Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Quick Overview

  • China posted a $16.9 billion trade surplus for September. Exports rose 25.1% YoY and imports climbed 24.1%.

  • Japanese machinery orders rose 10.1% in August.

  • The Environmental Protection Agency may allow ethanol levels in gasoline blends to be as high as 15%, up from the current 10%
  • EPA's approval of an increase of ethanol levels in gasoline for model-year 2007 cars and newer fails to extend rally. The increase was expected..

  • China imported 40.16 million metric tons of soybeans in the first nine months of the year, up 24.1% on year.
  • China imported 460 million tons of iron ore, down 2.5% on year.
  • China imported 23.29 million tons of crude in September 35.4% higher than the 17.2 million tons China imported in the corresponding month of 2009.

  • Analysts expect Copper demand to outstrip next year’s supply by more than 400,000 tonnes.

  • A La Nina event, which has brought wet weather to Australia and drought to Brazil, has strengthened, according to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology.The La NiƱa in the Pacific remains a moderate to strong event. The Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) value of +25 for September was its highest monthly value since 1973.

  • U.K. consumer confidence fell to an 18-month low of 53
  • Intel said fourth-quarter sales may total  $11.8 billion, compared with estimates of $11.3 billion
  • The USDA thinks that Sugar shipments from Thailand, the second-largest exporter, will decline 20 % next year to 4.7 million metric tons.

  • The USDA thinks that Brazil, the world’s largest producer, will see a sugar harvest 3.2% lower next year.

  • According to  Reuters, Brazil is preparing to auction off big chunks of the Amazon rainforest to timber companies. By year-end 2.47 millions  acres of forests will go under private management, with 27 million acres privately controlled within five years--that's an area the size of Virginia.

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