Rare Earth Gaps, Soy Premiums, and Tankers Hit $1.3M

The Commodities Trade Institute Podcast · Sep 25, 2026 · 6m

Daily supertanker charter rates have reached a record 1.27 million dollars as diverted Saudi crude overwhelms Gulf transfer hubs, while commercial transits through the Strait of Hormuz have collapsed to just nine vessels. In Europe, natural gas prices topping 80 euros per megawatt hour are driving a 25 percent rebound in coal-fired generation, matching long-term thermal commitments in India. Concurrently, bilateral trade negotiations in Washington highlight the United States' ongoing reliance on Chinese rare earths to meet 58 percent of domestic consumption, Indian smelters petition to unlock…