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How are auto manufacturers performing amid the coronavirus pandemic?

These are difficult times, as car companies try to keep plants open while ensuring a safe workplace. Then there’s the question of demand: a combination of economic slowdown and less driving doesn’t bode well for car sales.

A month ago, we introduced the process by which we’re monitoring auto factories around the world and presented some of our findings.

Concerns are growing over the strength of the food supply chain amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In normal times, the global network of producers and distributors responsible for moving food around the world functions smoothly.

Obviously, these aren’t normal times. The unprecedented turn-of-events caused by coronavirus are challenging the resiliency of the food supply chain.

Will cracks emerge?

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An unprecedented decline in oil demand has caused inventories to build sharply in 2020. The potential for storage to "run out" by this summer has been widely raised, sowing panic in the oil market.

Is this true? How full are global crude inventories? Do inventory levels vary depending on geography? Where are stocks highest? Have any locations hit a plateau?

These are some of the questions we covered in a recent webinar using Ursa inventory data. Click below to watch the video.

A list of the most pertinent questions facing the oil market would look something like this:

Will the ending of US waivers for buyers of Iranian crude drive the country’s exports to zero? Are there other producers who might increase output to replace lost supply?

Will Venezuela be able to find buyers of its oil to replace customers lost as a result of US sanctions?

At stake is approximately 500,000 barrels per day exported by state-owned PDVSA to US refineries. That’s almost one-half of Venezuelan daily output.