Commodities
Quotations for non-ferrous metals are mostly rising on supply doubts
Quotations for non-ferrous metals are mostly rising, Reuters reported. The energy crisis in Europe and China contributes to doubts about the sustainability of supply, but the potential growth of quotations is limited due to the weakening of the global economy and rising interest rates.
A lot of regions in China have recently imposed restrictions on electricity consumption by industrial consumers to make sure supply for households.
Because of restrictions on electricity consumption, China’s zinc production fell by 500,000 tons a year, CRU Group said Friday.
September zinc futures on the Shanghai Futures Exchange closed 1.8 percent to 25,365 yuan ($3,698.49) a ton.
Meanwhile, metal production in Europe is declining due to high energy costs. This affects quotations for non-ferrous metals and alloys. Last week, Belgium’s Nyrstar announced it would stop production at Budel, one of Europe’s largest steel mills, in the Netherlands, on September 1. The company also cut production by 50% at three zinc smelters.
Meanwhile, according to a trader in the zinc and lead markets, the short-term optimism seen amid power restrictions in China will fade when the weather turns cooler.
“The market is still under the influence of weak macroeconomic factors, and fears about recession and the possibility of further interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve strengthen the downside risks,” added the trader.
Base metals rose in Asia
The dollar has been gaining support in recent sessions as Fed policymakers signaled an inclination to further tighten monetary policy ahead of the Jackson Hole conference later this week.
A rising dollar usually puts pressure on commodity prices, which become more expensive for holders of other currencies.
At the time of writing, nickel futures on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were trading up 0.7% to 177,270 yuan a ton. Quotes jumped 4.8 percent on Monday. Indonesian President Joko Widodo said in an interview with Bloomberg News last week that he was considering introducing a nickel export tax this year.
Indonesian authorities had previously talked about the likelihood of introducing the tax as early as Q3.
At about 07:48 GMT, three-month copper futures on the LME rose 1% to $8,103.50 a ton. Aluminum rose 0.8% to $2,408.5 a ton. Zinc rose 0.6% to $3,518.50 a ton, and lead fell 0.2% to 2010 dollars a ton.
Earlier we reported that the exchange price of electricity in France is rising by 5.5%.
By Enes Tunagur
(Reuters) -Oil prices fell on Friday as analysts continued to forecast a supply surplus in 2025 despite the OPEC+ decision to postpone planned supply increases and extend deep output cuts to the end of 2026.
futures were down 66 cents, or 0.9%, to $71.43 per barrel at 1128 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were down 65 cents, or 1%, to $67.65 per barrel.
For the week, Brent was on track to fall 2%, while WTI was on course for a 0.5% drop.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies on Thursday pushed back the start of oil output rises by three months until April and extended the full unwinding of cuts by a year until the end of 2026.
The group, known as OPEC+ and responsible for about half of the world’s oil output, was planning to start unwinding cuts from October 2024, but a slowdown in global demand – especially in China – and rising output elsewhere have forced it to postpone the plan several times.
“The outcome of the latest meeting of OPEC+ members surprised us positively … The extension of the production cuts shows the group remains united and is still targeting to keep the oil market in balance,” UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said.
Pressuring prices on Friday, analysts reiterated expectations of a supply surplus next year, although some of them now view a smaller surplus than before.
Bank of America forecasts increasing oil surpluses to drive Brent to average $65 a barrel in 2025, while expecting oil demand growth to rebound to 1 million barrels per day (bpd) next year, the bank said in a note on Friday.
HSBC, meanwhile, now expects a smaller oil market surplus of 0.2 million bpd, from 0.5 million bpd previously, it said in a note.
Brent has largely stayed in a tight range of $70-75 per barrel in the past month, as investors weighed weak demand signals in China and heightened geopolitical risk in the Middle East.
“The general narrative is that the market is stuck in its rather narrow range. While immediate developments might push it out of this range on the upside briefly, the medium-term view remains rather pessimistic,” PVM analyst Tamas Varga said.
By Paul Carsten
LONDON (Reuters) -Oil prices pared some gains on Thursday after a source told Reuters OPEC+ has agreed to delay a planned oil output hike until April 2025.
was up 24 cents, or 0.3%, to $72.55 a barrel at 1237 GMT. It had been at $72.84 before Reuters reported the delay.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose 25 cents, 0.4%, and was trading at $68.79 a barrel.
The planned delay comes as OPEC+, made up the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries plus allies including Russia, tries to support prices as it wrestles with weak demand, notably from China, and rising supply outside the producer group.
“It will not make next year’s oil balance tight and supply surplus is still anticipated,” said Tamas Varga of oil broker PVM. “This view was mirrored in the gut price reaction.”
There remains the question of how long the delays could last, with this only the latest in a series. OPEC+ was originally due to begin raising output in October as part of a plan to gradually unwind the group’s most recent layer of output curbs of 2.2 million barrels per day.
“They reiterate that these barrels will indeed come back,” said Bjarne Schieldrop, chief commodities analyst at SEB. “It’s a limited time frame. This means there is no upside to the oil price in the next couple of years.”
Elsewhere, a larger-than-expected draw in stockpiles last week also provided some support to prices.
In the Middle East, Israel said on Tuesday it would return to war with Hezbollah if their truce collapses and its attacks would go deeper into Lebanon and target the state itself.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy has travelled to Qatar and Israel to kick-start the U.S. President-elect’s diplomatic push to help reach a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal before he takes office on Jan. 20, a source briefed on the talks told Reuters.
On Thursday, OPEC+ is expected to postpone its planned increase in oil production, which was initially scheduled to commence in January, Reuters reported.
The decision to maintain current output levels aims to provide additional support for the oil market. The group, responsible for about half of the world’s oil supply, had intended to start easing output restrictions through 2025 but is now reconsidering in light of a global demand slowdown and increased production from non-member countries.
The consortium’s plan to unwind output cuts has faced challenges due to these market conditions, which have also exerted downward pressure on oil prices.
Accordingly, an extension of the current output cuts for an additional three months is the most probable outcome of the online meeting. However, there are indications that an even longer extension could be under consideration.
The deliberations within OPEC+ reflect the group’s ongoing efforts to balance oil supply with fluctuating global demand. The decision to delay the increase in output is seen as a measure to stabilize the market, which has been affected by various economic factors.
Market participants are closely monitoring the developments from OPEC+’s meeting, as the group’s decisions have significant implications for global oil supply and pricing. The final outcome of the meeting, including the length of the extension, will be determined by the consensus of the member countries.
This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.
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