Energy:
1. Slovak Ministry of Economy: Supply via the Friendship Pipeline is expected to resume in the coming days.
2. Hungary accuses Ukraine of "politically motivated" obstruction of Russian oil transit, which Ukraine denies.
3. Sources say India's Reliance Industries has received US approval to purchase Venezuelan oil.
4. Italian Prime Minister Meloni reportedly plans to provide €3 billion in energy subsidies to control energy bills.
5. OPEC+ is reportedly inclined to resume increased production starting in April; no decision has been made yet, and negotiations will continue until the March 1 meeting.
6. Sources say Black Sea CPC blend crude oil exports for March are set at approximately 1.7 million barrels per day, compared to a revised plan of 1.1 million barrels per day in February.
7. The US Treasury Department issued a general license related to Venezuela, allowing certain transactions involving Venezuela's state-owned oil company. The US authorized negotiations on certain Venezuelan investments.
Precious Metals and Mining:
1. COMEX copper inventories saw their first decline in nearly a year, possibly shifting to the LME.
2. Indonesia is considering banning exports of several raw materials, including tin, for the next few years.
3. The Indian government has approved wheat exports and permitted additional exports of wheat products and sugar.
4. Lithuanian Foreign Minister: If the EU is slow to act, China will prioritize signing bilateral agreements with the US on key minerals.
5. According to CNBC: White House trade advisor Navarro stated that claims about the government's plans to cut tariffs on steel and aluminum are baseless.
6. Market news: The US Department of Commerce has preliminarily supported a mining company's application to impose an anti-dumping duty of nearly 133% on imported palladium from Russia.
Agriculture:
1. According to AmSpec, an independent inspection agency in Malaysia, Malaysia's palm oil exports from February 1-15 totaled 587,431 tons, a 14.9% decrease compared to the 690,642 tons exported in the same period last month.
