China first carbon market kicks off in Shenzhen

The city of Shenzhen became yesterday the first region in China to introduce a mandatory emissions trading scheme (ETS).”It is a clear indication that they are serious about reducing emissions and bringing down pollution levels.”

The new markets are set to regulate 800 million to 1 billion tons of emissions by 2015 in the world’s biggest cap-and-trade program after Europe’s, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

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Record glut for rubber

Rubber fell 21 percent to 238.9 yen on the Tokyo Commodity Exchange this year and is now 55 percent below the record 535.7 yen reached in February 2011. Lower prices should reduce costs for Bridgestone Corp., Michelin & Cie. and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., the biggest tiremakers.

The surplus will expand 57 percent to 490,000 metric tons this year, enough to meet U.S. demand for six months, according to RCMA Commodities Asia Group, the Singapore-based company that has traded rubber for nine decades. Futures in Tokyo, a global benchmark, will drop at least another 5.8 percent to 225 yen a kilogram ($2,369 a ton) by the end of December, according to the median of 16 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Five anticipate 200 yen, a price last seen in 2009.

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Shale gas and oil global reserves

The world gas and oil shale reserves are a lot larger than expected two years ago, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Africa‘s potential exceeds that of North America.

Shale gas buried underground is estimated to increase recoverable gas in the world by 50%. Shale oil would allow oil reserves to expand by 10%. The US Energy Information Administration changed its estimates after a new study where it took into account twice as many oil and gas fields than in 2011.

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Wheat faces a bearish summer 2013

Inventories of all wheat varieties as of June 1, 2014, will total 659 million bushels, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said today in a report. That’s more than the 655 million projected by analysts in a Bloomberg survey and less than the 670 million the government forecast in May. U.S. output will drop this year to 2.08 billion bushels, compared with last month’s prediction of 2.057 billion.

Wheat traded in Chicago, a global benchmark, fell about 10 percent this year on the outlook for rising production. The projected rebound follows drought in 2013 that hurt harvests in Russia, Ukraine, southern Europe and the U.S.

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Silver is following gold downward

Gold and silver futures got off to another rocky start to begin the trading week. Silver fell as low as $20.84 a troy ounce, the lowest since September 2010, later rebounding to close 3 per cent higher at $22.91 in New York trading.

The price of silver was the standout mover in financial markets Monday as it took a hammering for the second trading session in a row, even as stocks remained relatively solid amid hopes over the U.S. economy. Silver’s stumble also brought down the price of gold; the yellow metal hit a one-month low of $1,338.10 an ounce and extended its slump for an eighth straight day. Gold has fallen more than 7% in May.

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US Dollar Index at 3-year high

The US dollar soared against major currencies on Friday on growing speculation that the Federal Reserve could soon begin to rein in its bond-buying program and after data showed US consumer sentiment hit a 6-year high in early May.

The US Dollar Index is very strong right now: at its highest value since July 2010, closing at 84.24 on Friday.

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Copper: Forecast to September 2013

Copper is currently on the rebound, on the back of its third bearish cycle from February to April. Shanghai Cifco Futures Co. expects prices to climb until the end of June before pulling back to $6,037.50 per tonne by September.

Copper prices are up slightly in London, after inventories dropped to a seven-month low in China, the world’s biggest consumer of industrial metal, while U.S. consumer confidence rose to the highest since 2007. Three-month copper climbed 1.1 percent on Thursday to sit at $7,279 per tonne. Copper was seeing resistance at the $7.240 per tonne, but the day’s climb seems to have broken that barrier. Over in New York, copper futures were behaving much the same. Copper for July was up 0.9 percent at $3.2945 a pound.

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Guide to Commodities 2013

The recent fortunes made by investors in rare earth metals and gold are just two shining examples of what an extremely profitable investment class commodities can be. From aluminum and platinum to zinc and silver, oil and gas to cocoa and wheat, this Guide to Commodities from the Economist Intelligence Unit is a comprehensive overview of the forces at work in the world of commodities.

The price volatility of so many commodities over the past decade has underlined their economic importance and how dependent we are on them: the price of gold has soared to new peaks (before tumbling in the last few weeks) as currencies have endured a crisis of confidence, demand from China has pushed metal prices up, instability in the Middle East and North Africa has had its effect on the oil price and food prices have been increasing in parallel with worries about whether there is enough to feed the world. Read the rest of Guide to Commodities 2013 » » »

Investors are losing interest in gold

Gold futures for June delivery dropped 0.3 percent to $1,432.60 an ounce at 10:46 a.m. on the Comex in New York. The price headed for the third straight decline, the longest slump since April 4. Through May 10, the metal dropped 14 percent this year.

Leading wealth managers have been switching out of commodities since the start of the year in favour of equities and bonds as they look for yield, a trend which accelerated in April with a major sell-off across the commodities field, led by a collapse in the gold price.

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A Supplier’s Advice for Purchasing Custom Tradeshow Exhibits & Environments

Dear Purchasing Professional,

We usually don’t get to speak with you directly when we respond to an RFP. But if we could, this is what we’d say.

We’d like you to know that to get the best value when buying custom tradeshow exhibits you need to take a slightly different purchasing approach. These products  require creative thinking (like advertising), and work best when uniquely crafted to fit your company’s needs.

Custom trade show exhibits are not one-size-fits-all. They differ from system or portable exhibits such as standard pop-up and tabletop exhibits. In a nutshell, they are properties created specifically for your company and should not be valued strictly on a basis of price.

“Will this design represent our company better and thus generate more leads, sales, and press coverage?” is what you really need to ask yourself. Read the rest of A Supplier’s Advice for Purchasing Custom Tradeshow Exhibits & Environments » » »