Lithium is this year’s “hottest metal,” says USA Today, beating out gold, with another price spike expected this fall. There are no exchange reference prices for lithium as there are for gold. The Financial Times cites estimates from the research group Mineral...
Next Door but Off-limits: Cuban Market for US Agri Exports
By Simons Chase, guest columnist The Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act (TSRA) of 2000 launched a boom in exports from the US to Cuba that had previously been restricted since the early 1960s. US exports to Cuba rose from about $7 million in 2001 to a...
Latin American Economy’s China Syndrome
The Latin American economy’s recession could deepen if China’s economy slows much more, says the International Monetary Fund in a new report that marks down already gloomy forecasts for the region. Brazil, Latin America’s biggest economy, is a drag on the entire...
Pacific Alliance and Mercosur: Moving at Two Speeds?
Latin America’s economy is moving at two speeds, according to BBVA, with the Pacific Alliance gaining ground as Mercosur, the Common Market of the South, slips into reverse in 2015 and on into 2016. In its first-quarter 2016 outlook, the Spanish bank lowers its...
Why That Ice Cream Cone May Cost You (Pricey Vanilla Beans)
No fooling: if you favor plain vanilla, your ice cream cone may cost you more this summer, thanks to pricey vanilla beans. Blame it on last year’s bad crop in Madagascar. As Eater reports, demand for vanilla (among spices, second only to saffron in price) is up while...
Copper Down Cycle Drags on Japan Traders
The copper down cycle has taken a big bite out of the profits of Japan’s trading companies. This morning, Mitsubishi Corp., Japan’s biggest trading house, announced ¥430 billion (US$3.8 billion) in write downs on a list of commodities assets, starting with...
Out of Luck? Chinese Economy in the Year of the Monkey
The Chinese economy – indeed the world economy – is in for a run of bad luck in the Lunar New Year that begins today, according to feng shui master Chen Shuaifu, who shared his forecast with NBC News. Master Chen forecasts a big slide in the world economy: "The global...
Colombian Rice Imports Already Soaring, Set to Go Higher
Colombian rice imports are set to rise above last year’s record volumes. As 2015 wound down, the Ministry of Agriculture issued a decree that 200,000 metric tons of imported rice will be needed to maintain adequate supplies in the coming year. Colombia is one of the...
Pest Control Deal Opens Way to China for US Rice Exports
US rice exports are near to being cleared to enter the world’s biggest market for rice. The US Department of Agriculture has confirmed that the US and China have agreed on a phytosanitary protocol to mitigate pests such as insects – long a sticking point for the...
Trade Data on China: Buying Less from the Americas
The slowdown in China’s economy is taking its toll on its imports from the Americas, our trade data on China through third-quarter 2015 shows. China’s imports from North America dropped 9%, while its imports from South America were down 11% in September 2015 compared...