Global Energy Crisis New Shock La Presse — Following a new escalation of tensions in the Middle East, oil prices are rising again, while the dollar is strengthening and gold is falling. In fact, Brent crude has fluctuated around $104 per barrel, in a market still shaken by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Before the conflict broke out, prices hovered around $70, a rise of nearly 50% in just a few weeks. At the heart of the concerns is still the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic passage through which about one-fifth of the world's oil passes. The partial closure of this maritime route for several weeks has continued to disrupt international energy flows and maintain strong pressure on oil markets. In this context, investors anticipate a more persistent inflation at the global level. The rise in oil prices risks increasing transportation, industry, and logistics costs, with direct repercussions on consumer prices. This scenario is pushing markets to gradually integrate the hypothesis of higher interest rates for a longer period. Direct consequence: gold has lost its appeal. At the spot price, it has fallen by $4,665 per ounce.
The US dollar is benefiting fully from the climate of uncertainty. Investors are fleeing to the greenback, supported by the idea that the United States remains relatively protected from energy shocks due to its significant domestic oil production.
Circular Economy in Africa "Stellantis" Launches its First Center "Stellantis" has just announced the opening of its Circular Economy Disassembly Center in Casablanca, Morocco.
This structure, the first of its kind for the group in Morocco and the entire Middle East and Africa region, is the third site of this scale for the "Sustai Nera" entity worldwide.
Operating within the framework of the "Sustai Nera" unit, the global division of "Stellantis" dedicated to the circular economy prioritizes the disassembly of vehicles and the recovery of components suitable for reuse. "Reuse" is a fundamental pillar of the group's strategy, illustrating its ambition to extend the lifespan of products while optimizing the use of resources throughout the entire automotive value chain.
The Casablanca Circular Economy Disassembly Center marks an important step in "Stellantis'" sustainability roadmap in Morocco. It reinforces the country's key role in the regional ecosystem of the Group, which integrates manufacturing, engineering, mobility solutions, and sustainable services, and positions the Center as a reference for accelerating the development of a compliant and evolving vehicle chain of value (VHU).
This Center will play a key role in the sustainable after-sales ecosystem of "Stellantis" in Morocco, supporting the recovery and reuse of high-value-added components of origin.
With an annual disassembly capacity of up to 10,000 vehicles, the Center will enable the systematic recovery of fully functional reusable components from end-of-life vehicles, sourced from insurance partners, auctions, and VHU circuits.
Conflict in the Middle East A "Favorable" Scenario The continuation of disruptions related to the conflict in the Middle East risks leading to a slowdown in global growth, combined with increased inflationary tensions, warned the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently.
Julie Kozack, head of the institution's communication department, estimated that the global economy was "heading towards a unfavorable scenario," given the persistence of geopolitical uncertainties and their repercussions on markets.
"The inflation expectations remain reasonably well anchored, and financial conditions remain accommodative," she added.
In its latest projections published last month, the IMF anticipated a global growth of 3.1% for the current year, due in part to the effects of the conflict on supply chains and the partial blockage of energy flows from the Gulf region.
The Bretton Woods institution warned, however, that the global economy could shift to an even more unfavorable scenario if the conflict persists, with amplified effects on energy prices and international trade stability.
