Commodity Compass Newsletter Weeks 16-17, 2026
During Weeks 16 and 17 of 2026, the global commodity markets went through another phase of mixed trading, where certain categories experienced recovery and the prices of other categories weakened.
Food and beverage
Prices in the food and beverage segment were erratic.
- Chicken prices in the US rose from $119.8/lb to $121.8/lb.
- Beef prices in the US fell from $438.7/lb to $438.4/lb.
- Cocoa prices in the UK fell from GBP 2,501/MT to GBP 2,491/MT.
- Coconut oil prices in Europe fell from $2,316/MT to $2,288/MT.
- Coffee prices in the UK rose from $3,322/MT to $3,422/MT.
Grains and oilseeds
Agricultural commodities showed a mixed performance.
- Maize prices in the US rose from 446.4 cents/bushel to 462.5 cents/bushel.
- Palm oil prices in China rose from $1,346/MT to $1,394/MT.
- Rice prices in the US rose from $10.86/CWT to $10.99/CWT.
- Soybean meal prices fell from $332.1/MT to $323.2/MT.
- Soybean oil prices rose from 67.6 cents/lb to 70.9 cents/lb.
- Soybeans prices rose from 1,164 cents/bushel to 1,166 cents/bushel.
- Sugar prices in International rose from 13.79 cents/lb to 13.83 cents/lb.
Metals and mining
The metals and mining sector saw a huge improvement.
- Aluminium prices fell from $3,606/MT to $3,588/MT.
- Copper prices in the UK rose from $13,252/MT to $13,319/MT.
- Nickel prices rose from $18,059/MT to $18,540/MT.
- Iron ore prices in China rose from $106.83/MT to $107.08/MT.
- Lead prices rose from $1,950/MT to $1,968/MT.
- Zinc prices rose from $3,384/MT to $3,455/MT.
- Tin prices rose from $49,476/MT to $50,232/MT.
Chemicals
Prices in the chemical sector remained more or less stable, but few price fluctuations were observed.
- Ammonia prices in China fell from $427.1/MT to $420.2/MT.
- Benzene prices fell from $1,239/MT to $1,236/MT.
- Ethylene prices fell from $1,459/MT to $1,405/MT.
- Caustic soda prices fell from $106.1/MT to $100.8/MT.
- Methanol prices fell from $488.6/MT to $476.8/MT.
- Soda ash prices rose from $176.1/MT to $177.5/MT.
- Propylene prices rose from $1,342/MT to $1,346/MT.
Precious metals
The precious metals section also witnessed some volatility.
- Gold prices fell from $4,799/oz to $4,735/oz.
- Platinum prices fell from $2,098/oz to $2,047/oz.
- Silver prices fell from $78.70/oz to $77.10/oz.
Energy
The energy market saw volatility throughout these two weeks.
- Coal prices in the Netherlands fell from $103.5/MT to $102.3/MT.
- Crude oil prices in Europe rose from $95.8/bbl to $101.3/bbl.
- Natural gas prices in the US rose from $2.63/MMBtu to $2.65/MMBtu.
Overall, Weeks 16-17 of 2026 represented a mixed commodity environment, with increased movement in selected food commodities, broad increases in metals, moderate corrections in precious metals, and inconsistent developments across chemicals and energy markets.