US graphite miners ask Washington to impose tariffs of 920% on Chinese competitors
On Wednesday, North American miners of graphite asked the U.S. Government to impose tariffs as high as 92% on Chinese suppliers for the battery metal to combat what they call Beijing's "malicious" trade practices. This is the latest effort by Western suppliers of critical minerals to counter China's control over…
Chinese solar firms are ever-nimble and go to places where US tariffs do not reach
The U.S. tariffs on Vietnam and three other Southeast Asian nations have prompted some of the largest Chinese-owned factories to cut production and lay off workers. In the meantime, a number of Chinese-owned solar power plants are being built in Indonesia and Laos. These are outside of Washington's protections on trade.
Cambodian solar firms not cooperating in US tariff probe
Documents filed with the Department of Commerce indicate that two Cambodian solar companies have decided to stop cooperating with an investigation by the U.S. Commerce Department into accusations they were flooding the market with panels at prices below their cost of manufacture. Solar Long and Hounen Solar stated in separate letters…
Kinder Morgan's $1.75 bln Gas Pipeline Hit with Steel Tariff
U.S. pipeline operator Kinder Morgan Inc will pay a tariff on imported steel used in a $1.75 billion natural gas pipeline project, the U.S. Department of Commerce ruled on Monday, dealing a setback to energy industry efforts to avoid the penalties.The tariff could add up to $80 million to the construction cost of Kinder Morgan's Gulf Coast Express Pipeline…
MOSI Anti-Fouling Coatings for Barnacles and Zebra Mussels
Marine organisms such as barnacles and zebra mussels have been a long-standing nuisance to ship hulls, causing exterior damage, increased power and fuel consumption and environmental concerns. While anti-fouling coatings help to prevent biofouling, a new research study suggests that an innovative approach to marine coatings may solve the problem of barnacle and zebra mussel fouling…
US LNG Firms Lament Bad Timing of Tariffs, China Trade Spat
The Trump administration's planned steel tariffs and a potential trade battle with China could hurt U.S. liquefied natural gas companies just as a new wave of developments in the fast-growing market is gaining steam, company executives say. China is the fastest growing major buyer of LNG, making it an important customer for U.S. producers.
South Sudan: U.S. Sanctions Undermine 'search for peace'
U.S. sanctions on 15 South Sudanese oil operators will work against efforts to restore peace and stability in the nation, the government said on Thursday. The sanctions, which were announced on Wednesday, will require companies and government bodies to apply for special licences to do business in the United States…
S.Korea Scores Partial Win in WTO Ruling on US Steel Pipe Duties
South Korea won a partial victory on Tuesday when a World Trade Organization panel ruled on its legal challenge to U.S. anti-dumping duties on steel pipe used in the oil industry, but Seoul lost most of the arguments it had made. In a ruling that can be appealed by either side, the WTO panel faulted the U.S. Department…
US Maritime Technology Export Initiative: Application Open
The Maritime Alliance (TMA) has partnered with the International Trade Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, to organize and partially fund an initiative to increase exports from small maritime technology companies (typically $2 million revenue and 20 people or below with limited trade show experience) from throughout the United States.
BP Exported Super-Light Texas Crude
BP Plc exported nearly 670,000 barrels of minimally processed super-light crude oil from the Houston Ship Channel more than a week ago, according to ClipperData, an industry firm that tracks crude movements. The 667,638-barrel cargo left Enterprise Products Partners' ship channel docks - part of the company's recent $4.41 billion acquisition of Oiltanking Partners LP - on Feb.
U.S. Businesses Brace for Oil Downturn
Oil and gas production is fundamental to the U.S. economy. The sharp downturn in prices will have a negative impact on business investment in the short term before the positive impact on consumer spending takes over further down the line. Oil and gas producers accounted for almost $1 in every $8 of new business investment in the U.S.
Enterprise Contracts to Boost U.S. Crude Exports
Enterprise bumps up exports through annual contracts; signs 2015 contracts with PDS, Vitol; seeks one more term buyer. U.S. exports of condensate have been given an important boost after pipeline company Enterprise Products Partners LP agreed annual contracts with at least two major trading companies to sell the light crude, trade sources said.
US: 'Some' Companies Can Export Treated Condensate
The U.S. Department of Commerce said it gave "some" oil companies on Tuesday permission to export a lightly processed crude oil, taking the first action in several months on applications from about 20 energy companies eager to ship the fuel abroad. The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), an office of the Commerce Department…
US Lawmakers Give Preview of Oil Export Fight
U.S. lawmakers gave a preview on Thursday of a looming fight next year on lifting the ban on crude exports with supporters saying it would sustain the drilling boom and others questioning its impacts on industry and fuel prices. In a House of Representatives hearing on the ban, Texas Republican Joe Barton said exporting oil would boost the economy…
A History of U.S. Oil Export Controls
On Oct. 20, 1973, King Faisal of Saudi Arabia imposed a total embargo on oil shipments to the United States among other countries in response to their support for Israel during the Arab-Israeli war. Faisal's decision led directly to the introduction of a ban on U.S. crude exports, which remains in force in a slightly modified form and is now the focus of an intense struggle for reform.
US Confirms Duties on China's Refrigerant Imports
The U.S. Department of Commerce confirmed steep duties on imports of refrigerant gas from China on Wednesday, saying the goods were sold too cheaply in the United States and were produced using Chinese government subsidies. Final duties on the gas known as 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, used in air conditioning systems…
Feds Query Energy Firms Ahead of Export Rulings
The U.S. Commerce Department has taken a small step toward resolving some two-dozen pending requests to export lightly processed oil this summer, asking energy companies to fill out a one-page questionnaire about their plans, sources familiar with the document told Reuters. The nine questions may help the department map out a further easing of the four-decade old ban on crude exports.
National Oilwell Unit Pleads Guilty to Export Violations
A unit of National Oilwell Varco Inc agreed to pay a $1 million fine and pleaded guilty Thursday to violating export laws when it shipped components used in oil extraction equipment to a customer in Syria in 2006, the U.S. Justice Department said. Robbins & Myers Belgium, whose parent Robbins & Myers was acquired by National Oilwell in 2013…
US Steel Producers Win Anti-dumping Case
The United States has approved anti-dumping duties against South Korea and other producers of steel pipes for the energy sector, a victory for domestic producers hoping to benefit from a boom in the U.S. shale oil and gas industry. U.S. steel companies lodged a complaint in 2013 as foreign manufacturers cashed in on soaring U.S. energy infrastructure demand.
Venezuela Considers Importing Crude for the First Time
Venezuela is considering importing crude oil for the first time ever and could use a light oil from its partner in OPEC, Algeria, to dilute their own heavy crude, according to a company document seen by Reuters accessed on Wednesday. Despite having the largest oil reserves in the world, in recent years Petróleos…
