From boom to superboom: Are Suez Canal misfor...

Global wheat prices have been rising since the Middle East war began in late February. Geopolitical tensions, higher fertilizer costs, and mounting weather risks in North America, and a potential El Niño in Australia are all in focus. At the same time, Black Sea new-crop wheat is ...  عرض المزيد

Copper TC/RCs have plunged 89% since January, hitting record lows as concentrate supply tightens and demand stays firm. At the same time, the Middle East war has driven sulfuric acid prices – an important by-product for copper production - up 156% since mid-March, supporting copp ...  عرض المزيد

In today’s episode we talk about how a massive stranded vessel in the Suez Canal might potentially disrupt global trade.

Three months ago, Houthi fighters from Yemen hijacked a cargo ship in the Red Sea and took the crew captive. It was the group’s first attack on commercial shipping in response to Israel’s military offensive in Gaza. Around 30 similar assaults have followed and the US and UK have ...  عرض المزيد

The boom in global trade was caused by a simple steel box. Shipping goods around the world was – for many centuries – expensive, risky and time-consuming. But, as Tim Harford explains, 60 years ago the trucking entrepreneur Malcolm McLean changed all that by selling the idea of c ...  عرض المزيد

The Red Sea, a vital artery for global trade through the Suez Canal, is facing heightened tension due to attacks on commercial ships by Houthi rebels in Yemen. Major shipping companies and oil giants, like BP, have temporarily halted operations in the Red Sea. What are the eco ...