Bipartisan bill would help modernize nation’s truck fleet by repealing 12% excise tax on new tractor-trailers (trucking.org)

The American Trucking Associations praised the introduction of the Modern, Clean, and Safe Trucks Act of 2021 by Senators Todd Young (R-Indiana) and Ben Cardin (D-Maryland). The bipartisan legislation would repeal the 12% federal excise tax on heavy-duty trucks, which currently adds approximately $22,000 to the cost of a new tractor-trailer. “The federal excise tax on heavy trucks is a relic from the First World War that’s now serving to keep cleaner, safer trucks off of our nation’s roads today,” said Chris Spear, president and CEO of American Trucking Associations. “By repealing this antiquated tax, Congress can deliver a win for the environment, highway safety, manufacturing jobs and supply-chain efficiency. We thank Senators Young and Cardin for their bipartisan leadership in advancing a common-sense solution to the benefit of American truckers and the motoring public.” Although technological advances have made the latest tractor-trailers cleaner and safer than ever before, the FET creates a disincentive for motor carriers to modernize their fleets by placing a punitive surcharge on investments in new equipment. As a result, the average age of a truck on the road today is nearly ten years old.
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ATA Truck Tonnage Index Decreased 1.5% in June

American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index decreased 1.5% in June after falling 1% in May. In June, the index equaled 111.6 (2015=100) compared with 113.3 in May. “Tonnage has definitely flattened out, on average, over the last six to nine months,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “The good news is that it remains slightly above 2020 levels. “Supply chain issues are likely putting some downward pressure on tonnage,” he said. “But it is also likely that tonnage isn’t growing as much as it could because of industry-specific supply constraints. This index is dominated by contract freight, and the for-hire truckload carriers have seen their tractor counts fall because they are having difficulty finding qualified drivers. It is difficult to move more tonnage with less equipment, which is why we are seeing strong volumes in the spot market as shippers scramble to get loads moved.”
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ATA Truck Tonnage Index Decreased 0.7% in May

American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index decreased 0.7% in May after falling 0.6% in April. In May, the index equaled 113.7 (2015=100) compared with 114.5 in April. “Tonnage, despite falling slightly over the last two months, remains well above the lows of last year,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “This is no small deal considering that truck tonnage fell significantly less than many other indicators during the depths of the pandemic in the spring of 2020. “One freight segment that is helping tonnage is gasoline as demand for travel, both commuting and vacation related, picks up,” he said. “I’m also expecting retail freight to remain robust as inventories are at historic lows. As retail stocks are rebuilt, it will boost freight. As has been the case for some time, trucking’s biggest challenges are not on the demand side, but on the supply side, including difficulty finding qualified drivers.”
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FedEx Announces New Surcharge Increases Starting in June (mytotalretail.com)

FedEx will increase three peak surcharges on Express and Ground shipments beginning June 21, the carrier announced in an update Friday. Increased surcharges include Peak - Residential Delivery Charge for FedEx Express and FedEx Ground domestic; Peak Surcharges on U.S. Express Package Services, U.S. Ground Services and International Ground Services; and a Peak Surcharge on FedEx Ground Economy Package Service, all with effective dates of June 21, 2021, until further notice. Total Retail's Take: Shipping carriers continue to increase rates under the strain of large shipment volumes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement from FedEx states that the impact of the virus continues to generate elevated volumes, high demand for capacity, and increased operating costs across its carrier network. The surcharge on residential shipping will have the biggest effect on e-commerce, which will see online retailers hit with a 100 percent increase from $0.30 to $0.60 per package. Trevor Outman, co-CEO at Shipware, noted that "this will have a direct impact on all direct-to-consumer e-commerce businesses; doubling their current residential surcharge costs."
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UPM Energy Beyond Spot energy optimisation service answers to the growing need for power flexibility

UPM Energy answers to the urgent need for power flexibility with a revolutionary energy optimisation and trading service, Beyond Spot, helping industrial businesses thrive in the energy market disruption. The service helps industrial companies solve the most common pain points of energy management: energy cost optimisation and risk management. At the same time, it answers the growing need for flexible power to balance the power grid due to the fast increase in the supply of renewable energy. The energy market is in the middle of disruption. Tightening climate goals push countries to shift towards renewable energy, which pushes the power prices down and shakes up the market dynamics. The increase in renewable energy creates dramatic fluctuations in energy supply, posing significant financial risks for large energy consumers and causing new challenges for electricity grids. In order to cope with the volatile renewable energy supply, investments in electricity grids are required, but part of the solution lies in more efficient use of flexible consumption assets through energy optimisation. Regulators and transmission system operators also aim for better balancing of supply and demand with the help of new regulation such as the fifteen-minute imbalance settlement coming in 2023 in the Nordics.
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ATA Truck Tonnage Index Decreased 0.3% in April

American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index decreased 0.3% in April after increasing 2.3% in March. In April, the index equaled 114.7 (2015=100) compared with 115.1 in March. “After a revised increase in March of 2.3%, the April index declined just slightly,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “The outlook is solid for tonnage going forward as the country approaches pre-pandemic levels of activity, with strong economic growth in key areas for trucking – including retail, home construction and even manufacturing. “Additionally, the index increased on a year-over-year basis for the first time since March 2020. Part of the reason for the gain was due to an easy comparison with when the index fell significantly in April 2020,” he said. “But I’m expecting increases, albeit smaller than April’s, on a year-over-year basis going forward. Trucking’s biggest challenges are not on the demand side, but on the supply side, including difficulty finding qualified drivers.”
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UPS Peak Surcharge Update 4-9-2021

UPS continues to provide essential service amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak to support the needs of our customers. Our goal is to ensure businesses and customers are able to meet their shipping needs while demand has increased for shipping services. One or more Peak Surcharges will apply to packages shipped during the specified Peak Periods for the origins, destinations, and service levels and in the amounts set forth below. Peak Surcharges apply in addition to all other applicable Charges. Peak Surcharges are subject to change and Peak Periods may be extended or otherwise changed. Shippers should continue to check ups.com/peaksurcharge for updates prior to tendering shipments. details at: https://www.ups.com/assets/resources/media/en_US/2021_UPS_Peak_Surcharges.pdf
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World’s first wooden satellite slated for launch – UPM partners with Finnish space companies Arctic Astronautics and Huld

UPM Plywood, Arctic Astronautics and Huld announce today a joint mission to launch the first ever wooden satellite, WISA WOODSATTM, into Earth’s orbit by the end of 2021. WISA Woodsat will go where no wood has gone before. With a mission to gather data on the behavior and durability of plywood over an extended period in the harsh temperatures, vacuum and radiation of space in order to assess the use of wood materials in space structures. WISA Woodsat is a nanosatellite designed and built by Arctic Astronautics, and it is based on the Kitsat educational satellite. The satellite measures roughly 10 x 10 x 10 cm and weighs one kilogram. A suite of on-board sensors, including two cameras will be used to monitor the specially coated WISA®-Birch plywood.
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ATA Truck Tonnage Index Decreased 4.5% in February

American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index decreased 4.5% in February after rising 1.8% in January. In February, the index equaled 110 (2015=100) compared with 115.2 in January. “February’s drop was exacerbated, perhaps completely caused, by the severe winter weather that impacted much of the country during the month,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “Many other economic indicators were also soft in February due to the bad storms, but I continue to expect a nice climb up for the economy and truck freight as economic stimulus checks are spent and more people are vaccinated.” January’s gain was revised up slightly to 1.8% from our February 23 press release. Compared with February 2020, the SA index fell 5.9%, which was preceded by a 1.6% year-over-year decline in January. In 2020, the index was 4% below the 2019 average.
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Trucking Industry Applauds Introduction of DRIVE Safe Act

American Trucking Associations applauded the introduction of the DRIVE Safe Act in both the U.S. House and Senate by a group of bipartisan legislators. The legislation addresses the economy’s growing shortage of professional truck drivers by expanding job opportunities for younger members of the trucking workforce, while also strengthening safety training and technology safeguards for select candidates looking to participate in interstate commerce early in their careers. While 49 states permit individuals to obtain a commercial driver’s license and operate large commercial vehicles before they turn 21, federal regulations prohibit those same drivers from crossing state lines until they turn 21. These restrictions bar a vital population of job seekers from interstate trucking, exacerbating the driver shortage as qualified candidates are lost to other industries. The DRIVE Safe Act would allow certified CDL holders already permitted to drive intrastate the opportunity to participate in a rigorous apprenticeship program designed to help them master interstate driving, while also promoting enhanced safety training for emerging members of the workforce.
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Sun Chemical Forms New Food and Nutrition Group

Sun Chemical has formed a Food and Nutrition Group. The recently formed group will extend existing Sun Chemical and DIC Corporation expertise in color and algae cultivation to provide coloring solutions and nutraceutical ingredients to the dietary supplement, food and beverage industries. The Food and Nutrition Group was developed as part of DIC Corporation’s vision of transforming portfolios to achieve continued future growth. The group will leverage Sun Chemical’s advanced research and development coloring expertise to support new product development initiatives for both natural and synthetic food color. The research and development team at DIC Corporation headquarters is actively working with venture capital groups in developing bio-based nutraceutical ingredients, and Sun Chemical is committed to grow the new business group and will make additional investments to accelerate its growth.
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ATA Truck Tonnage Index Increased 1.4% in January

American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index increased 1.4% in January after rising 1.2% in December. In January, the index equaled 114.6 (2015=100) compared with 113.1 in December. “Over the last four months, the tonnage index has increased a total of 3.3%, which is obviously good news,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “However, the index is still off 2.8% from the high in March as tonnage plunged 9% in April alone. I continue to expect a nice climb up for the economy and truck freight as we get more economic stimulus and increased vaccination numbers.” Compared with January 2020, the SA index fell 2.1%, which was preceded by a 2.6% year-over-year decline in December. In 2020, the index was 4% below the 2019 average.
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UPS Peak Surcharge Update

UPS continues to provide essential service amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak to support the needs of our customers. Our goal is to ensure businesses and customers are able to meet their shipping needs while demand has increased for shipping services. One or more Peak Surcharges will apply to packages shipped during the specified Peak Periods for the origins, destinations, and service levels and in the amounts set forth below. Peak Surcharges apply in addition to all other applicable Charges. Peak Surcharges are subject to change and Peak Periods may be extended or otherwise changed. Shippers should continue to check ups.com/peaksurcharge for updates prior to tendering shipments.
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UPS Announces Agreement to Sell UPS Freight to TFI International Inc.

UPS has entered into a definitive agreement to sell UPS Freight (UPSF) to TFI International Inc. for $800 million, subject to working capital and other adjustments. “We’re excited about the future and the opportunities this creates for both UPS and UPS Freight as part of TFI International Inc.,” said UPS Chief Executive Officer Carol Tomé. “The agreement allows UPS to be even more laser-focused on the core parts of our business that drive the greatest value for our customers.” The decision to sell UPS Freight was reached following a thorough evaluation of the UPS portfolio, and aligns with the company’s “better not bigger” strategic positioning. UPS and TFI International will also enter into an agreement for UPS Freight to continue to utilize UPS’ domestic package network to fulfill shipments, for a period of five years.
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ATA Truck Tonnage Index Jumped 7.4% in December

American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index increased 7.4% in December after rising 3.2% in November. In December, the index equaled 120 (2015=100) compared with 111.7 in November. “Tonnage ended last year on a high note,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “The index not only registered the largest monthly gain since June, but it also had the first year-over-year increase since March. Freight continues to be helped by strong consumption, a retail inventory restocking, and robust single-family home construction. With the stimulus checks recently issued and with a strong possibility of more in the near future, I would expect truck freight to continue rising.” November’s gain was revised down slightly to 3.2% from our December 22 press release. Compared with December 2019, the SA index rose 2.3%. For all of 2020, compared with the same 12-month period in 2019, tonnage was down 3.3%. 2019 had an annual increase of 3.3%.
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The new era of biochemicals

Wood-based biochemicals are renewable, recyclable, can shorten supply chains and boost local production. And they can be used to make almost anything. The future of wood is here. Soon all kinds of products – from bottles to de-icer to tyres – will be made from wood-based biochemicals, ushering in a new era of sustainability. It’s not a new idea. For years, if not decades, there has been discussion about how wood-based products could replace things made from fossil materials. Until now, this idea was mostly hypothetical. Now it is really happening.
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ATA Truck Tonnage Index Rose 3.7% in November

American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index increased 3.7% in November after falling 5% in October. In November, the index equaled 112.2 (2015=100) compared with 108.3 in October. “The 2020 seesaw pattern continued in November as typical seasonality is not holding this year,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “It was a nice gain, but the rebound was not enough to make up for October’s drop. Robust retail freight, helped by consumer spending, especially e-commerce, and very lean inventories helped truck tonnage last month. Strong single-family housing starts are also aiding freight tonnage, but lackluster restaurant, manufacturing and energy sectors remain a drag. I expect these softer industries to benefit from widespread COVID-19 vaccinations in 2021.” October’s decrease was revised up to 5% from our November 24 press release.
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Truckload Turnover Rises in Third Quarter

The annualized turnover rate at both large and small truckload carriers rose by double digit percentage points in the third quarter as the industry began bouncing back from a COVID-19 induced slump. “After a calamitous second quarter, trucking – along with the rest of the economy – began recovering in the third quarter, leading to a tightening of the driver market,” said American Trucking Associations Chief Economist Bob Costello. “With a more robust freight market, we saw an increase in carriers seeking drivers, which led to increased turnover. Additionally, the driver pool has decreased this year for a host of reasons, including fewer new drivers coming into the industry as truck driver training schools train less drivers due to social distancing requirements.” In the third quarter, the turnover rate at truckload carriers with more than $30 million in annual revenue rose 10 percentage points to 92% on an annualized basis. The rate at smaller truckload carriers rose 14 points to 74%. Despite the increases, the 2020 average turnover rate is still running behind 2019.
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ATA Truck Tonnage Index Fell 6.3% in October

American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index decreased 6.3% in October after gaining 5.7% in September. In October, the index equaled 106.8 (2015=100) compared with 114 in September. “While there are indications that the economy is losing momentum, I believe October’s tonnage softness was more of a seasonal issue during a pandemic than anything else,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “Typical seasonality is off this year and it was a reason why October was down so much. Not seasonally adjusted tonnage was down a fraction as much as normal over the last five years during September, leading to a big seasonally adjusted gain. However, that means October’s not seasonally adjusted tonnage grew less than half as much as it typically does, leading to a big drop in the seasonally adjusted figure. There are plenty of carriers still saying that tonnage, retail tonnage in particular, is good.”
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ATA Truck Tonnage Index Jumped 6.7% in September

American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index increased 6.7% in September after declining 5.3% in August. In September, the index equaled 115.1 (2015=100) compared with 107.9 in August. “September had a nice recovery after a significant decline in August,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “The truck freight market continues to be bifurcated, with strength in retail and home construction, but some continued weakness in industrial freight. During the third quarter, truck tonnage increased 2.4% over the second quarter, but fell 5.3% from a year earlier.” August’s decrease was revised up to -5.3% from our September 22 press release.
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Numbers Driving the Optimism in Trucking, Then and Now

Growth in the U.S. economy boomed in 2018, slowed in 2019, and turned south in 2020 when COVID-19 started to spread widely in March. In 2019, trucks shipped 72.5% of all domestic tonnage, including an increase of 366 million tons over 2018. Also, across the northern and southern borders, trucks moved three-quarters of the value of trade between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Compared with previous recessions, trucking fared far better than the overall economy as the recession in the first half of 2020 was concentrated in the much less freight intensive, services sector. At the start of 2020, the U.S. remained in the longest economic expansion on record with the unemployment rate at 50-year lows. In the three primary categories of freight—retail, manufacturing, and housing construction—only manufacturing was struggling from an industry-specific recession in 2019. In January, retail sales notched a record high, and construction on new homes surged to its highest level in over a decade, according to the Census Bureau. Even manufacturing showed signs that it bottomed out in 2019, as the Institute for Supply Management’s Purchasing Managers Index reported an expanding manufacturing sector in January and February after 5 months of contraction.
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ATA Freight Forecast Projects Continued Long-Term Growth in Volumes

Today, the American Trucking Associations released its latest ATA Freight Transportation Forecast: 2020 to 2031, which is conducted annually by IHS Markit, showing that despite contraction in 2020, the long-term trend for both trucking and overall freight shipments is still positive. Among the findings in this year’s Forecast: *Total freight volumes in 2020 are likely to collapse by 10.6% to 14.6 billion tons, although truck freight volumes falls a smaller 8.8%. *Trucking volumes are expected to rebound in 2021, rising 4.9% next year and then growing 3.2% per year on average through 2026. *Overall freight revenues in 2020 will total $879 billion, rising to $1.435 trillion in 2031.
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Shipping Rates to Increase for FedEx Express, FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight Services

FedEx Express, FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight will increase shipping rates beginning January 4, 2021. These rate changes enable FedEx to continue investing in service enhancement, fleet maintenance, technology innovations and other areas to serve customers more effectively and efficiently. FedEx Express shipping rates will increase by an average of 4.9% for U.S. domestic, U.S. export and U.S. import services. FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery shipping rates will increase by an average of 4.9%. FedEx SmartPost shipping rates will also increase. FedEx Freight shipping rates will increase by an average of 4.9% for customers who use FXF PZONE and FXF EZONE, and by 5.9% for customers who use FXF 1000 and FXF 501 for shipments within the U.S. (including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and between the contiguous U.S. and Canada. FedEx Freight shipping rates will also increase for shipments within Canada, within Mexico, and between the contiguous U.S. and Mexico. Details of all changes to rates, surcharges and fees are available on the FedEx website at: http://fedex.com/rates2021.
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The Postal Regulatory Commission Approves USPS’ Temporary Price Increase for Commercial Parcels

The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) has approved the temporary price increases for commercial domestic parcel products that USPS proposed last month. Retail prices for parcel products are unaffected. The planned commercial price increases for Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, First-Class Package Service (FCPS) and Commercial Parcel Select will take effect Oct. 18, 2020 at 12 a.m. Central time and continue until Dec. 27, 2020 at 12 a.m. Central time. After that, prices will revert to 2020 prices. The temporary price adjustments are in response to heightened package volume due to the coronavirus pandemic, as well as expected increases in online shopping during the holidays. Details at: https://www.prc.gov/docs/114/114473/Order5673.pdf
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UPS Expanding Kansas City Air Operations

It takes plenty of space to park a wide-body cargo jet, and UPS’s facility at Kansas City International Airport is getting a lot more of it. The facility, known as an air gateway, is being renovated and expanded. The most visible part of the work is expanding the ramp from two aircraft parking spots to five. The new ramp will be 534,000 square feet, more than nine football fields in size. In addition to the new ramp, UPS also will install new sorting equipment at the gateway, more than tripling package handling capacity to 5,000 packages per hour. Construction in Kansas City is planned to begin in late October with completion in the fall of 2021.
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ATA Truck Tonnage Index Fell 5.1% in July

American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index decreased 5.1% in July after surging 8.9% in June. In July, the index equaled 109.6 (2015=100) compared with 115.5 in June. Despite July’s decline, the index was 3.3% above the recent low in May. June’s increase was revised up slightly to 8.9% from our July 21 press release. Compared with July 2019, the SA index contracted 8.3%, the fourth straight year-over-year decline. Year-to-date, compared with the same period in 2019, tonnage is down 3.2%.
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ATA Truck Tonnage Index Jumped 8.7% in June

American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index increased 8.7% in June after falling 1% in May. In June, the index equaled 115.3 (2015=100) compared with 106.1 in May. May’s drop was unrevised at -1% from our June 23 press release. Compared with June 2019, the SA index contracted 1.3%, the third straight year-over-year decline, but the smallest over that period. Year-to-date, compared with the same period in 2019, tonnage is down 2.4%.
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Coyote Logistics Launches Dynamic Route Optimization to Enhance Supply Chain Efficiency

Coyote Logistics, a leading global third-party logistics (3PL) provider, expanded its Dynamic Route Optimization program that aims to streamline supply chain operations and reduce uncertainty for carriers by maximizing the efficiency of their fleets and delivering load consistency through optimized weekly routing plans. Dynamic Route Optimization builds suggested weekly route plans that optimally direct drivers to and from their domicile location by taking numerous parameters into account, including drivers’ hours provided by the carrier, load attributes, average load and unload times, market cost, mile per hour bands by region, home base city, among others and layering them over Coyote’s open and available loads.
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Trucking Moved 11.84 Billion Tons of Freight in 2019

The trucking industry generated $791.7 billion in revenue in 2019, moving 11.84 billion tons of freight, according to the latest edition of American Trucking Associations’ annual data compendium – ATA American Trucking Trends 2020. “Despite a challenging year, the data contained in American Trucking Trends shows the industry was in good shape entering the global pandemic,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “Trends continues to be an indispensable, one-stop resource for decision makers to have the latest information about the state of the trucking industry.”
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ATA Truck Tonnage Index Fell 1% in May

American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index contracted 1% in May after falling 10.3% in April. In May, the index equaled 106.1 (2015=100) compared with 107.2 in April. “While tonnage fell in May, even though other economic indicators like retail sales and housing starts rose, I’m not overly concerned,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “First, while down over 10 percent sequentially in April, truck tonnage did not fall as much as other economic indicators that month. This means that any rebound is tougher since tonnage didn’t fall substantially to begin with. Second, there are indications that freight continues to improve as more and more states and localities lift lockdown restrictions.” April’s drop was revised up to -10.3% from the 12.2% decline reported in our May 19 press release.
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Trucking Industry Applauds House Advancing Highway Funding Bill

The American Trucking Associations praised the leaders and members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for their work in advancing the INVEST in America Act to the House floor. “Chairman DeFazio and the entire committee have produced a solid piece of legislation that authorizes a real and significant increase in funding for our roads and bridges, as well as a broad range of policies to improve highway safety,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “ATA supports this bill and appreciates the hard work of the committee members and staff, and we look forward to working with Congress to further improve this important bill as it continues through the process, and securing bipartisan support for an infrastructure investment package that provides real money for our roads and bridges.”
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ATA Chairman highlights trucking’s essential role throughout COVID-19

Randy Guillot, chairman of the American Trucking Associations and president of Triple G Express and Southeastern Motor Freight out of Jefferson, Louisiana, testified before the Senate Commerce Committee on the U.S. trucking industry’s response to the COVID-19 crisis—and on the role trucking will play in leading our economic recovery. Due to the U.S. Senate’s social distancing protocols, Guillot testified remotely via video conference from his home state of Louisiana. From his opening remarks: “Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the trucking industry has been thrust to the forefront of our national consciousness. While most activity ground to a halt across the country, America’s 3.5 million professional truck drivers kept moving. These heroes continue serving on the frontlines, ensuring everyone has the goods they need to get through these challenging times. “We hear the term ‘essential’ more frequently of late—as America wakes up to the gravity of what essential truly means. Truckers are the difference between a fully-stocked grocery store and one lined with empty shelves. They’re why doctors and nurses have PPE to protect themselves. They’re how test kits get to hot-spots for local officials to use to fight the virus’ spread.”
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Oil trades mixed but recent rally sets crude up for strong 2018 gains

Crude gains have been buoyed by a dispute in Libya over oil-marketing rights that is hindering the North African nation’s export capacity. In Libya, the supply of up to 780,000 barrels of crude a day is at risk, according to analysts at Commerzbank. Separately, the energy market has been reacting to threats from the Trump administration this week, who indicated that the White House would look to sanction countries that don’t reduce their imports of Iranian crude to “zero” by Nov. 4. Iran currently exports around 2.4 million barrels a day of crude. Click Read More below for additional information.
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U.S. oil prices settle at highest since 2014 as crude supplies notch biggest weekly drop of the year

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported Wednesday that crude supplies declined by 9.9 million barrels for the week ended June 22—the largest weekly decline so far this year. Analysts surveyed by S&P Global Platts had forecast a fall of 2.3 million barrels, while the American Petroleum Institute on Tuesday reported a drop of 9.2 million barrels. “Record crude exports and record refinery runs have combined to yield the biggest draw to crude stocks so far this year,” said Matt Smith, director of commodity research at ClipperData. “Even crude production holding at a record level has been unable to offset strong domestic and international demand.” The EIA pegged last week’s total domestic crude output at 10.9 million barrels a day, unchanged from the previous week. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Crude Oil Prices Settle Higher as US Says Nations Must Cut Iranian Crude Imports

Strong buying emerged in oil markets Tuesday as focus shifted to an expected decline in Iranian crude exports after a senior U.S. State Department official said countries must stop purchasing crude by the start of November or face sanctions. Companies that buy Iranian crude oil must completely halt those exports by Nov. 4 or else they will face powerful U.S. sanctions, a senior State Department official told reporters on Tuesday. Oil prices moved sharply higher as investor focus shifted to the prospect of a void in global supplies as Iran – OPEC's third largest producer – exports more than 2 million barrels per day (bpd). Click Read More below for additional information.
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Oil steady as outages balance trade dispute, OPEC

Oil prices steadied on Tuesday, supported by Canadian production losses and uncertainty over Libyan exports, but under pressure from climbing OPEC supply and escalating trade conflicts between the United States and other major economies. Eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar's forces have given control of oil ports to a separate National Oil Corporation (NOC) based in the country's east. The official state-owned oil company from the capital Tripoli, also called NOC, will no longer be allowed to handle that oil, he said. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Nearly half of Iowa crude oil spill contained, BNSF says

Workers have contained nearly half of the crude oil spilled near Rock River in northwest Iowa over the weekend following a freight train derailment on Friday, BNSF Railway Co said. About 100,000 gallons had been hemmed off using booms out of the estimated 230,000 gallons spilled, BNSF said in a statement on Saturday. The spill has raised concerns about drinking water downstream. The company did not respond to questions on Sunday about the progress of the cleanup. No one was hurt in the derailment, in which 32 cars came off the rails, 14 of which leaked at least some of their contents, BNSF said. Click Read More below for additional information.
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OPEC, Having Bolstered Oil Prices, Considers Ramping Up Production

Major oil-producing countries moved on Friday toward an agreement to jointly raise exports, a decision that has driven considerable division among them but that could temper criticism from President Trump. Officials from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, as well as other major producers like Russia, were set to increase their total output by less than 1 percent of the global oil supply. Though a relatively small addition to the world energy market, the move nevertheless signals a willingness by international suppliers to address rising prices. Click Read More below for additional information.
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UPS And International Brotherhood Of Teamsters Reach Handshake Agreement For New National Master Agreement

Months of collective bargaining have culminated in a tentative agreement for UPS (NYSE: UPS) and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The five-year agreement, which is subject to ratification, covers Teamsters-represented UPS employees in small package roles. UPS’s goal has been to reward the company’s employees for their contributions to its success while enabling the business to remain flexible to meet its customers’ needs – each of these goals have been met in the new agreement. UPS is well-positioned to grow and meet the needs of its customers. Click Read More below for additional information.
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U.S. oil prices end higher after biggest weekly drop in U.S. crude supplies since January

Prices for U.S. benchmark oil futures settled with a gain Wednesday, at a nearly one-week high, after U.S. government data revealed the biggest weekly decline in U.S. crude supplies since January. Global benchmark Brent crude prices, however, finished lower as traders monitored comments from major oil producers gathering for the much-anticipated Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries meeting at the end of the week. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported Wednesday that crude supplies dropped by 5.9 million barrels for the week ended June 15. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Oil steady ahead of OPEC meeting

Oil prices steadied on Wednesday, supported by a drop in U.S. commercial crude inventories and the loss of storage capacity in Libya, but under pressure ahead of a meeting of OPEC exporters which may increase global production. U.S. crude inventories fell by 3 million barrels to 430.6 million barrels in the week to June 15, according to an American Petroleum Institute report on Tuesday. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Crude Oil Prices Settle Higher as OPEC Reportedly Mulls Modest Output Hike

Members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) are discussing an agreement that would raise oil output by 300,000 to 600,000 barrels a day (bpd) over the next few months, Bloomberg reported, citing people briefed on the talks. That is well below the 1.5 million bpd uptick in production touted a few weeks ago, reducing investor fears of a significant slowdown in rebalancing in oil markets, which could potentially hurt oil prices. Click Read More below for additional information.
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China Tariffs Hurt US Crude Oil Price

The war of words over trade between the United States and China finally turned into an actual trade war Friday, after the administration of President Donald Trump announced a list of goods whose import from China, worth $50 billion in 2017, would be subject to an additional tariff of 25 percent. Among the retaliatory measures announced by the Asian country was the proposed imposition of tariffs on imports of petroleum products from the U.S., a move that sent domestic crude oil prices crashing. The fall in WTI crude is not in tandem with the global benchmark, Brent crude, which was trading about 0.7 percent higher Monday morning than a day before. The two prices are separated by a few dollars, Brent usually costing more, but that gap has increased in recent weeks for a number of reasons. However, the different directions in trade at present are caused largely by China’s announcement. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Crude Oil Prices Settle Higher as Saudi Says Output Hike Will Be Reasonable

Traders remained concerned rising output would slow the rebalancing in oil markets as the production-cut agreement has helped rid the market of excess crude supplies. Inventories of U.S. crude fell by 4.143 million barrels for the week ended June 8, well above expectations for a draw of 1.440 million barrels, according to data from the Energy Information Administration. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Oil prices fall as U.S. crude production hits another record

Oil prices eased on Thursday, dragged down by rising output, although strong demand and a drop in U.S. fuel inventories provided the market with some support. Prices were pulled down by another rise in U.S. oil production , which hit a weekly record of 10.9 million barrels per day (bpd) last week, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Wednesday. U.S. crude output has risen by almost 30 percent in the last two years, and it is now close to top global producer Russia, which produced 11.1 million bpd overall in the first two weeks of June. Click Read More below for additional information.
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ANDRITZ acquires Novimpianti, Italy

International technology Group ANDRITZ has signed a contract for the acquisition of Novimpianti Drying Technology S.r.l., a company owned by Novigroup S.r.l. and based in Lucca, Italy. Novimpianti has approximately 40 employees and generates annual sales of approximately 10 million euros. Novimpianti is a global supplier of engineered equipment and services for air and energy systems to the paper industry’s leading manufacturers. For ANDRITZ, the acquisition of Novimpianti further strengthens its product offerings in the field of air and energy systems, mainly for tissue and paperboard machines. Click Read More below for additional information.
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US crude ticks up as OPEC says oil market outlook is uncertain

Oil prices were mixed on Tuesday, with U.S. crude gaining and Brent crude slumping, as investors prepared for a key meeting of the OPEC producer group next week. Crude future were in line with the broader financial markets, which were largely unruffled by a U.S.-North Korea summit aimed at the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. OPEC and other producing countries including Russia have cut oil output by 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) since January 2017 in an effort to boost the market. The group holds its next meeting on June 22-23, and is expected to decide on future supply policy. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Saudi Arabia to supply full July crude oil volumes to some Asian buyers

Saudi Arabia has informed five Asian refiners that it will supply full contractual volumes of crude oil in July, five sources with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday. The world's top crude exporter has also reinstated contracted volumes of Arab Heavy crude to one buyer after cutting supplies in the previous month, one of the sources said. Last month, the state oil giant maintained full contractual supplies to Asia for June supplies by replacing Arab Heavy with Arab Light. The Arab Heavy was redirected to domestic power plants to meet the increased demand for electricity for summer cooling needs. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Oil Slips on Signs Russia Boosted Crude Output Before OPEC Meets

Futures dropped 1.1 percent in New York after a third weekly loss. Russia, which along with Saudi Arabia is trying to garner support for lifting output limits, was said to have boosted production earlier this month to above the level envisioned by OPEC. Meanwhile, the number of rigs drilling for crude in the U.S. inched higher, signaling output may extend a record. Saudi Arabia and Russia, among the countries with spare capacity to raise production, signaled last month they may restore output even though they hadn’t yet consulted most other producers. Oil prices have fallen more than 7 percent since the two nations made their proposal public. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Heidelberg starts selling its new charging system for electric cars

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) has now launched its new charging system for electric cars in Germany. The Heidelberg Wallbox Home Eco is the first ever product for end customers in a company history that spans almost 170 years. The system is aimed at individuals and also at businesses and local authorities that want to use the charging station to recharge the electric vehicles in their own fleets as well as those of customers and visitors. The Wallbox Home Eco has a CE-compliant design. Heidelberg developed all the power electronics itself and they are produced exclusively in Germany. Comparable solutions from Heidelberg have already proved a market success, with over 20,000 Wallboxes for the electric cars of a premium manufacturer and over 100,000 smart charging cables manufactured to customer specifications. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Oil Prices Cool After Recent Rally

Oil prices edged lower Friday, giving up some of the ground made in a recent rally spurred by supply concerns in Venezuela and Iran. The economic crisis in Venezuela is curtailing the country’s oil production, while the planned reinstatement of U.S. sanctions against Iran is expected to hit production from the third-largest member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Oil settles at 2-month low as crude supplies rise unexpectedly

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported Wednesday that crude supplies climbed by 2.1 million barrels for the week ended June 1. Analysts surveyed by S&P Global Platts had forecast a decline of 1.3 million barrels, while the American Petroleum Institute on Tuesday reported a fall of 2 million barrels, according to sources. The EIA also reported that total domestic crude production rose by 31,000 barrels a day to fresh weekly record of 10.8 million barrels a day. Gasoline stockpiles jumped by 4.6 million barrels for the week, while distillate stockpiles rose 2.2 million barrels, according to the EIA. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Oil steady on Venezuela exports, supply concerns

Oil prices steadied on Wednesday after Venezuela raised the prospect of a halt to some crude exports, easing worries about oversupply after reports that the U.S. government had asked Saudi Arabia and some other producers to increase output. Falling Venezuelan oil output helped push crude benchmark Brent LCOc1 to more than $80 a barrel last month, but prices have eased since then on talk of higher supply by other members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Oil climbs, but record U.S. crude output, higher OPEC supplies drag

Oil prices edged higher on Tuesday after falling nearly 2 percent in the previous session, but growing U.S. production and expectations of higher OPEC supplies continue to weigh on sentiment. Over the weekend, OPEC and non-OPEC Arab oil ministers agreed on the need for continued cooperation to balance global supply, Kuwait's state news agency KUNA reported. In March, U.S. crude output rose to 10.47 million barrels per day, the highest on record, according to a monthly report by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Click Read More below for additional information.
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Oil down as U.S. supply grows, OPEC considers higher output

U.S. crude production climbed in March to 10.47 million barrels per day (bpd), a monthly record, data from the Energy Information Administration showed last week. U.S. drillers added two oil rigs in the week to June 1, bringing the total to 861, the most since March 2015, energy services company Baker Hughes said on Friday. That was the eighth time drillers have added rigs in the past nine weeks. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Brent premium over WTI hits new 3-year high

The spread between Brent crude oil futures contracts and U.S. WTI stood at its widest for three years on Friday with the latter set for a second consecutive week of declines as U.S. oil output comes close to matching that of top producer Russia. The premium has doubled to more than $11 a barrel in about a month as a lack of pipeline capacity in the United States traps much of the output inland. U.S. crude production has been rising to record levels since late last year. In March, it jumped 215,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 10.47 million bpd, a new monthly record, the Energy Information Administration said on Thursday. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Oil Slips as U.S. Crude Inventories Show Signs of Increasing

Oil fell, compounding a monthly decline, after U.S. crude inventories were said to rise by more than expected. Futures in New York fell 0.6 percent, set for the first monthly drop since February. On Wednesday, the American Petroleum Institute was said to report a 1 million barrel increase in crude stockpiles, double the gain forecast in a Bloomberg survey of analysts. Prices have declined about 4 percent since Saudi Arabia and Russia last week proposed to phase out supply curbs by OPEC and its allies. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Oil Holds Near $67 as Market Tumult Subsides After OPEC Worries

Oil steadied near $67 a barrel as markets regained some composure following renewed trade tensions between the U.S. and China, political turmoil in Europe and simmering concerns that OPEC may ease its output curbs. Futures in New York were little changed, though still almost $6 below last week’s high. China said it would respond accordingly to U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese imports. Encouraging economic data in Europe blunted panic related to Italy’s political crisis, which on Tuesday helped boost a gauge of oil market volatility to its highest level since February. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Oil prices are falling fast. Here’s why

What a difference a week can make. Oil prices surged to their highest level in over three years last week, and strategists were marveling that prices had shot up so quickly. Now prices are slumping. US crude oil futures have dropped by nearly 10% to trade around $66.50 per barrel, down from about $73 last week. Global benchmark Brent crude oil has dropped by about 6% to trade around $76, after peaking above $80. The sharp price decline was triggered on Friday by Saudi Arabia, the biggest oil exporter in the world and de facto leader of oil cartel OPEC. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Oil prices slide as OPEC, Russia mull output increase

Oil prices plunged on Friday as reports said OPEC and Russia are considering lifting production by as much as 1 million barrels a day to meet the shortfall in supply from Iran and Venezuela. The losses came after media reports hit saying the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and Russia are discussing plans to lift their production for the first time since 2016. Bloomberg said the major producers are considering pumping between 300,000 and 800,000 more barrels of oil a day, while Reuters said the number could be as high as 1 million barrels. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Oil slips further below $80 a barrel as focus on OPEC intensifies

Oil prices recorded their largest one-day drop in two weeks on Thursday, with expectations building that OPEC will end an output deal that has been in place since the start of 2017 due to concerns about supplies from Venezuela and Iran. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries may decide in June to lift output to make up for reduced supply from Iran and Venezuela and in response to concerns from Washington about a rally in oil prices, OPEC and oil industry sources told Reuters. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Wood to Supercapacitors: Sustainable highly conductive electrode materials from ultrathin carbon nanofiber aerogels derived from nanofibrillated cellulose

Carbon aerogels are ultralight, conductive materials, which are extensively investigated for applications in supercapacitor electrodes in electrical cars and cell phones. Chinese scientists have now found a way to make these electrodes sustainably. The aerogels can be obtained directly from cellulose nanofibrils, the abundant cell-wall material in wood, finds the study reported in the journal Angewandte Chemie. Supercapacitors are capacitors that can take up and release a very large amount of energy in a very short time. Key requirements for supercapacitor electrodes are a large surface area and conductivity, combined with a simple production method. Another growing issue in supercapacitor production—mainly for smartphone and electric car technologies—is sustainability. However, sustainable and economical production of carbon aerogels as supercapacitor electrode materials is possible, propose Shu-Hong Yu and colleagues from the University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Here’s what happens if the oil rally turns into an ‘oil shock’

The global oil benchmark flirted with the $80-a-barrel level again on Tuesday, underlining concerns that an unexpectedly strong crude rally could eventually begin to weigh on economic growth. The combination of renewed U.S. sanctions on Iran, potential sanctions on Venezuela, a rising geopolitical risk premium, strong demand and other factors have made talk of $100 crude sound less outlandish. Indeed, some analysts argue that the backdrop now leaves the market more open to potential price spikes. So what if oil did climb back to triple digits for the first time since 2014? Economists led by Arend Kapteyn at UBS laid it out in a wide-ranging note on Tuesday. Click Read More below for additional information.
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US crude rises 1.4% to 3.5-year high on Venezuela and Iran supply concerns

Crude prices strengthened on Monday, reversing course as geopolitical tensions continued to support the market and a trade war between the U.S. and China was declared "on hold." Geopolitical concerns that U.S. sanctions on Iran could curb the country's crude exports have led crude prices to trade higher in recent weeks, and the market is now weighing the possibility of additional sanctions on Venezuela following the country's presidential election. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Turpentine: A Surprising Journey from Forest to Flavors and Fragrances

What do toothpaste, perfume, soap and ink have in common? The surprising answer is turpentine. This versatile byproduct of the pulp- and paper-making process is used in a wide range of everyday products. Consider a typical day: You wake up and brush your teeth. Then you take a shower using your favorite soap. After you get dressed, you apply some makeup or a spritz of cologne or perfume. You might not have realized it, but before you left home this morning, you used a number of products that contain a special form of turpentine that Domtar makes. Your perfume’s floral fragrance and your toothpaste’s minty freshness originated as crude sulfate turpentine, a USDA-certified, all-natural and renewable byproduct of the pulp- and paper-making process. In fact, many of the scents and flavorings in products you encounter every day are derived from byproducts of the pulp- and paper-making process. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Sun Chemical Forges Distribution Partnership with Cyngient

Sun Chemical has named Cyngient as a strategic distribution partner of its inks, coatings, and other solutions for offset, narrow web tag and label (NWTL), commercial sheetfed and folding carton printers. The new partnership allows Sun Chemical and Cyngient to reach their North American inks customers faster and more efficiently, and jointly provide customers with technical and product support. Cyngient customers will now have access to Sun Chemical’s full range of solutions for the marketplace which can be combined with many of Cyngient’s specialties, including special effects, soft touch and tactile coatings, cold foil solutions, and in-mold products. Click Read More below for additional information.
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US crude ends flat, settling at $71.49, as oil fails to hold gains on Iran sanctions concern

Brent, the international benchmark for oil prices, hit a session high of $80.50 a barrel on Thursday, its strongest level since Nov. 24, 2014, when it topped out at $80.85. The contract eased back to $79.19 by 2:25 p.m. ET, down 9 cents. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude ended the day unchanged from the previous session at $71.49 a barrel. WTI earlier hit a high going back to Nov. 28, 2014 at $72.30 a barrel. Click Read More below for additional information.
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IEA warns global oil demand may suffer as crude nears $80

Global demand for oil is likely to moderate this year, as the price of crude nears $80 a barrel and many key importing nations no longer offer consumers generous fuel subsidies, the International Energy Agency said on Wednesday. Oil has risen 51 percent in the last year, driven by coordinated supply cuts and, this month, by concern over Iranian supply after the United States said it would reimpose sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear activities. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Oil gains while U.S. crude’s discount to Brent deepens

Oil prices rose on Monday as OPEC reported that the global oil glut has been virtually eliminated, while U.S. crude’s discount to global benchmark Brent widened to more than $7, its deepest in five months. U.S. shale production is expected to hit a record 7.18 million barrels per day (bpd), the Energy Information Administration said. The production growth may be far from over, contributing to U.S. crude’s discount to Brent, analysts said.
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Crude Oil Prices Up After Geopolitical Issue Eases

The oil prices were bullish in the market as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East dies down. The commodity’s prices managed to hit another milestone despite the astonishing performance of the dollar in the market. The commodity continues to push great performance in the market on multiple factors. The great oil inventories reports and the OPEC agreement to extend the output cut have managed to put the prices on its best figures ones again. Click Read More below for additional information.
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U.S. oil prices hover at 3 1/2 year highs, as analysts entertain the idea of $100 crude

The expectation that sanctions will again frustrate Iran’s oil industry and limit global supply has helped to boost prices close to 5% since the announcement. In the past, sanctions against Iran have cut the country’s crude exports by around 1 million barrels a day. But because the European Union and other intentional players have decided to stick with the deal, U.S. sanctions are likely to affect only up to around 350,000 barrels a day, once reinstated within six months’ time, according to analysts at MUFG Bank. The surge in prices this week prompted renewed oil market speculation that Brent could again reach $100 a barrel — a level not seen since before the price crash of late 2014. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Tronox Reports First Quarter 2018 Financial Results

First Quarter 2018 Highlights: - Strong top and bottom line performance reflects benefits of vertical integration and continued favorable market conditions across TiO2 pigment, feedstock and co-products - Revenue of $442 million up 17 percent versus prior year - Income from operations of $14 million; adjusted EBITDA of $113 million up 79 percent versus prior year (Non-GAAP) - TiO2 income from operations of $52 million; adjusted EBITDA of $138 million up 62 percent versus prior year (Non-GAAP) - TiO2 adjusted EBITDA margin of 31 percent; free cash flow of $52 million. Click Read More below for additional information.
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The Iran Deal Is Dead; Here’s What That Means for Crude Oil Prices

Short term, oil-pricing volatility will continue. Traders will likely consider any forward interruption – perceived or actual – in Iranian crude export flow as upward pressure on global prices. If this happens and JCPOA is not immediately closed, (i.e., should those second and third possible scenarios I mentioned play out), there will be a pullback. Overall, other factors have been contributing to an increasing floor for the oil-pricing band, supported by continuing OPEC production problems in Venezuela, Nigeria, and Libya. Click Read More below for additional information.
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US crude oil slips ahead of Trump decision on Iran

US crude oil prices have slipped back after strong gains as the White House prepared to announce a decision on whether it will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. Iran’s oil production has bounced back to nearly 4m barrels a day since world powers eased sanctions over its nuclear programme. Reimposing sanctions could reduce Iranian oil exports by 200,000-300,000 barrels a day, according to RBC Capital Markets. Click Read More below for additional information.
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Iran nuclear worries pushes crude oil to 4-year high

Brent crude on Monday touched its highest level since 2014 as oil prices increased on rising tension between the US and Iran. The international oil price, which has benefited from a lift in US demand and Opec supply constraints this year, rose nearly 1 per cent to $75.53 in European trading after earlier hitting a session peak of $75.89, its highest level since November 2014. Click Read More below for additional information.
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