Commodities, Business & Shipping

Welcome to the Precious Metals Bug Forums

Welcome to the PMBug forums - a watering hole for folks interested in gold, silver, precious metals, sound money, investing, market and economic news, central bank monetary policies, politics and more.

Why not register an account and join the discussions? When you register an account and log in, you may enjoy additional benefits including no Google ads, market data/charts, access to trade/barter with the community and much more. Registering an account is free - you have nothing to lose!

Cattle placements 103.8% of the year-ago: Weekly Livestock Market Update for November 18, 2023​


12:37
 
 

Did Iran-Backed Houthi Rebels Highjack an Israeli-owned Car Carrier in the Red Sea?​

Nov 19, 2023

14:07

In this episode, Sal Mercogliano - maritime historian at Campbell University (@campbelledu) and former merchant mariner - discusses the highjacking of the UK-insured, Isle of Man-registered owned, Greek-managed, and Bahamian-flagged pure car and truck carrier Galaxy Leader by Iranian-backed Houthi-rebels in the Red Sea. He also addresses the Israeli connection as the beneficial owner of Galaxy Leader through Ray Carriers in Tel Aviv.
 

Live Piracy & Armed Robbery Report 2023​

 

Who’s Buying Nebraska? Corporations, investors grabbing giant chunks of Nebraska farmland​

There’s never a Black Friday discount when a piece of Nebraska farmland hits the market in 2023, be it a fertile field in the Platte River Valley or a vast swath of Sandhills pastureland.

The market’s hot. And corporate farms, both in-state and out, are dipping into their deep pockets to claim the increasingly pricey agricultural land they desire.

The nine buyers who spent the most money on Nebraska farmland in the past five years are all corporate farming operations, real estate developers or investment firms, an analysis by the Flatwater Free Press found.

Jeff Burnett runs one of them. He keeps his eyes peeled for listings of Nebraska ranch land from his home near Cheyenne, Wyoming. His livestock and cattle operation recently paid $20 million for nearly 28,000 acres of ground in Keith County and Arthur County on the southern edge of the Sandhills.

 

The last convoy before the big freeze​

The research ship that is owned and operated by the Hydrographical Corporation, a subsidiary unit of state nuclear power company Rosatom, is part of a convoy of four ships that now sails westwards on the remote Arctic route.

In addition to the Grigory Mikheev, the convoy includes cargo ships Mys Dezhnev, Pola Dudinka and nuclear-powered icebreaker Arktika.

It is the last convoy of this year’s season, Rosatom informs.

A few kilometers further west is sailing LNG carrier Boris Davydov.

More:

 

More legislators press AG on Cook Inlet gas, a $750,000 settlement and an Aleutian murder mystery​

More lawmakers ask Dunleavy administration to press Hilcorp on gas production​

More state legislators are asking GOP Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration to press urban Alaska’s largest natural gas producer, Hilcorp, to extract more of the fossil fuel from its leases in Cook Inlet.

Anchorage Democratic Rep. Zack Fields led a group of 14 mostly Democratic representatives and three senators in drafting a letter and sending it to Attorney General Treg Taylor.

They allege that Hilcorp has a “monopoly position” in Cook Inlet and is using it to “artificially restrict the supply and drive up prices.”

More:

 
The heightened risk for Israeli-linked ships passing through the Red Sea in the wake of a car carrier hijacking on Sunday is seeing some ships divert, while insurers are reassessing their coverage of the area.

 

Weekly Commodity Market Update: Soybeans rally after early losses on the week​

Nov 21, 2023


11:16
 

New Videos Show Severity of Storm That Claimed Two Ships in Black Sea​

The loss of a freighter and its crew off the Black Sea Port of Eregli last weekend is drawing new scrutiny on safety issues in Turkey's domestic fleet. The 3,000 dwt Kafkametler went adrift just outside the harbor in a severe storm, shortly after attempting to take shelter, and drifted onto a breakwater. The vessel sank and no survivors have been found.

Kafkametler had an extensive history of inspection deficiencies, and opposition Labor Party MP Ahmet Sik has asked the government's transport minister to explain whether the ship was in full compliance at the time of the casualty. According to Sik, Kafkametler was known to have hull deformation and didn't meet standards, though his claims cannot be verified.

More:

 
Iran is proposing amendments to a draft resolution on dark shipping at the upcoming meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Assembly.

Several concerns have been raised at IMO meetings about an increase in ship-to-ship (STS) transfers at sea, particularly instances of ships engaging in so-called dark operations to conceal their whereabouts. The issue was discussed before the IMO’s Legal Committee (LEG 110) in March, then again at the Marine Environment Protection Committee’s (MEPC 80) 80th session in July.

 
KYIV/PARIS, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Ukraine's efforts to revive sea exports in defiance of Russia's military blockade have given a glimmer of hope to a teetering farm sector in which loss-making producers are abandoning some land in one of the world's biggest grain belts.

With no end in sight to the war with Russia, access to the Black Sea is critical if Ukraine is to preserve an agricultural industry that was the fourth-largest grain supplier globally before the conflict and in value terms accounted for half of Ukraine's total exports last year.

 

GoldSeek Radio Nugget -- Robert Kiyosaki​


12:16

Robert Kiyosaki, "The Rich Dad" and US Marine Veteran of The Vietnam War, bought a Gold Mine in Utah and returns to Goldseek.com with exciting news for precious metals afficionados and is holding BITCOIN! https://www.richdad.com/

- Gold, Silver and Bitcoin are the only selfdefnce mechanisms Kiyosaki needs, for his financial portfolio!
- Once gold moves, silver could move higher several times higher, on a percentage basis.
- Kiyosaki loves the PMs amid the out-of-control national debt soars to epic levels.
- Gresham's Law guarantees gold holders will be victorious, as paper-fiat money drives gold and silver coins out of circulation, because wise citizens reject copper-sandwich coins and hold onto valuable silver coins.
- Kiyosaki outlines the success strategy of his gold mine, Tintic Standard Gold Mines Inc (TNTC), please send your interest to the host gsradio@frontier.com
https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/stocks/tntc
- Beware of T-Bonds, he prefer T-bills, with lower term maturities.
- Our guest expects continued financial sector issues to send gold to fresh record price levels.
- Robert owns Bitcoin!
- Ethereum is silver to Bitcoin gold, and could 10x from current levels in the years ahead.
- Bitcoin and Ether are both trading at 50% discounts off the previous records!
- Robert stores his PMs in the EU.
- Crude oil could be the next moonshot says our guest!
- Robert likes oil wells over shares.
- He's buying an EV vehicle as backup ahead of a Mad-Max like scenario.
- Goldseek.com is excited to add music from the remarkably talented musicians, Ms. Nancy Sidley and Cody Killian, from the IMH church in Hayesville NC, under the purview of Father Alejandro "Alex" Ayala.:
Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church - Hayesville, NC
www.ihmhayesville.org
 
A little bit of this, a little bit of that in this one. Nothing to see, can listen in one tab, play around the forum in a different tab.

Protecting Your Wealth and Surviving Financially in an Economic Collapse. Interview with VRIC.​

Nov 23, 2023


42:17
 

Rare earth discoveries mean coal mines could have a key role to play in the energy transition​

From Pennsylvania to the north of England, coal mines helped to power the Industrial Revolution, turbocharging the economic growth of countries around the world.

Today, however, the production and use of coal has become a thorny issue, with critics slamming the fossil fuel’s huge impact on the environment.

Organizations like Greenpeace describe coal as “the dirtiest, most polluting way of producing energy.” From the UN Secretary General to the International Energy Agency, talk of phasing out coal is becoming increasingly common.

But the global picture is a complex one. A multitude of factors are in play, not least the desire of some countries, especially those in emerging markets, to use coal as a tool for their own economic development.

More:

 

Beef cow slaughter down 12% from year-ago level | Weekly Livestock Market Update for 11/23/23​

Nov 23, 2023


13:12
 
If you have to register to read - it's free.

From the link:

MSC has announced a new FAK (freight all kinds) rate from Asia to North Europe for 15 December of $2,050 per 40ft, which is at least double the level on offer in the current spot market.


From the link:

MSC has slapped a bumper $297 per teu surcharge on shipments transiting the Panama Canal in response to the increasing capacity reductions.

 
An opinion piece from The Hill:

Proposals to eliminate duty-free imports are akin to levying new taxes on Americans​

Cyber Monday is the biggest online-shopping day of the year. In 2022, Americans spent $11 billion on Cyber Monday alone. But a number of new proposals seeking to restrict trade could increase price tags, limiting the bargains of those Cyber Monday deals.

While Cyber Monday and holiday sales in general provide consumers with substantial discounts, processing packages requires sophisticated and efficient logistics, especially at U.S. ports. Millions of shipments enter America’s ports every day, and processing these shipments is onerous as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) must both review extensive paperwork and handle inspections to ensure imports comply with U.S. law.

More:

 

THIS Could Be Revolutionary For Silver!​

Nov 25, 2023


15:15

*In this vid Sal talks about different energy sources for vehicles and how silver could be used in a new way.
 
Dan's at Huntington Beach today. If interested there's a few links below the vid on utube.

Why You Need To Have Cash​

Nov 26, 2023


16:20
 
A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan

Global markets took a sharp intake of breath on Monday after seeing Wall St's 'fear gauge' hit its lowest since before the pandemic hit late last week and as China major stock indexes continue to wane.

As U.S. markets return in earnest from the long Thanksgiving weekend, Friday's shortened session threw up a remarkable milestone.

 
Nov 28 (Reuters) - Gold held its ground on Tuesday after touching a six-month peak, buoyed by expectations the U.S. Federal Reserve has concluded its interest rate hikes, ahead of the release of key economic data.

Spot gold was steady at $2,013.59 per ounce by 1306 GMT, after hitting its highest since May 16 earlier in the session.

 
Nov 28 (Reuters) - Deep discounts on everything from beauty products and toys to electronics have enticed U.S. shoppers to splurge on Christmas purchases and ring in a record $12.4 billion in Cyber Monday sales online, data from Adobe Analytics showed on Tuesday.

Online consumer spending jumped 9.6% on Monday from the $11.3 billion seen last year, outstripping Adobe's initial expectations for a 6.1% rise to $12 billion.

 
A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Tom Westbrook

An era has drawn to a close with the death of Charlie Munger, a month short of his 100th birthday.

 
Nov 29 (Reuters) - Gold prices edged lower on Wednesday due to a slight uptick in the dollar, although hopes that the U.S. Federal Reserve would likely cut interest rates by the first half of next year kept bullion near a seven-month peak.

Spot gold fell 0.2% to $2,036.50 per ounce by 0942 GMT, after hitting its highest since May 5. U.S. gold futures for December delivery lost 0.1% to $2,037.30 per ounce.

 
Gold prices eased on Wednesday after rallying to their highest in nearly seven months, as the U.S. dollar index held strong (DXY), and traders assessed comments from U.S. Federal Reserve board members. Spot gold (XAUUSD:CUR) recently broke through the $2,000/oz level and is up 12% YTD, on track for its best year since 2020. Lower bond yields reduce the opportunity cost of holding non-interest bearing gold. Spot gold (XAUUSD:CUR) was down -0.19% to $2,037.07 an ounce by 6 am ET.

 

The state of shipping heading into 2024 | WGOW Shipping on Freightwaves TV | Nov 27, 2023​

Nov 28, 2023


10:57

In this episode, Sal Mercogliano - maritime historian at Campbell University (@campbelledu) and former merchant mariner - appears on @FreightWaves Round Table to discuss the State of Shipping Heading Into 2024.

- 00:00 Biden administration announces massive logistics plan https://www.freightwaves.com/news/bid...
- 03:57 Panama Canal crisis forces US farm exports to detour through Suez https://www.freightwaves.com/news/pan...
- 06:09 Zim container ships divert as threat to Israel-linked vessels mounts https://www.freightwaves.com/news/zim...
- 08:05 How Effective Will Be Shipping Reform
- 09:46 Main Concerns Heading Into 2024

- Mississippi River isn’t rising but barge rates aren’t getting any higherhttps://www.freightwaves.com/news/mis...
- Yet another shipping ‘chokepoint’ risk as Yemen rebels attackhttps://www.freightwaves.com/news/yet...
 
The bankruptcy estate of Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. has filed a complaint with the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission against Swiss-based MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, accusing the shipping giant of pandemic profiteering in violating the Shipping Act of 1984.

The complaint alleges that MSC, the world’s largest shipping company, took advantage of price inflation during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to increased freight costs and ultimately forcing Bed Bath & Beyond to file for bankruptcy. The complaint alleges that MSC systematically failed to meet agreed service commitments and unfairly allocated space to higher-priced cargo to maximize its own profits. This forced Bed, Bath & Beyond to seek space on the spot market at exorbitant costs which contributed to its bankruptcy filing in April.

 
Back
Top Bottom