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On September 17th, UK government bond yields fell slightly ahead of the Bank of Englands interest rate decision. Investors expect rates to remain unchanged and will focus on the vote split and the Bank of Englands assessment of the second-order inflation effect. Data from the London Stock Exchange Group shows that the market only prices in a 19% probability of a rate hike on Thursday, but fully anticipates three 25 basis point rate hikes by March 2027. The Federal Reserve raised rates on Wednesday as widely expected. Warsh emphasized that inflation remains very high, increasing the prospect of further rate hikes by the Fed at future meetings. Tradeweb data shows that the 10-year UK bond yield fell 1.3 basis points to 5.282%.On September 17th, Commerzbank analyst Michael Pfister stated in a report that the Bank of England is likely to hold rates steady at its meetings on Thursday and subsequent days, refusing to raise interest rates, which would put the pound at risk of decline. He indicated that even if the Bank of England decides to raise rates this year, the markets current expectation of "more than four rate hikes by the end of next year" is unlikely to materialize. "Given the weak labor market, we still believe the Bank of England is more likely to disappoint market expectations than other central banks, therefore we maintain our expectation of a weaker pound."On September 17, local time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a presidential decree appointing Anton Kovalsky as acting Prosecutor General. The decree has been published on the website of the Ukrainian Presidential Palace. On September 14, Zelensky signed a presidential decree dismissing Kravchenko from his post as Prosecutor General. Previously, the Ukrainian National Anti-Corruption Service had launched an investigation into Kravchenko, and Kravchenko was implicated in related cases. Kovalsky will serve as the head of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Prosecutors Office from July 1, 2025.On September 17th, Kimi, the Dark Side of the Moon, announced the release of its financial industry solutions. According to the announcement, all users can install and experience nine financial skills and over 10 data source plugins at kimi.com. Professionals and developers can install and access data source plugins and financial skills through the Kimi Work desktop client and Kimi Code. Additionally, there is the Kimi Hosted Agents service for enterprises.On September 17th, ING stated that as India moves up the value chain into service sectors that are harder to automate, there are few signs that its outsourcing industry is being replaced by artificial intelligence. Economist Deepali Bhargava wrote that software services exports as a percentage of GDP have risen from 3.3% before the pandemic to approximately 5.2%. During the same period, business services, including finance, accounting, engineering, research, and analytics, more than doubled their share of GDP to 3.3%. This performance challenges concerns that generative AI could weaken one of Indias most important industries by automating traditional outsourcing work. According to ING data, India accounts for more than half of the global outsourcing industry, earning approximately $205 billion annually from software services exports and supporting about 5.8 million workers. Software and business services exports combined account for about 8.5% of GDP and are a significant source of foreign exchange.

Biden Turns to Ethanol to Help Bring Down Gasoline Costs as Consumer Inflation Soars

Haiden Holmes

Apr 13, 2022 09:32

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Biden's poll scores have dipped as consumer prices have increased, and inflation is seen as a big disadvantage going into November's midterm elections.


The decision is a success for the US corn lobby, since it will almost certainly increase demand for maize-based ethanol, and a defeat for oil refiners, who consider ethanol as a threat.


From June 1 until September 15, the proposal will enable Americans to continue purchasing E15 gasoline, which contains 15% ethanol. While E15 is just 10 cents cheaper on average and has a lower "energy density," which means drivers would need to purchase more gasoline, top administration officials told reporters on a Monday call previewing the announcement that it should still help reduce costs.


Only a few thousand gasoline shops in the United States supply E15 at the pump, and they are required by law to switch off the pumps during the summer season. That, Biden assured the Iowa gathering, would change this summer, if only momentarily.


"You are not going to go up to your neighborhood gas station and find a sack over the lowest gas pump. You will be allowed to continue filling E15," Biden said.


He emphasized that there is still more work to be done to bring down gasoline costs.


"It will not resolve all of our issues," Biden said.


According to two individuals familiar with the conversations, the decision follows many weeks of internal White House debate that pitted environmental champions like Gina McCarthy against Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, a former governor of Iowa.


The summertime ban on E15 was implemented due to fears that it adds to pollution in hot weather, despite the fact that research indicates that the 15% mix may not contribute to smog in comparison to the more prevalent 10% blends available year-round.


Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions and boycotts drove retail gasoline prices to record highs, creating a vulnerability for Biden's Democratic colleagues in November's legislative elections.


"Your family's budget, your ability to fill up your tank, none of this should be contingent on whether a tyrant declares war and commits atrocities halfway over the globe," Biden added.


Biden stated last month that the US will begin selling 180 million barrels of petroleum from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve at a pace of one million barrels per day in May, the largest release from the stockpile since it was established in the 1970s.

CORN VS. OIL

Biden announced the E15 extension during a visit to POET Bioprocessing in Iowa, the country's biggest biofuels producer.


"We commend Vice President Biden and his administration for recognizing that low-cost, low-carbon ethanol deserves a fair chance to bolster our energy security and bring record-high pump prices down," Renewable Fuels Association President Geoff Cooper said.


Oil sector representatives chastised the government for the move.


"Americans are seeking long-term answers to high gasoline costs, not short-term political fixes," said Ron Chittim, spokesperson for the American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry's primary lobbying group.


The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to issue a national emergency waiver to effect the move closer to June, administration officials said. According to the White House, the EPA is reportedly exploring further measures to enable year-round use of E15.


The American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) business organization questioned whether the extension of E15 sales was legal, stating that the EPA waiver being utilized is for for unexpected circumstances such as hurricanes.


In 2019, the courts rejected a previous attempt by Biden's predecessor, Republican Donald Trump, to extend a waiver allowing year-round sales of E15.


Officials briefing reporters on Biden's announcement said that his government will have a different "approach" and "authority" than Trump's, but provided no specifics.


Additionally, they said that the EPA will work with states to guarantee that the prolonged sale of E15 would have no "substantial" detrimental effect on summer air quality.