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Australia’s Commodity Ag to start WA grain exports

  • : Agriculture
  • 24/07/11

Australian agribusiness Commodity Ag will export its first cargo from its Albany port terminal facility this week, boosting export competition in Western Australia against established grain handlers CBH and Bunge.

The company intends to export 600,000 t/yr from its Albany port facility, but said its capacity would be constrained by other users of the general-purpose berth. The loading capacity of the mobile shiploader indicated in its ACCC application would be a quarter of CBH's total loading capacity at Albany, according to Southern Ports.

Western Australia's bulk grain exports are dominated by CBH — which has port terminals at Geraldton, Kwinana, Esperance and Albany — and Bunge, which has a port terminal at Bunbury. But barriers to entry for smaller port terminal service providers such as Commodity Ag have been reduced by the availability of mobile shiploaders, which allow trucks to unload grain directly in the port and onto a vessel.

Commodity Ag's Albany facility will use a 400 t/hr mobile shiploader to load cargoes onto Handymax-sized vessels that are approximately 50,000 deadweight tonnes, according to its March 2023 application to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) to be an exempt service provider of port terminal services.

Commodity Ag has no other cargoes for loading on its shipping stem accessed on 11 July. It became an exempt service provider of port terminal services in May 2023, which means the company is not required to comply with parts 3 to 6 of the Port Terminal Access (Bulk Wheat) Code of Conduct. Part 3 of the code requires a port terminal service provider to not discriminate in favour their own trading business or an exporter that is an associated entity, and not hinder access for another exporter when providing bulk grain port terminal services.


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25/01/16

Brazil to face weaker La Nina conditions

Brazil to face weaker La Nina conditions

Sao Paulo, 16 January (Argus) — Many government agencies expect a weaker La Nina weather pattern in Brazil — partially because of its delayed start — that could help reverse damages from a previous droughtand boost hydroelectric power generation. La Nina conditions emerged a month later than expected, starting only in January, according to national meteorology institute Inmet. Its presence was confirmed by the US' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and is 40pc likely to last until March-May. Delayed La Nina conditions and its weaker effects on Brazil's climate may be linked to the global average temperature hitting an all-time high in 2024 , according to the World Meteorological Organization. La Nina conditions develop when the surface waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean are cooler-than-average across the central and central-eastern regions. But global oceans have been running much warmer for more than a year, which could have delayed the phenomena, according to NOAA. Its usually causes heavier rains in Brazil's northern and northeastern regions, while central-southern states experience drier weather and heatwaves. Brazil, along with South America as a whole, has a history of droughts , agricultural losses , and higher ethanol prices in previous La Nina seasons, but the effects this year will be milder and potentially beneficial to industries in some regions. Agriculture Despite its conditions set to last throughout the first quarter of 2025, Brazil's 2024-25 crop is expected to hit a record 322.3mn metric tonnes (t), up from 297.8mn t in the previous crop, according to national supply company Conab. Still, most forecasts rely on previous favorable conditions during the development of the 2024-25 crop. The soybean crop is set to be 13pc higher than in 2023-24, reaching 166.33mn t. Corn also is expected to increase production, reaching 119.6mn, a 3.3pc rise from the previous crop. But previous dry weather and low precipitation harmed center-southern sugarcane producers, which are responsible for 91pc of the national sugarcane output. The 2024-25 sugarcane crop is forecast to reach 678.7mn t, a 4.8pc decline from the previous season, according to Conab. La Nina's conditions may recover some of the sugarcane crop this season. Northeastern sugarcane production, harmed by last year's drought, will face a period of heavy rains brought by the phenomenon in January. But the sugarcane crop is already projected to decline by 30pc from the previous crop regardless, according to northeastern sugarcane producers' association Unida. The last time La Nina hit Brazil, in 2020-23, roughly 40pc of the main center-south sugarcane crop was at risk from dry weather . Ethanol Ethanol production is set to increase by 1.3pc in 2024-25 from the previous season, according to Conab. Still, sugarcane ethanol is outlined to shrink by 2.8pc thanks to 2024's dry weather and wildfires in the southeast. Electricity La Nina's late arrival enabled the summer rainy period in Brazil. The main hydroelectric reservoirs recovered from last year's drought and will end this month above half of their capacity, according to national grid operator ONS. Regardless of La Nina's presence, most of the central-southern states are expected to have above-average rains in January-April, according to Inmet. Temperatures are also set to stay above the historical average in the central-western, southeastern, southern and northern states. By Maria Frazatto Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Tariff war is a lose-lose proposition: Canada


25/01/15
25/01/15

Tariff war is a lose-lose proposition: Canada

Calgary, 15 January (Argus) — Any retaliation by Canada to tariffs imposed by the US would be designed to apply political pressure, the country's energy minister said today in Washington, DC, but a potential tariff war between the two countries is a lose-lose proposition. "We are not interested in something that escalates," Canada's minister of energy and natural resources Jonathan Wilkinson said in a panel discussion at the Woodrow Wilson Center. But until tariffs are imposed, Canada does not know how it will need to respond. Canada will likely focus on goods that are "important to American producers," but also those for which Canada has an alternative. "The point in the response is to apply political pressure," said Wilkinson, who advocated for stronger trade ties between the two countries byway of energy and critical minerals. US president-elect Donald Trump plans to impose a 25pc tariff on all imports from both Canada and Mexico when he takes office on 20 January. So far he has not signaled any plans to exempt any goods, including oil and gas. Alberta's premier Danielle Smith and now Wilkinson are promoting the flow of more crude to ensure North America's energy security. "We can enhance the flow of Canadian crude oil from Alberta," said Wilkinson by boosting capacity on pipelines like Enbridge's 3.1mn b/d Mainline crude export system. "The US cannot be energy dominant without Canadian energy." The incoming administration would be open to such pipeline expansions, said Heather Reams, president of Washington-based non-profit Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions. "It's something that the Trump administration and Republican members in Congress would be interested in revisiting to ensure that there is a steady flow of the energy that's needed to fuel our mutual economies," Reams said on the panel. Enbridge's Mainline moves Canadian crude from Alberta to the US Midcontinent, where Wilkinson expects consumers will be faced with higher gasoline prices — adding as much as 75¢/USG at the pump — should tariffs be imposed. Americans could also see higher food prices if tariffs are put on potash, a fertilizer mined in Saskatchewan and used by US farmers, she said. Development of critical minerals like germanium, gallium and others should be pursued further to minimize the US' exposure and dependence on China, according to Wilkinson, echoing comments made by Ontario premier Doug Ford on 13 January in his own appeal to enhancing trade ties with the US. "We cannot be in a position where China can simply manipulate the market," said Wilkinson, citing that country's dumping of nickel. "We should form a true energy and minerals alliance." By Brett Holmes Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Brazil's Bndes grants R480mn to ethanol producer


25/01/14
25/01/14

Brazil's Bndes grants R480mn to ethanol producer

Sao Paulo, 14 January (Argus) — Brazil's Bndes development bank approved R480mn ($79mn) for sugar and ethanol producer CMAA to increase biofuel production in the state of Minas Gerais. The bank will grant R220mn from its Climate Fund to raise the private-sector company's anhydrous ethanol output in its Vale do Pontal sugar and ethanol unit, in Limeira do Oeste city, by around 1,470 b/d. The plant will be able to produce up to 3,650 b/d. With new investments, the Vale do Pontal plant will process 4mn metric tonnes (t) of sugarcane/crop, up from 2.7mn t/crop previously, producing hydrous ethanol, raw sugar and electric power for the Brazilian domestic market. The Climate Fund will be also used to double CMAA's power generation to 68MW. The remaining R260mn will be taken from Bndes' services and machinery program to modernize existing equipment and buy new agricultural machines. CMAA's Vale do Pontal, Vale do Tijuco and Canapolis units are expected to use R50mn, R160mn and R50mn, respectively. These resources can be allocated to buy, sell or produce machines, industrial systems or technological and automation goods, as well as hiring national services and machine imports, Bndes said. The company will also be able to increase issuance of Cbio carbon credits, following the rise in ethanol output. By Maria Albuquerque Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Tráfego de caminhões ao porto de Santos será ampliado


25/01/14
25/01/14

Tráfego de caminhões ao porto de Santos será ampliado

Sao Paulo, 14 January (Argus) — O estado de São Paulo pretende expandir a capacidade de tráfego de caminhões na principal rota de acesso ao porto de Santos. O projeto de expansão inclui uma nova pista de 21,5 km e 4 km de viadutos ao longo do sistema rodoviário Anchieta-Imigrantes. A nova pista mais do que dobraria o acesso de caminhões a Santos, de acordo com o governo estadual. O sistema Anchieta-Imigrantes tem extensão de 176,8 km, com tráfego anual de 40 milhões de veículos e é a principal conexão entre o litoral e o interior de São Paulo — um importante polo de produção de café, cana-de-açúcar e cítricos. O governo do estado e a Ecovias, concessionária que administra o sistema viário, anunciaram o projeto em 10 de janeiro e agora trabalham no processo de licenciamento ambiental, que pode ser concluído no primeiro semestre de 2026. As próximas fases do projeto incluem estudos técnicos para construção da estrutura e levantamento de custos totais de investimento. Não há previsão para o início ou conclusão do projeto de expansão. O porto de Santos é um dos principais centros de importação e exportação do país. A movimentação de carga totalizou 167,1 milhões de toneladas (t) em janeiro-novembro de 2024, aumento de 6pc em relação ao mesmo período no ano anterior, de acordo com a autoridade portuária. Por Bruno Castro Envie comentários e solicite mais informações em feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . Todos os direitos reservados.

WTO asks EU again to adjust RED II delegated act


25/01/13
25/01/13

WTO asks EU again to adjust RED II delegated act

London, 13 January (Argus) — A World Trade Organisation (WTO) panel found that the EU must amend the delegated act for the 2018 renewable energy directive (RED II) in the multi-year dispute with Indonesia on oil crop-based feedstock restrictions. Indonesia raised the dispute in December 2019 , arguing that RED II violated WTO rules by discriminating against oil crop-based biofuels from Indonesia compared with oil crop-based biofuels from the EU. The dispute centred around the EU classification of palm oil and palm oil-based biodiesel at a high risk of indirect land-use change (Iluc). Malaysia raised a similar case against the EU in January 2021, and the dispute was heard by the same panel as the Indonesian case. The panel found in March that the EU had to amend elements of the RED II delegated act. The WTO upheld that the EU crop cap and high indirect Iluc cap and phase-out requirements under RED II are not violating international obligations. But the WTO also found that the EU has violated agreements by not conducting a timely review of the data used to determine Iluc risk and failing to design the low Iluc-risk criteria to prevent arbitrary discrimination between countries which have the same conditions. The EU also did not comply with notification procedures or organise a commenting process, the panel found. The WTO recommended that the EU bring its measures into conformity with its international treaty obligations. Indonesia also challenged the French palm oil feedstock ban. The WTO also agreed that the French ban violates the general agreement on tariffs and trade by applying internal taxes to imported palm-based biofuels but not to domestic rapeseed and soybean-based biofuels, despite being substitutable products. The EU responded that it intends to take the necessary steps to amend the delegated act for the renewable energy directive to align with WTO rules. The panel report can be appealed for 60 days after publication, when it then should be adopted by the WTO dispute settlement body. The parties then agree on a reasonable time frame for the EU to comply with its obligations. In the EU response, it was unclear what measures may be taken to amend the French system to align with the WTO ruling. By Simone Burgin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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