-June 19,2019-

No coal revival

EIA weekly Coal Production as of June 13, 2019 For the week ended June 8, 2019 – production estimate is 1.1% higher than last week’s estimate and 16.9% lower than the production estimate in the comparable week in 2018. U.S. year-to-date coal production totaled 302.6 MMst – 6.4% lower than the comparable year-to-date coal production in 2018

Steel production set to idle

So are tariffs helping the steel industry?Starting in March 2018, President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on imports of steel “Steel is coming back fast!” he said in a tweet a year ago also offering “These industries, it’s incredible what’s going on. U.S. Steel is building many plants and expanding many.”

But this week, more than a year later, U.S. Steel Corp announced that it will be idling two blast furnaces in the U.S., and one in Europe, until “market conditions improve.” Steel prices are falling according to index charts. A Bloomberg report his week says “The S&P Supercomposite Steel Index has dropped 29 percent in the past year, with U.S. Steel’s 60% drop among the worst of the gauge’s 13 companies.”

India responds to Trump tariffs- hits California almonds

California Senator Diane Feinstein commented on the news that India placed a new 75 percent tariff on almonds in response to President Trump’s trade war. “His actions are hurting Californians. California almond exports to India are worth more than $650 million a year. The president must stop damaging trade relations with our allies.

Iran oil flows to China

Tariffs on China has hurt the US nat gas industry A Bloomberg report this week highlights the problem.” After being hit by the trade war and U.S. sanctions on Iran, some Chinese buyers of liquefied petroleum gas from the Persian Gulf nation are finding it’s too tough a habit to kick.China sourced around a fifth of its LPG — used as cooking fuel, in cigarette lighters and to make plastic — from the U.S before Beijing slapped a 25% tariff on the gas last August as the trade tussle heated up. Buyers then turned to Iran, which accounted for around a third of imports in April, before President Donald Trump blocked all energy exports from the country in May.
But some Chinese customers are still buying from Iran, according to Kpler SAS. Based on ship-tracking data, the Paris-based data intelligence firm estimates that at least five supertankers loaded Iranian LPG in May and June that was destined for China. That would equate to around $100 million of the gas, according to Bloomberg calculations.

Strawberry prices up on wet weather

Strawberry flats in the Santa Maria growing district  are selling for $11 each this week according to the National Berry Report.That is up from around $8 this same date last year. In May heavy rain damaged berries in the Santa Cruz County and the Salinas district.
California volume is down slightly from last year but not in the Sant Maria area.

Rail traffic down this year