TotalEnergies to Honor All LNG Contracts Despite Qatar Outages

FILE PHOTO: The logo of French oil and gas company TotalEnergies is seen at a petrol station in Paris, France, March 25, 2026. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The logo of French oil and gas company TotalEnergies is seen at a petrol station in Paris, France, March 25, 2026. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor/File Photo
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TotalEnergies to Honor All LNG Contracts Despite Qatar Outages

FILE PHOTO: The logo of French oil and gas company TotalEnergies is seen at a petrol station in Paris, France, March 25, 2026. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The logo of French oil and gas company TotalEnergies is seen at a petrol station in Paris, France, March 25, 2026. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor/File Photo

TotalEnergies' CEO Patrick Pouyanne said on Thursday that the company made a decision not to declare force majeure to any of its liquefied natural gas customers, and that it would respect all the LNG contracts in terms of price and ⁠volume.

Qatar, the world's biggest ⁠LNG producer, has declared force majeure on all of its LNG output after being attacked as part of the US-Israeli war with Iran.

"We said to our customers we will ⁠not invoke force majeure and not deliver the gas... We want to be security of supply for our customers," Pouyanne said.

"Yes, we'll miss energy coming from Qatar and Abu Dhabi, but our portfolio is large enough to redirect part of it," he added, according to Reuters.

Analysts estimate TotalEnergies takes 5.2 million metric tons per annum (mtpa) from ⁠its ⁠share of the QatarEnergy LNG trains.

Sources have said Shell, the world's biggest LNG trader, had declared force majeure on cargoes it buys from QatarEnergy and sells on. Analysts estimate Shell takes 6.8 mtpa of Qatari LNG.

Pouyanne also said that the current energy crisis makes renewables more attractive as they are not subject to the volatility from geopolitical instability.



Turkish Central Bank Forex Sales since Start of Iran War Close to $45 Billion

Turkish Central Bank (official website)
Turkish Central Bank (official website)
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Turkish Central Bank Forex Sales since Start of Iran War Close to $45 Billion

Turkish Central Bank (official website)
Turkish Central Bank (official website)

The Turkish Central Bank's balance sheet for this week will show foreign exchange sales amounting to near $20 billion, bringing the total forex sales since the beginning of the Iran war to nearly $45 billion, bankers said, Reuters reported.

According to calculations made by four bankers, based on preliminary data for the first part of the week and their estimates for the rest of the week, the central bank's balance sheet will show $18-21 billion in foreign exchange sales.

Bankers said that although $8 billion of the total $20 billion was made before a public holiday last week, this figure will be reflected in the balance sheet on the first day of this week.

The central bank sold $26 billion in foreign exchange in the first three weeks of the war, using its gold reserves as well, resulting in a $35 billion decrease in its net reserves.


Mawani Adds Marsa Ocean Shipping's RSX Service to Jeddah Islamic Port

Mawani Adds Marsa Ocean Shipping's RSX Service to Jeddah Islamic Port
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Mawani Adds Marsa Ocean Shipping's RSX Service to Jeddah Islamic Port

Mawani Adds Marsa Ocean Shipping's RSX Service to Jeddah Islamic Port

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has announced the addition of the RSX service by Marsa Ocean Shipping to Jeddah Islamic Port, featuring a capacity of up to 372 TEUs and connecting Jeddah with the regional ports of Aden, Hodeidah, and Djibouti, SPA reported.

This expansion aligns with the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, aiming to enhance the Kingdom’s operational efficiency and its ranking in global performance indicators.

As a primary gateway, Jeddah Islamic Port utilizes its 62 multipurpose berths and specialized terminals to support a total capacity of 130 million tons, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s position as a global logistics hub connecting three continents.


China Says Hopes to Boost Trade Cooperation with US

 A street cleaner walks by food delivery riders gather outside restaurants waiting for their online orders, in Beijing, China, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP)
A street cleaner walks by food delivery riders gather outside restaurants waiting for their online orders, in Beijing, China, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP)
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China Says Hopes to Boost Trade Cooperation with US

 A street cleaner walks by food delivery riders gather outside restaurants waiting for their online orders, in Beijing, China, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP)
A street cleaner walks by food delivery riders gather outside restaurants waiting for their online orders, in Beijing, China, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP)

China wishes to strengthen economic cooperation with the United States to avoid "vicious competition", commerce minister Wang Wentao told US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, according to a readout released on Friday.

The two met on Thursday on the sidelines of a World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial conference in Cameroon's capital, less than two months ahead of US President Donald Trump's planned visit to Beijing.

"China is willing to strengthen multilateral and regional economic and trade cooperation with the United States," Wang told Greer, according to a statement by the Beijing's Ministry of Commerce.

The two powers must "properly handle the relationship between competition and cooperation" and "avoid vicious competition," he said.

The world's two largest economies were locked in a bitter trade battle last year before agreeing to a truce in October.

High-level talks in Paris this month between US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng also helped to ease tensions.

Nevertheless, issues including US tariffs, a trade balance in China's favor, and US restrictions on exports of advanced technologies continue to threaten relations.

Wang expressed "grave concerns" on Thursday regarding recently announced US trade investigations signaling the possibility of fresh tariffs.

Washington's trade investigations target 60 economies, including China, and will look into "failures to take action on forced labor" and whether these burden or restrict US commerce.

The White House has said Trump will visit Beijing on May 14-15, with the timing postponed by several weeks as a result of the war in the Middle East.