oil

US soybean silos are bursting because China no longer buys them. The threat to the US is used oil

by

The trade war and the exchange of tariffs between the US and China is having repercussions at many levels and agriculture is one of the sectors that is suffering the most from the consequences. Due to its size, China is one of the main importers of food products and is using this advantage to punish its rival. They are doing it with beef and also with soybeans. Now Trump has a threat to China. What has happened? China was the main US customer in the soybean business, but the trade war is reconfiguring the game board and soybeans are being one of China’s main weapons in this tug of war. The decision to stop buying soy is wreaking havoc in the US and now Trump pushes to stop buying another product from them: used cooking oil. The president has used your social network Thruth to describe China’s move with soybeans as “an act of economic hostility” and has assured that “we can easily produce cooking oil ourselves, we do not need to buy it from China.” Why it is important. The used cooking oil market moved 6.9 billion dollars in 2024. This oil is used to create biofuels, and with increased recycling and sustainability initiatives, the figure is expected to double by 2032. The United States is the world’s largest buyer of used oil and China is its largest supplier. According to data from the Department of Agriculture American, in 2024 the United States bought 43% of all the used oil produced by China. The soy problem. China was the US’s main customer in the soybean business. Until not long ago, they bought 40% of all production from them, a figure that was reduced to 20% in 2024. Despite the reduction, it was still a lot: 27 million tons and a value of 12.8 billion dollars. In 2025 only about 16 million tons have been imported until July, but this was just the beginning. Currently, China has further reduced imports of US soybeans, which aim to be practically zero in the last quarter of the year. Instead, China is doing business with other countries: Brazil and Argentina. Consequences. American farmers’ silos are bursting with soybeans. They count in the New York Times that states like North Dakota sold more than 70% of their production to China and now find that their best customer no longer buys from them. It is an enormous amount to be able to place before production goes to waste. The damage to the agriculture sector is enormous, with farms projecting losses of up to $400,000 this year. Tensions. A few days ago we learned of Beijing’s decision to consolidate its dominance over rare earthsa strategic sector in which they are the key player. The United States responded with a 100% tariff which is accumulated to those already imposed previously. Trump exploded on social Thruth against the measure, but in one of his usual changes of position, days later posted another message in which he lowered his tone: “Don’t worry about China, everything will be fine. The highly respected President Xi has only had a bad time.” The threat to stop buying used oil represents a new escalation of tension, although there are voices like that of Rush Doshi, Biden’s former security adviser, They believe that it will not have great consequences and in Beijing it will be seen as a sign of weakness. Image | Pexels 1, 2In Xataka | Holland has just declared war on China in the most important battle of the century: control of semiconductors

95% of plastics are manufactured with oil and gas. Japan has gotten a bacterium in place

by

The world is flooded with plastic. There are microplastics even in our testicles. And the vast majority of them are manufactured from fossil fuels, which aggravates our dependence on these non -renewable resources. In Japan, a bioingenier team from the University of Kobe has found a promising solution. From Pet to PDCA. 95% of the plastics that we use in our day to day are manufactured from oil and gas (98%, if we add coal). In containers, textiles and to the interior of the cars we find a plastic known as polyethylene terephthalate or PET. The objective is to find a high performance alternative to the PET using renewable and biodegradable sources. Exists. It is called pyridineodycarboxylic acid (PDCA) and is a environment -respecting monomer that, when it is polymerized, has comparable physical properties or even superior to those of the PET. The problem, until now, had been to produce large -scale PDCA. Traditional methods to synthesize it are not very efficient and generate unwanted by -products. The solution: a bacterium. The novelty of Japanese research, published in the magazine Metabolic Engineeringis that it uses the cellular metabolism of the bacteria Escherichia coli To produce PDCA from glucose. Unlike the previous bioproduction methods, this makes the bacteria assimilate nitrogen and build the compound from beginning to end, eliminating the problem of by -products. While the existing bioproduction methods They had encountered limitations regarding the quantity and purity of the final compound, bioreactors based on this bacterium are capable of making a clean PDCA synthesis at more than seven times higher concentrations. And with abundant and cheap raw material. E. coli as factory operators. The process has not been exempt from difficulties. The largest bottleneck was to prevent one of the enzymes introduced into the bacteria to produce hydrogen peroxide, a highly reactive compound that deactivated the enzyme itself. The researchers managed to overcome this obstacle by refining the crops and adding a compound capable of eliminating hydrogen peroxide. Now they look for a more profitable solution for large -scale production. The future of bioplastic. Despite the pending challenge, this progress feels the foundations of large -scale plastic microbial synthesis. The practical implementation of bioreactors for the production of high performance PDCA is not only possible, but is a step closer to becoming a reality at an industrial scale. Image | USDA In Xataka | Scientists already investigate a solution to climate change and famines: eat us plastic

To Holy What Buy China so much oil now

by

From the port of Singapore to the port of Houston. The entire energy market is asked these days the same question: Why is China buying oil as if there were no morning? The collection is so massive and sustained that analysts have more doubts than certainties. 90% of world oil. So far this year, China has bought about 150 million more barrels than you consume, publishes Bloomberg. At the current price, that is an invoice of 10,000 million dollars in raw that, For what we knowyou don’t need. To put the data in context, the International Energy Agency estimates that, in the second quarter of 2025, China has absorbed more than 90% of the storage of measurable crude oil worldwide. According to ReutersAugust’s surplus exceeded one million barrels per day. So that? It is the million dollar question and there is no clear answer. If we attend the Ockham razor, one of the simplest explanations would be that oil is “cheap.” Although prices fluctuate, in terms adjusted to inflation the barrel is at a price similar to that of 20 years ago: $ 64 per barrelaccording to the futures market of the WTI crude. An explanation is that Chinese government planners, known for their long -term vision, are taking advantage of a golden opportunity to fill their deposits at a reasonable cost. They have where to save it: China has been adding massive storage capabilities with the construction of new tanks and the entry into force of a new law. A lot of hole to fill. On January 1, the new Energy Law In China. For the first time, the country establishes as a legal obligation that both state and private companies maintain strategic reserves. In essence, the private sector now shares with the government the responsibility of storing raw. Consequently, there is still a lot of hole to fill. According to him Oil & Gas Journalgovernment strategic reserves are 80% of their capacity, while commercial storage tanks are only 50%. A “giant”. In case the above reasons were few, analysts have a range of geopolitical explanations. China buys approximately 20% of its oil from countries under western sanctions, mainly IranRussia and Venezuela. He knows that the United States could, at any time, harden control and hinder that flow. Another theory points to a diversification of its foreign exchange reserves. Instead of continuing to accumulate United States Treasury bonds, China could be investing part of that capital in a physical and strategic asset such as oil, a play similar to its constant purchases of gold, seeking to reduce its exposure to assets linked to the dollar. Do war drums sound? Here we enter the purest terrain of speculation, but for the most pessimistic analysts, this massive accumulation of reserves only makes sense if Beijing is preparing for a possible military conflict over Taiwan. In that scenario, having full energy pantries is not an option, it is a strategic need. How it affects us others. The sudden thirst for crude oil has a direct effect on the global market. According to the International Energy Agency, the world is directed downhill and without brakes to a surplus of “unsustainable” production of 2.5 million barrels per day for the second half of 2025, which could reach 3 million in 2026. Normally, a surplus thus would cause a collapse of prices. But, according to the analysis of Argus MediaChina is acting as a giant sponge that absorbs much of that excess supply and helps maintain the most stable prices than they should. In summary, either by pure commercial strategy, by legal imperative or in preparation for a conflicting future, China has become the “X factor” of the oil market. While continuing to buy, prices will have a floor. The day I step on the brake, the huge global surplus could flood the market. And no one, except perhaps a few in Beijing, know when that will happen. Image | Corey Seeman (Flickr, CC BY-C-SA 2.0) In Xataka | A European satellite has caught two ships transferring natural gas in the Mediterranean. The key: is Russian LNG

The countries that consumed the most oil last year, exposed in a graph that is a blow of reality

by

Despite the renewable boomoil remains the source of energy that moves the world. Such is the level that, although the main oil companies The path of decarbonization began supporting renewable energies, a few months ago announced a change of coursediscovering that It was the best possible bet. The estimate is that the oil market continues to grow. And this chart illustrates what the largest oil consumers were during the past year. A Burrada. With data from Energy Institutethe graph prepared by Visual Capitalist Plasma the 25 countries with the highest daily oil consumption of 2024. The estimated total was 101.4 million barrels per day, and the graph leaves no doubt: the United States with 19 million barrels per day and China with 16.4 million leads. And a lot of distance from the rest. By colors, we can easily differentiate which area (Asian includes Australia) is the one that most consumes, and also see differences by region. For example, removed the monster that are the two powers, we see that Only a South American country appears In the top or that consumption in Europe, removing Russia, is quite even. The top 10> the others. The striking thing is that the first ten consumers (USA, China, India, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Canada and Germany) represented 61% of the global fee. Among the first 20 countries, that figure increases to 80% and, in general, an annual 0.7% increase worldwide was observed. Because, as we said, despite the impulse of renewables, oil remains the main source of energy worldwide. A few months ago, the IEA (the International Energy Agency) reviewed its world supply forecasts for this year, projecting an increase of 1.6 million barrels per day and estimated that the oil demand in 2025 would be 103.9 million barrels per day. Where is it consumed? The case of India is tremendous, since in the last decade it has grown to one of the fastest rates worldwide, with 3.8% per year. And, if we see what the main oils spend on that oil, we see that the United States, for example, uses 70% of its 19 million barrels per day in the transport sector, followed by 24% in industrial use as raw material. Just 3% is consumed in residential and commercial use. In China, se esteem that half of the oil is used in transport and another large part in the industrial sector. Now, to generate electricity, although it remains a country very dependent on oil (even after Huge impulse to renewables), In its energy mix, oil is marginal, prioritizing coalthe Hydroelectricthe nuclear and the mentioned renewable. The future. And that dependence on oil is not only not being renewable, but it will go to more. If a few months ago IEA projected that increase of 1.6 million barrels per day, now OPEC+ says, as we read in Reuterswhich has more manga and can increase crude oil. And, in addition, China is also focused on becoming a Important actor in oil production. In the end, It is a very volatile market that depends on both internal tensions and conflicts and the not few active wars at the moment. But what seems clear is that, when we have the complete data of 2025, those 101.4 million barrels of last year will have been exceeded. And it will be interesting to see where the Indian brand leaves. In Xataka | How much electricity produces each country with renewable energy, exposed in a graphic

Far from being in decline, oil companies are doing business thanks to AI

by

Artificial intelligence is not only transforming technology, it is also redefining the worldwide energy economy. The most coveted resource is no longer oil, but the electricity necessary to train AI models and feed gigantic data centers. In fact, great technological ones, such as Microsoft, Millions of dollars have invested In data infrastructure, more than double what exxon and Chevron together plan to allocate to capital investments. Megawatts have become the new black gold. The turn of the service oil companies. Petroleum service companies are going through a period of weakness. The number of land platforms in the United States has fallen since 2022, According to Enverus data cited by Wall Street Journal. Given this panorama, several firms – Solaris Energy Infrastructure, Liberty Energy, Atlas Energy Solutions, Prpetro and Profrac – have found an unexpected client: the great technological ones. Its proposal is to reuse the experience acquired in the fracking to install independent electricity generation units, fed with natural gas, directly next to the data centers. The most visible case is Solaris, which has been associated with XAI to operate 900 megawatts of gas turbines in Memphis destined for the Colossus 2 supercomputer. Unlike large oil companies, which seek to place their own gas in data centers, these service companies do not produce fuel. His commitment is to take advantage of his equipment and technical knowledge to transform from off-Grid electricity suppliers. In other words, while Majors try to give way to their production, services reinvent themselves to survive in a depressed market. Position yourself quickly. While electric companies take up to four years to give access to the network, modular gas units that install these firms may be operational in less than two. In a sector that lives a counterreloj career to expand capacity, that difference is decisive. In addition, executives such as Liberty Energy highlight the certainty of prices offered by its generators against the volatility of the electricity supply, According to Wall Street Journal. Downward pressure in oil. The OPEC+ policy also helps explain the turn of American companies. The poster, led by Saudi and Russia Arabia, is pumping more crude than the market demands, which keeps prices under pressure. As we have explained in Xatakathe strategy seeks to gain market share and, incidentally, favors the United States with cheaper gasoline that contains inflation. But this movement has a collateral effect: weakens the American fracking, which needs quotes of between $ 60 and $ 65 per barrel to be profitable, and pushes many of these companies to look for new customers, such as data centers. Geopolitical volatility adds uncertainty. The last episode was the Israeli attack in Doha against Hamas leaders, which stirred the markets and forced the White House to give guarantees to caste to avoid an escalation. Although the immediate impact on the supply was limited, the episode recalled the fragile of the current balance. In the opinion of the analyst Javier Blasbeyond specific tensions, what we live is not an accelerated substitution of fossil fuels, but a ENERGY ADDITION: Renewables grow, but oil and gas continue to increase their weight in the mix, which prolongs the dependence of these sources and reinforces their role in the energy fever that unleashes artificial intelligence. Beyond. The phenomenon goes far beyond oil services in the United States. Startups like Crusoe Energy They have gone from mine bitcoin to lift data centers next to gas wells to take advantage of a fuel that was designed before. The firm already participates in the Openai, SoftBank and Oracle Stargate megaproject with 360 megawatts of capacity. Large oil companies are also looking for their site: Exxonmobil and Chevron They are developing off-Grid plants With carbon capture systems, while in Europe the Italian eni promotes “green” artificial intelligence and CO₂ storage businesses supported by its HPC5 supercomputer. The movement even reaches turbine manufacturers, such as Siemens Energy, that has doubled orders Thanks to the data centers boom. For its part, the unavoidable geopolitical dimension must be taken into account: countries like Russia, Iran and Qatar They concentrate more than half of world reserves of natural gas. In a context in which AI demands a constant and reliable electricity supply, this fuel is consolidated as a strategic asset, key not only for the technological industry, but also for the balance of global energy power. An electric future, but fossil. The figures point to accelerated growth. As we have detailed in Xatakathe demand for gas for data centers will increase by 47 GW until 2030. In the United States, the electrical consumption of these facilities could triple, from 290 TWH in 2024 to more than 700 SWH in 2030. The International Energy Agency, According to Javier Blasprepare scenarios where oil and gas consumption will not reach its peak, but will continue to grow up to 2050. Natural gas, in particular, remains the most reliable source to meet demand peaks. Not everything is opportunities. How Wall Street Journal warnsmodular generation projects have several limitations. Its temporal character is the first: many data centers could resort to these solutions such as a patch for a few years and then replace them with renewables or even nuclear reactors. To this is added the economic aspect: although the modular turbines are installed quickly, they are less efficient than the large combined cycle plants, which implies greater fuel and replacement costs. There is also the risk of social rejection, as has already been seen in Memphis, where the installation of XAI turbines has generated protests on air pollution. Finally, the ease of replicating this technology can make it a very competitive market, with narrow margins and little space for sustainable advantages. The new black gold. The AI ​​has changed the rules of the energy game. Startups, turbine manufacturers, petroleter majors and fracking suppliers are converging towards the same objective: feeding the electrical appetite of data centers. In this new scenario, what was once oil today are megawatts. The battle for who will provide that reliable and abundant energy … Read more

Saudi Arabia hugs renewables for the most unexpected: reinforce their oil power

by

The oil market faces an unexpected turn: the threat to large exporters does not come from the capitals that lead electrification, such as Oslo or Shenzhen, but from the heart of the industry, Saudi Arabia. In a column published in Bloomberg Opinionanalyst David Fickling summarized it with a disturbing metaphor: “The murderer calls from within.” Domestic appetite by crude is stopped. Since the beginning of the century, the consumption of oil in Saudi Arabia had shot. According to Bloombergdoubled to 2.3 million barrels per day, with between a quarter and a third destined to feed electric and fuel power plants to combat abrasive summers. However, this trend has begun to be reversed. The official plan is to almost completely eliminate the burning of crude in electricity generation from here to 2030. As explained by Saudi Aramco, Amin Nasser, replacing that oil with renewables equivalent, in terms of export, to drill new wells. The International Energy Agency even warns that this change could represent the greatest drop in oil demand in the world in the next five years. The commitment to renewables. Behind this turn is the massive deployment of solar energy. Fickling energy expert has pointed out That Acwa Power, the largest Saudi developer, plans to reach 78 renewable gigawatts in 2030, enough to cover all the electricity that the country generates today with oil. Since 2024 It has already connected Almost 5 GW in new solar plants and has another 15 GW on the way. Logic is simple: in Saudi Arabia, solar electricity costs less than half than the conventional network. In addition, panels are easier to install than oil infrastructure, a land in which the kingdom was always strong. However, enthusiasm is not exempt from doubts. The Kpler consultant Calculate thatof the 130 GW announced by the Government, only 11.6 GW will really be online in 2030, which would prolong the use of crude oil in the electricity grid. The Saudi impulse is not limited to the plot. The country You have already connected the battery system Storage, Bisha Bess (500 MW/2,000 MWh), operated by Saudi Electric Company with Byd Chinese technology. This allows to integrate intermittent renewables into the network and gives infrastructure flexibility. To this is added a plan to produce lithium in 2027 and uranium enrichment and enrichment projects To boost nuclear energy. It clashes with megaprojects. This energy advance contrasts with vision problems 2030 in its most spectacular version. The Saudi Public Investment Fund cut 8,000 million dollars to the neom megaprojectquestioning the viability of initiatives such as The Line or the Trojena Ski Station. A high -risk geopolitical play. The Saudi movement has implications beyond its energy balance. While the kingdom has driven OPEC+ to increase production in a saturated market, with the aim of pressing the American fracking and recovering market share. This has tensioned the seams of the poster: United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan or Iraq produce above their installments, and Russia has shown an open disagreement with the Saudi strategy. In the international market prices also suffer. According to ReutersSaudi Arabia could cut official sales prices (OSP) for Asia in October: Arab Light would be reduced between 40 and 70 cents per barrel, up to 2.50–2,80 dollars on the Oman/Dubai reference, and other degrees would fall between 40 and 60 cents. The combination of lower demand, abundance of Russian crude and a greater flow of American oil presses interest in Saudi crude. The Saudi paradox. What seemed like the Achilles heel of Saudi Arabia – his voracious internal crude consumption – has become his most surprising strategic weapon. When betting on solar energy, battery storage and, to a lesser extent, the nuclear, the kingdom seeks to maintain its role as a dominant supplier in the global market. But this same play threatens to undermine the OPEC foundations and enlarge a fiscal deficit that is already forcing to cut pharaonic projects such as Neom. Saudi Arabia Libra two battles at the same time: one to continue reigning in oil and another to reinvent itself in the post-hydrocarbons era. The open question is if you can win both. Image | Unspash Xataka | To the surprise of absolutely no one, Saudi Arabia has begun to make cuts in its impossible city: Neom

The price of extra virgin olive oil is rising again. The question is how far that climb will reach

by

They run times convulsive moved in the oil market of Spanish olive. For both consumers who go to the supermarket in search of bottles and for farmers who sell their crops. After the increases and Down Price lived by one and the other in recent years, the oil mills have just encountered a surprise: the price of the extra virgin in origin has just exceeded the psychological barrier of the four euros per kiloan important ‘red line’ for the producers that had been touching for several months. The big question is how far that climb will reach. What happened? That the price at the origin of extra virgin olive oil has exceeded the psychological barrier of four euros per kilo. We know it thanks to the data of the last week (August 18-24) Disclosed By Asaja-Jaén, which has had access to updated information of the Poolred system. To be more precise, the Aove marks € 4,001/kg, the Virgin 3.53 and in Lampanant 3.29. Their values ​​are in tune with those of the Price and Markets Observatory of the Junta de Andalucía, which also places the extra virgin at source above four euros. With regard to consumption prices, for now, CPI boards show that the cost of olive oil in general has fallen 3.1% in June And it remains sensibly below of the values ​​a year ago. Why is it important? For several reasons. The main is that the Aove had been located below that value for months, as reflected The Andalusian Observatory or the platform Infaolivewhich shows that the extra virgin remained below four euros since practically beginning of 2025. Since then its graph shows that it has been oscillating around € 3.5/kg. Other sources They assure that the Aove does not reach four euros since December 2024. Are there more reasons? Yes. The second reason why this milestone is so important is that it has a symbolic background for oil producers. In the sector there are who considers that the four euros per kilo mark the ‘barrier’ that maintains the profitability of the farms. Others They hold that the minimum that covers production expenses is higher and set at € 5/kg. In any case, the truth is that the sector had been under that ‘red line’ for months. In May, for example, the Coordinator of Agricultural and Livestock Organizations (COAG) warned That while consumers paid about six euros per liter, the producers received less than 3.5 for the extra virgin, far from the between 5.55 and € 6.14/kg that, according to their calculations, had to mark the price of Aove the 2024/25 campaign. “It is a situation that cannot be maintained over time.” Why does the price upload? For several reasons. The main is the drift of the harvest. Although initially the farmers had a great campaign, driven by spring rains, which even led the government to endow a ‘nuclear button’ that the case would allow you to remove oil from the market to guarantee your “stability”, everything indicates that the campaign will be less prolific of the expected. So much so that a month ago the farmers launched A message to reduce optimism and emphasize the expectations of the sector. What can we expect then? “The current situation in the main autonomous producing community, Andalusia, leads us to think that the euphoria that reigned among the great market operators about a historical harvest is collapsing,” They warned in July from the union of small farmers and ranchers (UPA). Its production estimates for Andalusia then pointed to between 950,000 and 1.15 million tons, a figure holds the meteorology drift of the coming months. “That is, at best we would be in a situation similar to the 2024/2025 campaign”, They needed. Behind that lower production there is a cluster of factorsincluding high temperatures during flowering, the influence of pests, the impact of the latest heat waves on the size of the fruit or the plantation’s own veracular. UPA’s global estimate is that the production fork of the next campaign will move between 1.2 and 1.4 million of tons, a figure that responds to the cutting of forecasts in Andalusia and Castilla-La Mancha. And how does the market leave? That is the other key that explains the drift of prices. Poolred data or the Andalusian Observatory show an increase in prices at source throughout recent weeks, but still sales have advanced at a good pace: a few weeks ago Asaja Córdoba celebrated that olive oil outlets reached last month the 147,000 t“the highest figures of the last ten years in a month of July at the national level.” The link, which reflects the stocks of merchandise that will remain between campaigns, is also promised short, with 270,000 tonsas required The economist. Another of the keys to the campaign is the behavior of the US market. The newspaper slides that between January and May the sales of Spanish olive oil in the US grew by 31.25%, although that rebound was not even to the value of sales. The big question is how tariffs will affect. July exports data (still free of fees) already show A fallalthough in the sector there are Optimistic voices They remember that there are faithful customers who already paid for Spanish oil when their price at source was much higher than the current one. Images | Wikipedia and Iloveaceite (Flickr) 1 and 2 In Xataka | More and more giants get into the Andalusian field and in the olive oil industry. The last: Pepsico

We thought we were facing a “historical” oil harvest. Farmers now foresee a reality bath

by

Olive oil is going through convulsive times. The drought lived some crops back put many crops against the strings and fired the prices of this cornerstone of our kitchen. Last year the arrival of the rains allowed some normalization, without moving from some modest results. And now, uncertainty does not disappear. Like the last, “in the best case.” The Olivar sector has issued a statement to lower expectations Regarding the following oil harvest. They did it after a meeting of members of the union of small farmers and ranchers (UPA) in which representatives of the olive grove of all the autonomous communities were able to discuss the situation of this harvest. Farmers estimate that oil production will give us between 1.2 and 1.4 million tons of the product. According to Indicates the UPAthese figures would imply a harvest similar to the last “at best.” According to Data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Foodlast year there were 855,577 tons of olive oil, which would have to add 112,973 tons of olive pomace oil and 407,400 tons of table olive. According to The most recent estimates From the Ministry for this year, the expected production for this year would be at 1,415 million tons of pomace oil, plus 126,000 tons of olive pomace oil and 533.012 tons of table olive. Different communities, different impacts. In the eye of this hurricane are the Andalusian producers. “The current situation in the main autonomous producer community, Andalusia, leads us to think that the euphoria that reigned among the great market operators about a historical harvest is collapsing,” They point in a press release From the UPA. According to the estimates of the organization, the Andalusian harvest could give between 950,000 and 1,150,000 tons, while the Castilian-Manchega would be around 125,000 tons and in Extremadura the production would be about 80,000 tons. The rest of CC.AA. would contribute around 12,000 tons to this year’s harvest. Heat, pests and productive capacity. The data seem to validate the fears that A few weeks ago He highlighted the sector. As indicated then, there were several factors that invited to reduce optimism regarding the coming harvest. The first of them, the meteorology: the premature arrival of heat at the end of May implied a problem for the olive grove in full flowering. Meteorological conditions have affected different olive groves differently, but intense and advanced summer could be a determining factor in this year’s harvest. To the meteorology we must add the appearance of certain pests, such as prays (Prays Oleae), also the so -called olive moth; or that of milkweed (Euphyllura Olivina). To this must be added the olive grove, the fact that the plant tends to not be able to produce in full performance for two consecutive years. Waiting for September. It is still soon to know reliably the evolution of the harvest since There is still one of the key points that the olive groves throughout the year. The first of these stages occurs in spring and is the flowering of the olive tree, which usually occurs between April and May; The second, which we still have ahead, is the maturation of the fruit. To know how the olive grove this stage, we still have to wait until September. For now we do not know what the meteorology will hold for a month seen, although The predictions Aemet does not invite optimism. Medium-term predictions indicate a warmer and more dry August than normal, while quarterly forecasts also indicate a trimester August-October by pulling warm and dry. There will be so much to wait to see the evolution of the crop. In Xataka | More and more giants get into the Andalusian field and in the olive oil industry. The last: Pepsico Image | Royber99

Oil and wine

by

“Those who expect a hurricane appreciate a storm.” The phrase It is from Wolfang Groe Entrup, president of the German Association of the Chemical Industry (VCI) and summarizes well the feeling with which a good part of the political class and economy of the European Union yesterday contemplated the handshake of Ursual von der Leyen and Donald Trump that puts an end (and final?) To the commercial tension escalation of recent months. The EU accepts that its exports to the other side of the Atlantic are penalized by a 15%general tariff. And he will do it without reciprocity and with a small print still pending to specify and promise crucial. In Spain there are two sectors They are already on guard: wine and olive oil. What happened? That after months of pull and loosencrosses of percentages and threats of tariffs of Up to 50%USA and the EU have finally reached a framework agreement for their commercial relations. They are still unknowns, but on Sunday the president of the European Commission (CE), Ursula von der Leyen, and his counterpart Donald Trump, closed A pact which establishes a general tax of 15% to European exports. The agreement was sealed away from the White House or Brussels, in a Scottish golf course that belongs to Trump himself. What did they agree? The key fact is that 15% general tariff that will apply to community exports that cross the Atlantic to the US. The other pillar of the pact is that there will be no reciprocity. The imports ‘Made in USA’ will not face a similar rate in the Union, which also assumes the commitment to buy American energy products for the next years by 750,000 million of dollars and raise your investment to 600,000 million. The agreement nevertheless includes a small print equally important that still throws some doubts. It is known that Washington will maintain a 50% tariff on steel and aluminum, although von der read clarified that this rate could be replaced by a quota system as negotiations are outlined, and that the US will apply exceptions to certain goods that are strategic for the country. What exceptions? The thick stroke is known. During Your intervention In Scotland von der Leyen only gave some clues, without delving into details: “We have agreed zero tariffs for several strategic products. This includes all aircraft and components, certain chemicals, certain generic, semiconductor equipment, certain agricultural products, natural resources and essential raw materials. We will continue working to add more to the list.” His words soon generate reactions and Not a few criticism that consider it unknown or harmful to Europe. In Spain, for example, Pedro Sánchez “supported him”, but “Without any enthusiasm”. Some, like the German industry, have warned of its “negative repercussions” for Europe. Others, like The winemakerthat they have been expectant Before the dialogue between Washington and Brussels, they are claiming that a “zero tariff” be applied to wine and They warn of the serious consequences if a 10%tariff is maintained. Union of Unions assures That, “according to the first transcended information”, the list of exempt strategic goods leaves out “products of great relevance to Spain”, such as wine, olive oil, chees or hams. Is it so serious? According to The data Americans, last year the trade of goods between the US and the EU amounted to 975,000 million dollars, with a flow of European imports well higher than that of exports. In 2024 Spain exported goods worth more than 21.200 million And there are studies that indicate that the impact of tariffs would not be excessive: According to the IMFthe direct impact for our country is one tenth of GDP for every 10 percentage points of American tariffs applied to the European Union. “A priori, the direct impact would be limited. Total sales to the US represented only 4.7% of the total Spanish exports in 2024, so it would be a limited affection. However, it could be relevant in the sectors with a greater exposure to the American market,” warns The Chamber of Commerce of Spain. Among them there are two keys for the weight that the US has in its exports: The wine and olive oil. As a reference, it is estimated that only between Spain and Italy export 65% of the oil that the country needs. What does the wine sector say? It is expectant. “It seems that in the next few days there could be negotiations for certain agricultural products, zero by zero, which is what the European and American sectors have been asking for,” says José Luis Benítez, of the Spanish Wine Federation, in statements collected today by The country. “If there is any exception, we hope that the European Commission (CE) understands that the wine should be one of them.” The European Committee of Viticultural Companies already He has claimed to the Union and the United States that its agreement includes wine among its goods with “zero tariffs”, which a priori, as advanced yesterday in Scotland, will include some agricultural products. “The EU-EEU Wine Trade has been a beneficial mutual relationship,” claims. “For every dollar that Europeans get selling wine to the US, the American distribution and the hospitality sectors get 4.5”. And the oil? Asaja Jaén spokesman, Luis Carlos Valero, Recognize That the imposition of 15% is “totally negative” for their interests, although at the moment it is cautious: “You have to wait to really see how these tariffs are applied.” In the past, the olive oil sector has already faced taxes imposed by Donadld Trump, but only the packaged product penalized, so they recognize that if that same pattern was repeated the impact would be “minimal.” “The vast majority of exporters who go to the US have located the packagers and takes bulk, therefore we would be exempt from that tariff,” reason In an interview with Europa Press in which he insists that he is still “very soon.” “You have to wait to really see what this is, how it applies.” Are there … Read more

Half of all the oil we need passes through two runners, and one is right now the hottest point of the planet

by

We can think that overall supply chain It is solid due to the number of transport options. However, commercial networks in huge airplanes, the rail transport that China wants to boost With his new ‘Silk routeor the road transport They remain in the background if we compare it with The reliable old man: the ship. And, when we talk about oil transport worldwide, this is something that is much more evidenced. This graph prepared by Visual Capitalist It reflects it perfectly. The data. Talking about oil is talking about certain countries that brings together the bulk of reserves. However, not always the most oil is the one who produces the most (to tell Venzuela), and world trade in crude passes through a few points between Asia and the Middle East. If these funnels have any problem, the entire world will also have it because the estimated amount that moves every day is an absolute barbarity: Millions of barrels a day in 2023 Strait of Malaca 23.7 Ormuz narrow 20.9 Suez Canal 8.8 Bab el-Mandeb 8.6 Cape of Good Hope 6 Strait of Denmark 4.9 Strait of Türkiye 3.4 Panama Canal 2.1 Malaca is the big funnel. With 23.7 million barrels per day moved in 2023, you have to talk about the first name of the list: the Strait of Malaca. It is a narrow complex due to its depth and wide, but it has become the main oil transport channel in the Middle East to Japan, South Korea and, above all, China. The Asian giant is the main oil importer (Although the batteries are being put to become one of the main producers) and it is estimated that 25% of the maritime transport of crude passes through this corridor. Its location between the Peninsula of Malaysia and Sumatra makes it the shortest and, therefore economic road between the Indian and the Pacific. And is responsible for Singapore is the largest gas station in the ocean. Ormuz, the hot spot. If Malaca’s is vital for the crude that goes to Asia, that of Ormuz It is essential for the one from the great producers such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Arab Emirates, Kuwait or will go to the rest of the West (although a lot of production also goes to Asia). The Strait has about 167 km long and about 40 wide, but navigation routes are much narrower. Now, its peculiarity is that it has sufficient depth to allow the transit of the great oil tankers and entrepreneurships. The problem is its location. This is the only significant maritime exit (for trade) that the Persian Gulf has and, like Malaca’s, it is a strategic point that Recently it has been in the foreground due to the War between Iran, Israel and the United States actions. Fragile balance. Being the 20% output point of the oil worldwide, and also moving much of the Liquefied natural gas which is consumed in the world, a block would have deep effects on the economy and global energy dependence. The estimate is that about 20 million barrels are moved daily and, if that flow is compromised, prices HE They would shoot at levels similar to the right views after Start of the Ukraine War or in the 70’s oil crisis. In addition, other points such as Suez or Malaca They would receive more ship influxwhich would carry overloads, shipping delays and would not serve to relax the barrel price increase. And the most important thing that lets us see this map is that, although there are several critical points for oil, two of them bring together almost half of the crude oil movement of the entire planet, which implies a balance that the Geopolitical tensions They can destabilize easily. Saudi Arabia and Arab Emirates are promoting the creation of pipelines to diversify the supply routes, and in the aforementioned ‘New Silk route’ are also raised alternatives to reduce the dependence of the narrows in the oil that moves to China. But, for the moment, Malaca and Ormuz are the hottest points of oil worldwide. In Xataka | The world capital of rare earth is being made of gold thanks to them. And it is also poisoning

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.