Topic: Just commodities

[Libertas]

I recall the VE oil is heavy and can only be handled by some refineries.
So Joe does not want Alaskan oil but does want VE oil.

Which is why earlier the OK was given for American oil companies to operate there again...

But I seriously doubt any new oil from here as a result of this is coming...a reasonable person would ask "why would it"?

Why would a US refinery make the changes to handle the heavy crude when the US govt said this change is temporary?

Ask the FJB regime...

 

[Libertas]

The Kenyan's FJB muppet already is missing the opportunity to refill the previously and stupidly raided SPR...

https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/wti-holds-losses-after-large-crude-build-spr-refill-plan-hold-7th-straight-week

...WTI on the up-climb again today.

Oh, and a good primer for how the PTB's game the COMEX prices for silver & gold...

https://www.sprottmoney.com/blog/overt-manipulation-in-gold-silver-prices

...and when it is played through NYSE options expiration days it will also affect gold & silver ETF holders on the wrong side of the gaming.

[Libertas]

Mineral / Considered Critical   🇺🇸 U.S.   🇪🇺 EU   🇨🇳 China
Aluminum/ bauxite   Yes   Yes   Yes
Antimony   Yes   Yes   Yes
Cobalt   Yes   Yes   Yes
Copper   Yes   Yes   Yes
Fluorspar   Yes   Yes   Yes
Graphite   Yes   Yes   Yes
Lithium   Yes   Yes   Yes
Nickel   Yes   Yes   Yes
Rare earths   Yes   Yes   Yes
Tungsten   Yes   Yes   Yes
Arsenic   Yes   Yes   No
Barite   Yes   Yes   No
Beryllium   Yes   Yes   No
Bismuth   Yes   Yes   No
Germanium   Yes   Yes   No
Hafnium   Yes   Yes   No
Magnesium   Yes   Yes   No
Manganese   Yes   Yes   No
Niobium   Yes   Yes   No
Platinum   Yes   Yes   No
Tantalum   Yes   Yes   No
Titanium   Yes   Yes   No
Vanadium   Yes   Yes   No
Tin   Yes   No   Yes
Zirconium   Yes   No   Yes
Phosphorus   No   Yes   Yes
Cesium   Yes   No   No
Chromium   Yes   No   No
Indium   Yes   No   No
Rubidium   Yes   No   No
Samarium   Yes   No   No
Tellurium   Yes   No   No
Zinc   Yes   No   No
Boron   No   Yes   No
Coking Coal   No   Yes   No
Feldspar   No   Yes   No
Gallium   No   Yes   No
Helium   No   Yes   No
Phosphate Rock   No   Yes   No
Scandium   No   Yes   No
Silicon   No   Yes   No
Strontium   No   Yes   No
Gold   No   No   Yes
Iron ore   No   No   Yes
Molybdenum   No   No   Yes
Potash   No   No   Yes
Uranium   No   No   Yes
Despite having most of the same materials found in the U.S. or China’s list, the European list is the only one to include phosphate rock. The region has limited phosphate resources (only produced in Finland) and largely depends on imports of the material essential for manufacturing fertilizers.

Coking coal is also only on the EU list. The material is used in the manufacture of pig iron and steel. Production is currently dominated by China (58%), followed by Australia (17%), Russia (7%), and the U.S. (7%).

The U.S. has also sought to reduce its reliance on imports. Today, the country is 100% import-dependent on manganese and graphite and 76% on cobalt.

After decades of sourcing materials from other countries, the U.S. local production of raw materials has become extremely limited. For instance, there is only one operating nickel mine (primary) in the country, the Eagle Mine in Michigan. Likewise, the country only hosts one lithium source in Nevada, the Silver Peak Mine.

China’s Dominance
Despite being the world’s biggest carbon polluter, China is the largest producer of most of the world’s critical minerals for the green revolution.

China produces 60% of all rare earth elements used as components in high-technology devices, including smartphones and computers. The country also has a 13% share of the lithium production market. In addition, it refines around 35% of the world’s nickel, 58% of lithium, and 70% of cobalt.
https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/these-are-critical-minerals-china-eu-us-national-security

EU slightly more worse off than the US...the latter hampered by ignorant and suicidal anti-mining regulation driven by psychotic eco-nuts and their appeasers.

[Libertas]

H/T-CTH

[patentlymn]

Mineral / Considered Critical   🇺🇸 U.S.   🇪🇺 EU   🇨🇳 China
Aluminum/ bauxite   Yes   Yes   Yes
Antimony   Yes   Yes   Yes
Cobalt   Yes   Yes   Yes
Copper   Yes   Yes   Yes
Fluorspar   Yes   Yes   Yes
Graphite   Yes   Yes   Yes
Lithium   Yes   Yes   Yes
Nickel   Yes   Yes   Yes
Rare earths   Yes   Yes   Yes
Tungsten   Yes   Yes   Yes
Arsenic   Yes   Yes   No
Barite   Yes   Yes   No
Beryllium   Yes   Yes   No
Bismuth   Yes   Yes   No
Germanium   Yes   Yes   No
Hafnium   Yes   Yes   No
Magnesium   Yes   Yes   No
Manganese   Yes   Yes   No
Niobium   Yes   Yes   No
Platinum   Yes   Yes   No
Tantalum   Yes   Yes   No
Titanium   Yes   Yes   No
Vanadium   Yes   Yes   No
Tin   Yes   No   Yes
Zirconium   Yes   No   Yes
Phosphorus   No   Yes   Yes
Cesium   Yes   No   No
Chromium   Yes   No   No
Indium   Yes   No   No
Rubidium   Yes   No   No
Samarium   Yes   No   No
Tellurium   Yes   No   No
Zinc   Yes   No   No
Boron   No   Yes   No
Coking Coal   No   Yes   No
Feldspar   No   Yes   No
Gallium   No   Yes   No
Helium   No   Yes   No
Phosphate Rock   No   Yes   No
Scandium   No   Yes   No
Silicon   No   Yes   No
Strontium   No   Yes   No
Gold   No   No   Yes
Iron ore   No   No   Yes
Molybdenum   No   No   Yes
Potash   No   No   Yes
Uranium   No   No   Yes
Despite having most of the same materials found in the U.S. or China’s list, the European list is the only one to include phosphate rock. The region has limited phosphate resources (only produced in Finland) and largely depends on imports of the material essential for manufacturing fertilizers.

Coking coal is also only on the EU list. The material is used in the manufacture of pig iron and steel. Production is currently dominated by China (58%), followed by Australia (17%), Russia (7%), and the U.S. (7%).

The U.S. has also sought to reduce its reliance on imports. Today, the country is 100% import-dependent on manganese and graphite and 76% on cobalt.

After decades of sourcing materials from other countries, the U.S. local production of raw materials has become extremely limited. For instance, there is only one operating nickel mine (primary) in the country, the Eagle Mine in Michigan. Likewise, the country only hosts one lithium source in Nevada, the Silver Peak Mine.

China’s Dominance
Despite being the world’s biggest carbon polluter, China is the largest producer of most of the world’s critical minerals for the green revolution.

China produces 60% of all rare earth elements used as components in high-technology devices, including smartphones and computers. The country also has a 13% share of the lithium production market. In addition, it refines around 35% of the world’s nickel, 58% of lithium, and 70% of cobalt.
https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/these-are-critical-minerals-china-eu-us-national-security

EU slightly more worse off than the US...the latter hampered by ignorant and suicidal anti-mining regulation driven by psychotic eco-nuts and their appeasers.

Good info. I wonder how much of EU in in Russia or former USSR?
Remember that the US lithium iand other minerals are in 'pristine' areas. didn't the state MN kill a possible mine in MN?

It took 30 years to overcome environmental suits against a bridge replacement near Stillwater MN across the St. Croix River.  That took an act of congress to exempt the bridge from environmental laws.

When I see scaremonger stories about Russian activities in the arctic I get pissed off since the US will not even exploit Alaska. In case you forgot to celebrate, yesterday was Nuclear Icebreaker Fleet Day in Russia.
https://t.me/EurasianChoice/32086

https://youtu.be/VJcnuZB4Xt4?t=93

[patentlymn]

Interesting guy interviewed by the grumpy Russian expat. Andre wrote a few books on military as former USSR naval guy. Lives in US.
Lama shows how economy VERY closely tracks energy use.

https://youtu.be/7ANJPdkJAZQ
Conversations With Dr. Fadi Lama.

https://youtu.be/fBX6RaN3JOU
Conversations with Dr. Fadi Lama II

[Libertas]

Mineral / Considered Critical   🇺🇸 U.S.   🇪🇺 EU   🇨🇳 China
Aluminum/ bauxite   Yes   Yes   Yes
Antimony   Yes   Yes   Yes
Cobalt   Yes   Yes   Yes
Copper   Yes   Yes   Yes
Fluorspar   Yes   Yes   Yes
Graphite   Yes   Yes   Yes
Lithium   Yes   Yes   Yes
Nickel   Yes   Yes   Yes
Rare earths   Yes   Yes   Yes
Tungsten   Yes   Yes   Yes
Arsenic   Yes   Yes   No
Barite   Yes   Yes   No
Beryllium   Yes   Yes   No
Bismuth   Yes   Yes   No
Germanium   Yes   Yes   No
Hafnium   Yes   Yes   No
Magnesium   Yes   Yes   No
Manganese   Yes   Yes   No
Niobium   Yes   Yes   No
Platinum   Yes   Yes   No
Tantalum   Yes   Yes   No
Titanium   Yes   Yes   No
Vanadium   Yes   Yes   No
Tin   Yes   No   Yes
Zirconium   Yes   No   Yes
Phosphorus   No   Yes   Yes
Cesium   Yes   No   No
Chromium   Yes   No   No
Indium   Yes   No   No
Rubidium   Yes   No   No
Samarium   Yes   No   No
Tellurium   Yes   No   No
Zinc   Yes   No   No
Boron   No   Yes   No
Coking Coal   No   Yes   No
Feldspar   No   Yes   No
Gallium   No   Yes   No
Helium   No   Yes   No
Phosphate Rock   No   Yes   No
Scandium   No   Yes   No
Silicon   No   Yes   No
Strontium   No   Yes   No
Gold   No   No   Yes
Iron ore   No   No   Yes
Molybdenum   No   No   Yes
Potash   No   No   Yes
Uranium   No   No   Yes
Despite having most of the same materials found in the U.S. or China’s list, the European list is the only one to include phosphate rock. The region has limited phosphate resources (only produced in Finland) and largely depends on imports of the material essential for manufacturing fertilizers.

Coking coal is also only on the EU list. The material is used in the manufacture of pig iron and steel. Production is currently dominated by China (58%), followed by Australia (17%), Russia (7%), and the U.S. (7%).

The U.S. has also sought to reduce its reliance on imports. Today, the country is 100% import-dependent on manganese and graphite and 76% on cobalt.

After decades of sourcing materials from other countries, the U.S. local production of raw materials has become extremely limited. For instance, there is only one operating nickel mine (primary) in the country, the Eagle Mine in Michigan. Likewise, the country only hosts one lithium source in Nevada, the Silver Peak Mine.

China’s Dominance
Despite being the world’s biggest carbon polluter, China is the largest producer of most of the world’s critical minerals for the green revolution.

China produces 60% of all rare earth elements used as components in high-technology devices, including smartphones and computers. The country also has a 13% share of the lithium production market. In addition, it refines around 35% of the world’s nickel, 58% of lithium, and 70% of cobalt.
https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/these-are-critical-minerals-china-eu-us-national-security

EU slightly more worse off than the US...the latter hampered by ignorant and suicidal anti-mining regulation driven by psychotic eco-nuts and their appeasers.

Good info. I wonder how much of EU in in Russia or former USSR?
Remember that the US lithium iand other minerals are in 'pristine' areas. didn't the state MN kill a possible mine in MN?

It took 30 years to overcome environmental suits against a bridge replacement near Stillwater MN across the St. Croix River.  That took an act of congress to exempt the bridge from environmental laws.

When I see scaremonger stories about Russian activities in the arctic I get pissed off since the US will not even exploit Alaska. In case you forgot to celebrate, yesterday was Nuclear Icebreaker Fleet Day in Russia.
https://t.me/EurasianChoice/32086

https://youtu.be/VJcnuZB4Xt4?t=93

   Minnestupid has nixed new iron mines, copper mines, every new mine!

[patentlymn]

Mineral / Considered Critical   🇺🇸 U.S.   🇪🇺 EU   🇨🇳 China
Aluminum/ bauxite   Yes   Yes   Yes
Antimony   Yes   Yes   Yes
Cobalt   Yes   Yes   Yes
Copper   Yes   Yes   Yes
Fluorspar   Yes   Yes   Yes
Graphite   Yes   Yes   Yes
Lithium   Yes   Yes   Yes
Nickel   Yes   Yes   Yes
Rare earths   Yes   Yes   Yes
Tungsten   Yes   Yes   Yes
Arsenic   Yes   Yes   No
Barite   Yes   Yes   No
Beryllium   Yes   Yes   No
Bismuth   Yes   Yes   No
Germanium   Yes   Yes   No
Hafnium   Yes   Yes   No
Magnesium   Yes   Yes   No
Manganese   Yes   Yes   No
Niobium   Yes   Yes   No
Platinum   Yes   Yes   No
Tantalum   Yes   Yes   No
Titanium   Yes   Yes   No
Vanadium   Yes   Yes   No
Tin   Yes   No   Yes
Zirconium   Yes   No   Yes
Phosphorus   No   Yes   Yes
Cesium   Yes   No   No
Chromium   Yes   No   No
Indium   Yes   No   No
Rubidium   Yes   No   No
Samarium   Yes   No   No
Tellurium   Yes   No   No
Zinc   Yes   No   No
Boron   No   Yes   No
Coking Coal   No   Yes   No
Feldspar   No   Yes   No
Gallium   No   Yes   No
Helium   No   Yes   No
Phosphate Rock   No   Yes   No
Scandium   No   Yes   No
Silicon   No   Yes   No
Strontium   No   Yes   No
Gold   No   No   Yes
Iron ore   No   No   Yes
Molybdenum   No   No   Yes
Potash   No   No   Yes
Uranium   No   No   Yes
Despite having most of the same materials found in the U.S. or China’s list, the European list is the only one to include phosphate rock. The region has limited phosphate resources (only produced in Finland) and largely depends on imports of the material essential for manufacturing fertilizers.

Coking coal is also only on the EU list. The material is used in the manufacture of pig iron and steel. Production is currently dominated by China (58%), followed by Australia (17%), Russia (7%), and the U.S. (7%).

The U.S. has also sought to reduce its reliance on imports. Today, the country is 100% import-dependent on manganese and graphite and 76% on cobalt.

After decades of sourcing materials from other countries, the U.S. local production of raw materials has become extremely limited. For instance, there is only one operating nickel mine (primary) in the country, the Eagle Mine in Michigan. Likewise, the country only hosts one lithium source in Nevada, the Silver Peak Mine.

China’s Dominance
Despite being the world’s biggest carbon polluter, China is the largest producer of most of the world’s critical minerals for the green revolution.

China produces 60% of all rare earth elements used as components in high-technology devices, including smartphones and computers. The country also has a 13% share of the lithium production market. In addition, it refines around 35% of the world’s nickel, 58% of lithium, and 70% of cobalt.
https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/these-are-critical-minerals-china-eu-us-national-security

EU slightly more worse off than the US...the latter hampered by ignorant and suicidal anti-mining regulation driven by psychotic eco-nuts and their appeasers.

Good info. I wonder how much of EU in in Russia or former USSR?
Remember that the US lithium iand other minerals are in 'pristine' areas. didn't the state MN kill a possible mine in MN?

It took 30 years to overcome environmental suits against a bridge replacement near Stillwater MN across the St. Croix River.  That took an act of congress to exempt the bridge from environmental laws.

When I see scaremonger stories about Russian activities in the arctic I get pissed off since the US will not even exploit Alaska. In case you forgot to celebrate, yesterday was Nuclear Icebreaker Fleet Day in Russia.
https://t.me/EurasianChoice/32086

https://youtu.be/VJcnuZB4Xt4?t=93

   Minnestupid has nixed new iron mines, copper mines, every new mine!

Death Valley has massive lithium deposits but that area is 'pristine.'

[patentlymn]

Interesting guy interviewed by the grumpy Russian expat. Andre wrote a few books on military as former USSR naval guy. Lives in US.
Lama shows how economy VERY closely tracks energy use.

https://youtu.be/7ANJPdkJAZQ
Conversations With Dr. Fadi Lama.

https://youtu.be/fBX6RaN3JOU
Conversations with Dr. Fadi Lama II

I read the book. In almost one sitting. Very good.
In short.
Money Powers control governments and now media.
They wage wars thorough proxies to make money.
The west, mostly US, has created financial systems to extract wealth from the rest of the world to the west.
Disclaimer: I do not understand international finance.
The rest of the world is starting to unravel these networks. See BRICS, SWIFT, sanctions failing, recent UAE/Saudi/African snubs to the US.

There is a very high correlation between energy consumption and well being.
The energy consumption of the west is declining but increasing for much of the world. I recall that US energy consumption has decreased 6% but pop increased 6% so 12% decline.
Much of the world lives in a material reality. The US/West lives in  virtual reality.
Material reality is showing it's face in the Ukraine war.

OR, to re-quote
War is a racket. I was just muscle for Wall St. - Smedley Butler
All wars are bankers wars.
You can ignore reality but you can't ignore the consequences of ignoring reality- Ayn Rand

[Libertas]

Well, sure...

Russia and China are not in other lands for altruistic purposes either...

Duh

Might makes right, the weak get to make a "choice" of master or risk being devoured in whole...

SSDD

Welcome to Earth!   

[patentlymn]

I do not understand this international finance stuff and likely never will. The above book deals with Bretton Woods.
I believe that the petro dollar arrangement greatly benefited the US somehow and a reduction in this will harm the US.
Having the USD as the reserve currency greatly benefits the US somehow. If this is reduced this will harm the US.

I am not saying the US and western financial systems are evil but that they are gamed to extract more wealth from the rest of the world than would be possible using something similar to barter.

I saw some doc on the Brit financial system titled I think The Spiders Web. How it helps UK.

I recall that France creates the French CAF currency used as a regional reserve currency in central Africa. That somehow extracts wealth into France.  Ghadaffi proposed a gold backed dinar to replace it. That was enough for NATO to have him killed and Libya destroyed. That is real enough for me.

I am not saying France is evil but that they gamed the system to extract more wealth from from Africa than would be possible using something similar to barter.

If these come unraveled and physical reality becomes more important then the US will be harmed. I heard that Russian econ growth will be 5% this year. China has been on a roll for years. They make stuff.  Maybe physical reality is important.

Early on in the Ukr war I got the feeling that the world was turning on the US and west. US, UK, and EU diplomats are snubbed like never before. I get UAE and Saudi confused but look at what just happened. Putin and RU are isolated?

US can't get phone calls returned, UK visit just cancelled. Putin lands and gets the red carpet treatment.  Cecil B Demille type greetings. 21 gun salute. Honor guard and  president AND 88 year old former president gets off his death bed to hug Putin at the airport. Horse cavalry. Camel cavalry. jets (US made jets?) inject chemicals into exhaust to create the Russian tricolor in the sky. Meanwhile some German diplomat lands and gets treated like a turd on the tarmac. Didn't someone maybe Janet Yeltsin go to China for a meeting and they did not even feed her? She had to fend for herself? 

I am just observing reality here. I am not calling good vs evil. The EU is discussing how to use the frozen Russian assets but the international finance people are warning them about what happens next from other investors. Today Russians are the bad guys. Who is next? The Saudis (bone saws and beheadings)?  The biggest depository of ill gotten wealth from around the world is the US. Maybe they should move much of it elsewhere?

Russia and China buy and sell stuff on the best terms they can get. They did not set up the international finance systems to benefit them. Not because they are nice but they did not have the chance. The US depends on gaming the system so what are we doing to threaten it? FA and find out. 

One good quote from Margin Call at 1 min in. I think the world is going to get fairer and that is not good for us.

https://youtu.be/2f2kGHcdJYU?t=61

[Libertas]

KISS

Not that hard, don't over-think...

Everybody with fiat currency games their currency, everybody with markets games their markets, everybody with banks games their banks...all to their advantage to friend or foe...everybody with a dominance in resources exploits those resources monopolistically to their benefit and seeks to increase their dominance...everybody, regardless of political system or anything else.  EVERYBODY.

Reserve currency per se is a mixed bag of benefits and risks...generally there can be lower exchange rate risks and potentially greater purchasing power (enter every nations fiat games) and on the downside there can be impacts of artificially low interest rates (see Fed easy money and asset bubbles) and for all transactionally there is a common medium of exchange.  Reducing the span of the dollar in global transactions would not destroy the dollar or necessarily improve its sundry replacements as aforementioned exchange risks and financial & monetary manipulation games.  The only negative to the US in a reduced reserve currency footprint in the world would be on bond offerings, which would need to flex down...not an entirely bad thing if managed properly by the PTB's and they wisely adopt fiscal and monetary discipline and reduce debt.  (And on this latter score, if the abandonment of the dollar is severe and malicious (ie-an act of war)...the PTBs may decide to ser fire to the paper if there is no revaluation agreements, stuff we see in past bankrupt nations.)  The other effects would not just hurt Americans...like equity market valuations reduced...and naturally access to capital and borrowing costs would be nasty.

I would not downplay the war risks at all if de-dollarization got nasty...it (resources/wealth) has been perhaps the most common trigger for wars throughout human history...

[patentlymn]

My mind turned to mush part way through your post with the big words. I do not understand that finance stuff.
Never will. My impression that this change will harm US citizens.

[Libertas]

Absent nothing to replace what is lost in terms of equal weight...citizens in a lot of nations will suffer...not just the US...

But, why spoil the fun for everyone...experience is always the best teacher...

[Libertas]

ho li chit, fat panda no happy...

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/beijing-imposes-export-controls-rare-earth-processing-tech-mineral-war-us-heats

...still not sure The Kenyan's puppet can even retaliate anyway, so...

And a little crack in OPEC+....

https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/oil-tumbles-after-angola-announces-it-leaving-opec

...dancing to the beat of others not the thrill it was promised to be, so sad too bad...

[Libertas]

https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/spot-container-rates-surge-173-due-red-sea-disruptions

So stupid to let these losers exert this much influence over a major shipping choke point...

[patentlymn]

Maybe a year or two ago I heard that US carriers were  afraid to get too close to Iran.
Now I get the same feelings about other ships.
The vertically launched sea sparrows cannot be replaced at sea but only at bases?
They cost millions to shoot down missiles costing thousands?

Can USN keep sea lanes open?
The USS Ford is said to just be making scheduled return to port.
I know nothing and just scratch my head at all  this.

[Libertas]

   We've only run a carrier into the Persian Gulf since the late 70's... 

[Libertas]

Given the hot points in the Middle East I am bullish on oil too...

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2024-01-10/inflection-investor-fund-manager-shares-his-portfolio-2024

[Libertas]

China might be run by commie bastards...but they know an opportunity when they see one...

https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/they-are-snapping-oil-all-over-world-china-taking-advantage-recent-slide-oil-prices

Is the POS FJB re-filling the SPR he drained?  No, of course not!!!   

ON the plus side seems the US is peeling off some business from Russia on the weapons front...

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/who-sells-most-weapons

And a uptick in demand is restarting uranium mining in Wyoming...

https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/uranium-energy-restarts-wyoming-production