May 2010

The Middle East Running out of Energy Supplies?

by Stuart Burns on May 31, 2010

Style:    Category: Commodities, Global Trade, Macroeconomics

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Two reports in the Financial Times could almost be described as illustrative of the glass being half full or half empty. Both articles cover the energy markets of the Middle East but the first bemoans the perilous state of energy supply in many Middle East markets. Decades of extremely low energy prices have embedded a [...]

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Cast Iron Families

by Nate on May 31, 2010

Style:    Category: Uncategorized

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While flipping channels, I chanced upon the show Unwrapped on the Food Network. One of the features was Lodge Cast Iron, a maker of cookware. Founded by Joseph Lodge in 1896, the business remains family-owned and operated. They have been making cast iron cookware for more than 112 years. Cast iron remains the exemplar of [...]

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Is Cooling China Steel Demand a Sign of Market Slowing?

by Stuart Burns on May 28, 2010

Style:    Category: Commodities, Ferrous Metals, Macroeconomics, Metal Prices, Supply & Demand

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Iron ore and coking coal prices have been driven up by insatiable demand from China. Steel producers the world over, but especially in Europe and Asia have suffered margin pressure due to rising iron prices driven not by their own regions’ demand but largely due to China’s. So it is perhaps a little ironic that [...]

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First the EU, Next China Worries Impacting Metals Prices

by Stuart Burns on May 28, 2010

Style:    Category: Commodities, Macroeconomics

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A cautious Reuters note on the metals market underlines the uncertainty out there at the moment on price direction. A combination of the European sovereign debt crisis and questions over China’s growth profile has caused the metals bull run to falter. The technical boys can’t make up their minds on price direction either as this [...]

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A New Leading Indicator Casts Light on China’s Growth Prospects

by Stuart Burns on May 27, 2010

Style:    Category: Global Trade, Macroeconomics

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No one would argue that China has become a major component of the world economy.  Just a few years ago there were many who still questioned China’s impact on the macro economic landscape arguing that although its rates of growth were high it was still only a small part of the total pie compared to [...]

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Media China Bashing Over Rare Earth Metals “ Justified or Not?

by Lisa Reisman on May 27, 2010

Style:    Category: Exports, Global Trade, Imports, Metal Prices, Minor Metals, Sourcing Strategies

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There is an interesting debate going on right now in one of the Rare Earth community networking groups of which I am a member. The debate centers around this question, “Is China really the “bad guy” in REE that a lot of media makes them out to be? Of the 5 comment responders, 4/5 answered [...]

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Brazil, the New Germany?

by Stuart Burns on May 27, 2010

Style:    Category: Ferrous Metals, Global Trade, Macroeconomics

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We hear a lot about how China has become the largest car producer in the world, we hear some cheering good news about the strength of Ford’s comeback and of how GM is back in profit (having left most of their debt and other obligations behind it must be said), we even hear some slightly [...]

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DRC Copper Supplies at Risk

by Stuart Burns on May 26, 2010

Style:    Category: Global Trade, Macroeconomics, Non-ferrous Metals

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The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) appears intent on biting the hand that feeds it in regard to its relationship with the foreign mining companies to whom it has previously awarded extraction rights. In the murky world of African mining deals it is entirely likely that fault can be found in the small print of [...]

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