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Strategies & Market Trends : 2026 TeoTwawKi ... 2032 Darkest Interregnum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TobagoJack who wrote (189063)	6/21/2022 6:29:28 PM
From: TobagoJack	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 217573

(3) Dislocations due to Ukraine war exposes more details re supply chains, and MTBE (what?, whatever), produced to 64% in China China China ramps inflation bloomberg.com Gasoline Fever Lures Bumper Exports of Niche Chemical From China Overseas shipments of MTBE last month rise sixfold from April Tight market for high-octane components as refining squeezed 22 June 2022, 05:00 GMT+8 China’s exports of a chemical used to improve the quality of gasoline surged as producers took advantage of higher prices overseas. Exports of a group of chemicals that includes methyl tert-butyl ether, known as MTBE, rose to about 87,400 tons in May, according to government data. That’s a sixfold gain from April and the highest level in Chinese customs figures going back to 2017. Industry consultant OilChem estimates that most of the exported volumes were MTBE, which boosts the octane rating of gasoline. Fuel markets have tightened as the peak summer demand period kicks off in the northern hemisphere, with supply in part crimped by upended trade flows following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The availability of components that are blended with gasoline have also been squeezed because of a lack of refining capacity across many regions. The US still makes and ships MTBE, but phased out its domestic use in the 2000s due to water contamination concerns. Malaysia received the most flows from China last month followed by Singapore and Japan, according to OilChem. Unlike finished products such as gasoline and diesel, Chinese producers are not constrained by export quotas for MTBE. Trade data for chemical products is occasionally adjusted by the customs agency. China’s MTBE exports to Europe and the Americas are estimated to reach about 50,000 tons over May and June, according to global commodity intelligence provider ICIS. The last shipments of scale from China outside of Asia was about 11,600 tons sent to Chile in 2019, said ICIS analyst Huang Lifang. Volumes flowing to Singapore could also be redirected to the west, according to ICIS. Weak domestic demand in China due to virus lockdowns and the lure of better prices overseas prompted some producers to ship the product for the first time last month. PetroChina Dalian exported 3,500 tons, while Sinochem Quanzhou shipped 1,800 tons to Singapore, according to separate statements. The free-on-board price for MTBE in Rotterdam-Amsterdam was about $530 a ton higher than that in China as of the end of May, according to ICIS. Chinese exporters could make a windfall of 2,000 yuan ($299) a ton in May and June, OilChem estimated. A rebound in Chinese fuel demand as the nation returns from virus restrictions is likely to lead to reduced MTBE flows, according to traders and executives at Chinese refiners, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. OilChem estimated July exports will fall to 50,000-to-60,000 tons. — With assistance by Alfred Cang, and Sarah Chen

To: TobagoJack who wrote (189063)	6/21/2022 6:46:13 PM
From: TobagoJack	Respond to of 217573

(7) <<Italy>> think important to watch to get sense 'of the people' after the split bloomberg.com Draghi’s Coalition Roiled by Ukraine War as Minister Quits Party Foreign Minister Di Maio to leave Five Star, create own group Five Star leader Conte may now abandon governing coalition Chiara Albanese 22 June 2022, 04:53 GMT+8 Luigi Di Maio speaks to Giuseppe Conte. Photographer: Alessia Pierdomenico/BloombergThe largest party in Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s governing coalition split on Tuesday after Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio quit the group over its refusal to back military support for Ukraine. Di Maio told reporters in Rome that he was leaving the Five Star Movement, which he used to lead, and would start a new parliamentary group. The decision follows days of back and forth with former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, the current Five Star leader. Conte is opposed to sending weapons to Ukraine, conflicting with the government’s stance. Draghi has been one of the most outspoken backers for the country and traveled to Kyiv earlier this month to voice support for Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union. Five Star “had the duty to support the government without ambiguity,” Di Maio said. “At this historical juncture, supporting European and Atlanticist values cannot be considered a fault.” The debate has divided both Italy’s public opinion and Draghi’s wide coalition government. The rift widened this week ahead of a closely watched parliamentary debate on Italy’s position on the war. Di Maio now plans to set up a separate parliamentary group. At least 60 out of 227 Five Star lawmakers are set to join him, according to news agency Ansa. Conte instead is considering leaving Draghi’s coalition and offering his support only on ad hoc basis, according to people familiar with the matter. Five Star said in a statement they had no plan to quit the government. Read More: Draghi’s Predecessor May Quit Italian Coalition Over Ukraine Five Star came first in Italy’s 2018 elections but has since fallen dramatically in the polls. While Draghi on Tuesday vowed to continue providing aid and defended the European Union’s sanctions regime, 57-year-old Conte has called on the government to focus on reviving peace talks and halt weapons deliveries. The poor performance of the party under Conte’s leadership has been exacerbating internal tensions. With his stance on the war in Ukraine, Conte has harmed Italy’s international image “without even succeeding” in shoring up the party’s electoral fortunes, Di Maio said. (Retops with more context.)