48e95ac5c117e77224af6f3c46081661

Britain’s Net Zero Policy Is Killing Its Chemical Industry

From ammonia to plastics, there can be no modern economy without a functioning chemicals industry, and Britain’s is in peril, writes Sharon Todd The recent announcement of a £350m Critical Chemicals Resilience Fund from Chancellor Rachel Reeves is welcome but it is also an acknowledgement of an uncomfortable truth: the UK’s chemicals sector is in

Britain’s Net Zero Policy Is Killing Its Chemical Industry Read More »

News in Brief | Week 23 2026 | Carrier’s rate run and TIACA Exec Summit

07/06/2026 In this episode of The Loadstar Podcast News in Brief, we bring you the latest developments shaping global supply chains, from rising tensions in the Middle East to renewed controversy over ocean freight pricing – and the key takeaways from TIACA’s Executive Summit in Warsaw last week. First, The Loadstar managing editor Gavin van

News in Brief | Week 23 2026 | Carrier’s rate run and TIACA Exec Summit Read More »

48e95ac5c117e77224af6f3c46081661

Oil Market Flying Blind as Dark Tanker Traffic Surges in Hormuz

Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has collapsed by 90% to 95% compared to pre-war levels, analysts concur. Some oil cargoes continue to trickle through the critical chokepoint, but under increasingly opaque operating conditions, complicating the tracking of oil and gas flows and obscuring the visibility of how much energy supply actually reaches buyers

Oil Market Flying Blind as Dark Tanker Traffic Surges in Hormuz Read More »

AI Boom or Political Play? Trump Channels Defense Funds Into Dying Coal Plants

The Trump administration is set to channel nearly $700 million in federal funds into the U.S. coal industry Thursday, invoking a Korean War-era statute to prop up existing power plants, finance new construction, and push open a California export terminal that has been blocked for nearly two decades. The centerpiece is $425 million distributed under

AI Boom or Political Play? Trump Channels Defense Funds Into Dying Coal Plants Read More »

48e95ac5c117e77224af6f3c46081661

Regional Leaders Back Taliban Trade Ties While EU Holds the Line

Top level officials from Central and South Asia convened in Tashkent on June 4 to discuss regional trade and connectivity under a format known as the Termez Dialogue. Participants were unanimous in seeing a strategic need to weave Afghanistan into regional trade networks, but discussion on specific tactics to achieve that aim did not feature

Regional Leaders Back Taliban Trade Ties While EU Holds the Line Read More »

48e95ac5c117e77224af6f3c46081661

SPR Borrowers Owe Uncle Sam 40 Million Extra Barrels

The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve has taken a beating during the Iran war, but Energy Secretary Chris Wright says the government’s emergency oil stash is headed for a surprisingly lucrative refill. Companies that borrowed crude from the SPR during the conflict will return those barrels with premiums attached, leaving the reserve about 40 million barrels

SPR Borrowers Owe Uncle Sam 40 Million Extra Barrels Read More »

48e95ac5c117e77224af6f3c46081661

Bank of England Official Says Oil Crisis Clouds Rate Outlook

The Bank of England may know where inflation is headed, but it has a much harder time knowing where oil—and interest rates—are headed. That was the message from Bank of England policymaker Swati Dhingra on Friday, as the ongoing Middle East energy crisis continues to complicate the outlook for interest rates. “If you ask me

Bank of England Official Says Oil Crisis Clouds Rate Outlook Read More »