Commodity Atlas
A neutral learning and intelligence portal for commodity markets: energy, metals, agriculture, and freight.
Markets
Energy
The largest commodity market by value. Energy covers crude oil, natural gas, LNG, and coal — the fuels that power industrial civilisation. Price discovery happens across spot markets, futures exchanges (NYMEX, ICE, SGX), and long-term supply contracts.
4 subcategories →
Metals
Metals divide into ferrous (iron and steel) and non-ferrous (base metals like copper, aluminium) and precious (gold, silver). The LME in London is the price-setter for base metals. China dominates both supply (as producer) and demand (as consumer).
3 subcategories →
Agricultural
Agricultural commodities — grains, oilseeds, and soft commodities — feed the world. They are among the most politically sensitive markets due to food security implications. The CBOT in Chicago is the benchmark exchange for grains; Euronext for European wheat; ICE for sugar, coffee, and cocoa.
2 subcategories →
Freight
Freight is the invisible cost embedded in every physical commodity trade. The Baltic Exchange in London publishes daily indices for all dry bulk and tanker vessel classes. Freight can be hedged via Forward Freight Agreements (FFAs), traded on ICE. Understanding freight is the difference between a profitable commodity trade and a losing one.
3 subcategories →
Latest News
All news →- gCaptain
March 21 (Reuters) – A British nuclear-powered submarine equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles has taken position in the Arabian Sea, giving Britain the capability to launch long-range strikes
- gCaptain
By Shiyin Chen Mar 21, 2026(Bloomberg) –The US said Iran’s ability to threaten marine traffic on the Strait of Hormuz has been “degraded” after it took out a facility along the...
- gCaptain
By Lorenzo Hernandez PROGRESO, Mexico, March 20 (Reuters) – Volunteers in Mexico loaded a fleet of modest boats bound for Cuba with rice, baby wipes and other supplies in a growing grassroots ef
- gCaptain
Multiple U.S.-flagged commercial vessels critical to America’s sealift capability are effectively stranded inside the Persian Gulf amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, prompting one Senator t
- gCaptain
Libya's National Oil Corporation said on Saturday that it had contracted a specialist company to handle a damaged Russian tanker carrying LNG that is drifting towards the Libyan coast.
- gCaptain
By Crispian Balmer BAGNOLI, Italy, March 21 (Reuters) – Rusted factory skeletons loom over a shoreline poisoned by decades of heavy industry on the western fringes of Naples, which will next yea
- gCaptain
By Mihir Mishra and Alex Longley Mar 21, 2026 (Bloomberg) —The Iranian Navy guided an Indian liquefied petroleum gas tanker through the Strait of Hormuz last week, allowing the ship to...
- gCaptain
The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Friday issued a new general license authorizing the delivery and sale of Iranian-origin crude oil and petroleum products already loaded..
Morning Briefing
2026-03-22- 01
Strait of Hormuz Crisis Escalates: US Destroys Iranian Facility, 40% of Seaborne Crude Affected
The US military has destroyed an Iranian facility threatening the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20 million barrels of oil per day normally transit. With 40% of global seaborne crude exports now disrupted, expect crude benchmarks (Brent, WTI) to remain elevated and volatile. For a new trader, this is the single most important oil chokepoint in the world — any disruption here ripples acros
gCaptain / Hellenic Shipping News
- 02
US Unlocks Sanctioned Iranian Oil at Sea to Ease Supply Crunch
In a remarkable policy pivot, OFAC issued a general license allowing the sale of Iranian-origin crude already loaded on tankers — essentially releasing shadow-fleet barrels into the market to cool prices. This tells you the administration is worried about supply tightness and politically sensitive gasoline prices at home. Watch for a short-term bearish dip in crude if these cargoes find buyers qui
gCaptain
- 03
U.S.-Flagged Vessels Stranded in Persian Gulf; Iran Guiding Select Tankers Through Hormuz
Multiple U.S.-flagged sealift vessels are stuck inside the Gulf, raising national security concerns, while Iran's navy is selectively escorting friendly-nation tankers (like an Indian LPG carrier) through the strait. This two-track approach means Iran is weaponizing transit access — letting allies through while blocking adversaries. For tanker markets, this creates a massive premium on non-US-affi
gCaptain
- 04
Surging Bunker Prices Reshape Dry Bulk Freight Economics
Fuel costs are now consuming an outsized share of total freight revenue for dry bulk carriers, squeezing margins especially for older vessels without exhaust gas scrubbers. Scrubber-fitted ships enjoy a significant cost advantage since they can burn cheaper high-sulfur fuel oil (HSFO) versus compliant VLSFO. If you're watching Capesize or Panamax rates, understand that headline freight rates may l
Hellenic Shipping News
- 05
China Holds Loan Prime Rate Steady for 10th Month; Trade Outlook Darkens
China's unchanged benchmark lending rate signals Beijing is holding monetary policy in reserve rather than stimulating aggressively — a cautious stance for the world's largest commodity importer. Combined with the WTO warning that the Middle East conflict is weighing on 2026 trade growth, this is a headwind for dry bulk demand (iron ore, coal, grain). Watch for softening in Baltic Dry Index compon
Hellenic Shipping News
AI-generated · Refreshed daily · Not financial advice