There is still a worry about the imbalance between supply and demand. There is limited room for alumina futures to continue to fall. Since the intraday record of 5,540 yuan/ton on December 5, the main contract price of domestic alumina futures has started to fluctuate and fall, reaching a minimum of 5,077 yuan/ton on December 12, with the cumulative maximum decline exceeding 8%. According to industry insiders, the increase of alumina registered delivery brands and the sharp drop in overseas alumina spot quotations have led to the recent decline in alumina futures prices. Although the short-term news in the market is intertwined, the imbalance between supply and demand in the alumina market has not fundamentally improved, so there is limited room for the subsequent decline of alumina futures prices. (CSI)The international crude oil settlement price fell slightly. As of the close of the 12th, the light crude oil futures price for January delivery in the New York Mercantile Exchange fell by 27 cents to close at 70.02 US dollars per barrel, a decrease of 0.38%. London Brent crude oil futures for February delivery in 2025 fell 11 cents to close at $73.41 a barrel, a decrease of 0.15%.It is reported that the European Central Bank is considering cutting interest rates by 25 basis points in the next two meetings. According to informed sources, as the inflation rate stabilizes at the target of 2% and economic growth is sluggish, ECB officials plan to cut interest rates by another 25 basis points in January, and there may be another one in March. People familiar with the matter said that as long as the economic development meets current expectations, gradually reducing the borrowing cost is the most appropriate path. They believe that cutting interest rates by 50 basis points at a time in an emergency is still an option, but this move may convey an unexpected sense of urgency. According to people familiar with the matter, officials have not yet made any decision, and every meeting will be evaluated based on all available information, even after March. They stressed that once the situation becomes clearer after Trump takes office in January, the policy inclination of the central bank may change.
Guterres: Syria's credible, orderly and inclusive transitional arrangements must be supported. UN Secretary-General Guterres issued a statement through a spokesman, expressing deep concern about the recent widespread violation of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The statement specifically mentioned hundreds of air strikes by Israel against Syria, and said that there is an urgent need to alleviate violence in all aspects of Syria. Guterres said that the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement is still valid, and he condemned all actions inconsistent with the Agreement and called on the parties to the Agreement to fulfill their obligations, including ending all unauthorized presence in the separation zone. The statement stressed that while maintaining public order, it is necessary to support Syria's credible, orderly and inclusive transitional arrangements.Blinken said that the United States is trying to bring back the citizens found in Syria. When meeting in Jordan to discuss the political transition in Syria, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that the United States is trying to bring back an American citizen found in Syria on Thursday.Trump said that he would use aid to Ukraine as a bargaining chip to force Russia to sit at the negotiating table. US President-elect Donald Trump said that he would use US support to Ukraine as a bargaining chip to force Russia to end the conflict through negotiations.
Chicago corn futures fell by 1%, while wheat, soybean meal and soybean oil fell by 0.8% at most. In late new york on Thursday (December 12), the Bloomberg Grain Sub-index fell by 0.63% to 31.7965 points. CBOT corn futures fell 1.00% to 4.43-3/4 USD/bushel. CBOT wheat futures fell 0.80% to $ 5.58-3/4 a bushel. CBOT soybean futures were roughly flat at $ 10.02-1/2 per bushel, while soybean meal futures fell by 0.70% and soybean oil futures fell by 0.50%.Uruguay's GDP in the third quarter increased by 4.1% year on year.Canada is considering imposing export taxes on uranium and oil to counter Trump's tariff threat. Canada is studying imposing export taxes on major commodities exported to the United States, including uranium, oil and potash fertilizer, if Donald Trump fulfills the comprehensive tariff threat. Officials familiar with the internal discussions of Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau's government said that the export tax would be Canada's last resort. According to people familiar with the matter, retaliatory tariffs on goods made in the United States and export controls on some Canadian products are more likely to come first.