IIR's February 10 Market Scorecard Brings You Breaking Geopolitical News

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Stay current with the latest geopolitical events, and more importantly, instantly connect to how these events may impact you and your business strategies.

Event	MarCon*	IIR Comment	Outlet	IIR News
Investors return to new-look Middle East, but Trump causes some concern		A historic shake-up of the Middle East is starting to draw international investors, warming to the prospects of relative peace and economic recovery after so much turmoil. President Donald Trump's proposal that the U.S. take over Gaza may have thrown a curveball into the mix, but the fragile ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, Bashar al-Assad's ouster from Syria, a weakened Iran and a new government in Lebanon have fed hopes of a reset.	Reuters	Venture Global LNG's CP2 Project, Enel North America: Your Daily Energy News
Trump says he's spoken with Putin as Russia's war in Ukraine approaches third anniversary		President Donald Trump announced in an interview published Saturday that he has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said in the interview he "better not say" how many times he had spoken with Putin but touted a "good relationship" with his Russian counterpart. On Friday, the president told reporters that he would "probably" meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this upcoming week and hinted that he planned to also talk with Putin. Zelensky is expected to lead Ukraine's delegation at the Munich Security Conference, which Vice President JD Vance and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg are also scheduled to attend, but not Trump.	CNN	U.S. Energy Department Measure Opposes Net-Zero
Oil prices advance despite concern over more US tariffs		Oil prices rebounded on Monday despite lingering fears over a potential global trade war after U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariff plans, this time targeting steel and aluminium. Monday's gains could be down to bargain hunting after the market posted a third consecutive weekly decline last week, pressured by the concerns over global trade.	Reuters	Canadian Energy Looks Outside North America
European stocks shrug off U.S. tariff threat Asia-Pacific markets mixed in choppy trade as tariff threats keep investors on edge Dollar gains, Gold rally extended on Trump tariff threats, euro near 2-year low		European stock markets started the week on a positive note, appearing to shrug off President Donald Trump's latest tariff announcement. U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters Sunday that he was planning to announce a blanket 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports on Monday. Last Friday, the major U.S. stock indexes fell after Trump said he was planning reciprocal tariffs on trading partners. Asia-Pacific markets were mixed Monday as escalating trade tensions kept investors on edge. Consumer inflation in China rose to a five-month high in January on the back of higher spending in the lead up to the Lunar New Year, data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Sunday revealed.	CNBC	Bechtel Plays Role in Some of U.S.' Biggest Projects
Natural Gas News: Storage Deficit Grows-Will Demand Be Strong Enough to Lift Prices?		Natural gas futures rose 8.71% but remain in consolidation-will colder weather finally spark a breakout..For heating demand remains weak as mild temperatures persist-will this colder trend be enough to fuel a price rally? China's 15% LNG tariff raises concerns over U.S. exports-can demand from Europe and Asia offset potential losses? Resistance at $3.505 is still unbroken-will bulls finally push higher, or is a retest of $2.932 support on the horizon?	FX Empire	ConocoPhillips Expects Higher Production in 2025
Chinese tariffs to take effect, ratcheting up trade war with U.S.		China's retaliatory tariffs on goods - including LNG, coal and agricultural equipment - from the United States are due to come into effect Monday, escalating economic tensions between Beijing and Washington and dampening hopes that the two countries could strike a deal to avoid a damaging trade war. China's tariffs cover a total of $14 billion worth of U.S. imports, compared to the $525 billion in Chinese goods hit by Trump tariffs, according to a Goldman Sachs estimation.	Washington Post	ArcelorMittal Advances Alabama Steel-Manufacturing Projects
Baltic States Unplug From Russia and Join EU Grid		EU member states Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are now fully independent from the Russian and Belarussian electricity systems, after successfully integrating into the EU internal energy market by joining the European continental network via Poland, the European Commission said. The security of power links in the Baltic Sea has come under intense scrutiny over the past weeks, as several undersea power and data cables have gone offline or have been severed by ships since December. Some of the incidents have raised suspicions of sabotage from vessels belonging to Russia's shadow fleet of tankers.	OilPrice	Executive Orders Stoke Confusion for U.S. Renewables
Week 02/03/25 - 02/10/25		The Markets are doing a Texas Two-step with the threat of another U.S.-China Trade War looming on the horizon. The EuroZone shrugs and steps cautiously into a twirl to keep eyes both on the Americas and APAC; while Asian markets stumble but seemingly catch themselves as the tense music plays on. Meanwhile, investors are cautiously exploring opportunities in the Middle East in this time of a fragile peace, which could lead to the portent of economic recovery. And, speaking of peace - or at the least a ceasefire - talks could be heating up pertaining to the Russia-Ukraine war as parties attend the Munich Security Conference. For the moment, Mr. O&G market is cautiously bullish - as the band plays on - in these tumultuous and volatile times...
*MarCon (Market Condition 1-5, with 5 being the highest impact) indicates directional bias or price effect for the relevant commodity (Oil, Natural Gas, Chemicals, etc.) and is graded by our team of experts here at IIR.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).