Commodities (Crude Oil & Copper) & Macro Outlook

The Trump administration has pushed the Alaska LNG development project as a Korean investment initiative, but profitability concerns have already emerged. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced at the White House that the project would receive investment slightly exceeding $50 billion,

South Korean government bond futures declined during morning trading on October 1st, with 3-year futures dropping 4 ticks to 102.33 and 10-year futures falling 31 ticks to 104.13 as of 9:04 AM. The decline followed a two-day rally and mirrored overnight gains in US Treasury yields, which rose 1.2

On September 30, according to Bloomberg reporting cited by Yonhap News, the U.S. International Trade Court (CIT) questioned whether the Trump administration had sufficient legal basis and country-specific evidence to impose 10% to 12.5% tariffs on products from 60 economies under Section 301 of U.S.

According to Trade.xyz, DIESEL perpetual futures launched on the platform on October 1, offering 10x leverage and 24/7 trading. The contract tracks the price of New York Harbor ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) per gallon in U.S.

According to the Korean Exchange, KOSPI declined 19.33% in the third quarter of 2026, sliding from around 8,400 to 6,800 points. The market saw stark divergence across sectors, with those that led in the first half facing sharp corrections. Electronics—home to semiconductor stocks that drove

According to Wall Street Journal, U.S. Democratic senators recently questioned Trump administration officials regarding the Pentagon's oil dealings with Venezuela. The senators expressed concerns about the legal basis for the

According to EIA data released on October 1, the U.S. strategic petroleum reserve (SPR) inventory fell by 785,000 barrels to 283.8 million barrels for the week ending September 25, marking the lowest level since October 22, 1982. The decline of 0.28% reflects ongoing drawdowns from the nation's

Thirteen domestic and international institutions surveyed by Yonhap Infomax between September 14 and 22, 2026, forecast that international oil prices will average above $80 per barrel in Q4 2026 due to ongoing supply shortages from refinery production disruptions and delays in normalizing

According to Yonhap InfoMax consensus surveying 12 institutions on October 1, gold traded on COMEX is expected to average $4,523.83 per ounce in Q4 2026, up significantly from $4,168.40 in September. Silver is forecast at $64.21 per ounce, aluminum at $3,368.89 per ton, and nickel at $17,331.25 per

According to a Yonhapinfomax survey of 13 institutions conducted September 14-22, 2026, WTI crude oil futures are expected to average $83.12 per barrel in the fourth quarter, with Brent crude at $86.27 and Dubai oil at $86.83. Multiple analysts project sustained elevated oil prices above

Chile's copper production fell 12.8% year-over-year to 369,500 tons in August, the lowest monthly output since February 2011, according to Chile's National Statistics Institute (INE) on the 30th local time. The decline stems from severe weather that struck the Andes mountain region from mid-July, in

According to Reuters, Chile's copper output in August fell 12.8% year-over-year to 369,500 tons, marking the lowest monthly production since February 2011, as severe weather disrupted mining operations. Storms, floods, and heavy snow that swept the Andes mountains from mid-July onward forced major c

South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced September exports reached a record $120.9 billion, an 83.5% year-over-year increase that marks the first time monthly exports surpassed $120 billion. The surge was driven by semiconductor exports hitting $60.3 billion—a 263% year-over-ye

According to Yonhap Infomax, U.S. stock markets closed mixed on September 30 (local time). The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.86%, the S&P 500 declined 0.25%, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.24%. U.S. 10-year Treasury yields climbed 3.70 basis points to 5.2930%. The dollar index

According to South Korea Customs, the country's September exports surged 104.9% year-over-year on a work-day-adjusted basis, driven by robust global demand for semiconductors fueled by artificial intelligence. South Korea's cumulative exports for the first nine months of 2026 reached $814.5

Oil prices held steady near $90 a barrel on October 30 as Middle East crude supply recovered to near prewar levels, with West Texas Intermediate trading around $90 after a 1.2% gain in the previous session and Brent futures settling near $98. The supply rebound occurred through alternative export ro

South Korea's September imports rose 26% year-over-year, exceeding analyst expectations of 20.9% and rising from 22.5% in August, according to official data released on October 1.

South Korea's exports surged 83.5% year-over-year in September, beating the forecasted 62.2% and rising from 68.7% in the prior month.

South Korea's exports surged 83.5% year-over-year in September, significantly outperforming the consensus forecast of 61.7% growth.