine to drop its official ambitions to join NATO.
In its constitution, Ukraine states that joining NATO is a priority and that this would be the most effective and efficient form of security that it could receive as part a peace agreement. John Coale said last month that the United States has not ruled out a potential NATO membership for Ukraine, or a negotiated re-entry to Ukraine's pre-2014 border. This contradicted comments made by Pete Hegseth, the U.S. defense secretary, a day before.
Hegseth told Ukraine's allies in Brussels that a return to Ukraine’s borders prior to 2014 was unrealistic, and that the U.S. didn't see NATO membership as part of a resolution to the war. This sparked concerns that the U.S. made concessions before the talks began.
Trump said that he did not believe Russia "would allow" Ukraine to join NATO. Trump has blamed Joe Biden, his predecessor for pushing this idea. However, it was originally backed by Republican president George W. Bush back in 2008.
UKRAINE POST-WAR SECURITY
Ukraine wants guarantees about its security in the future, but this is at odds with what Kremlin demands.
Kyiv, and its European backers, agree that the key to Kyiv's security is an unfettered Ukrainian army. Moscow has said that a reduced military in Ukraine is one of the conditions for a peace agreement. Britain and France have a plan for a deterrent force made up of foreign ships, planes and troops that will be stationed in or around Ukraine following the signing of a peace agreement. The details of the force's operation and its members are still unclear.
Some Russian officials, however, have stated that they would not be able to accept such a force.
WESTERN SANCTIONES, ELECTIONS Putin said that he wanted the Western sanctions to be eased as well as a presidential vote in Ukraine.
Kyiv is yet to hold any elections in 2019 due to the martial law that governs wartime. Ukrainian officials say that it would be impossible to hold elections during the war.
Officials in Ukraine say that they are a sovereign country and it's not Moscow’s place to tell them when their elections will be held.
Biden led the United States in broad sanctions against Russia. These steps include measures to limit its oil and natural gas revenues. They also include a $60 cap per barrel for Russia's oil. Sources say that since Trump returned to power, he has studied ways to ease sanctions in exchange for Moscow ending the conflict. Trump also hinted at the possibility of large-scale tariffs and banking restrictions on Russia until peace was achieved.
RUSSIAN HOLDED TERRITORY
Russia wants control of all four eastern Ukrainian regions that it claims as its own. It also wants the Crimean Peninsula, which it annexed and seized in 2014. Unnamed sources at a private business meeting with Putin in Moscow on Tuesday told Russia's Kommersant that Putin wants the U.S. formally to recognise Luhansk and Donetsk as part of Russia, along with Crimea.
Ukraine has already acknowledged that it is not possible to recapture some of the occupied Ukrainian territories by force, and that they will need to be returned diplomatically in due course. Kyiv, however, says that it will not recognise Russian sovereignty on Ukrainian territory.
On Sunday, Trump's National security adviser Mike Waltz answered a question about whether the U.S. was willing to accept a deal that allowed Russia to retain Ukrainian territory. He replied:
We must ask: Is it in our national interests? Is this realistic? "Are we going to force every Russian from every inch of Ukrainian territory?"
UKRAINIAN RESOURCES Kyiv has been in talks with Washington about a deal that would give the United States a financial reward for the development of Ukrainian resources, namely rare earths which are used to make electronics. The deal fell apart after the disastrous White House meeting that took place between Trump and Zelenskiy towards the end of the last month. Trump announced on March 21 that a rare earths deal would be signed in the near future. The White House may be interested in Ukraine's infrastructure for gas beyond that deal. Ukraine has the third largest underground storage capacity in the world. The country could import liquefied gas from the United States and store it before shipping it to Europe.
(source: Reuters)