Gas Market - Week 6

 The demand for natural gas has increased throughout the world.  The production of natural gas is set to increase to double what it was last year at 300 million tons to 600 million tons.  Currently, Russia is the largest natural gas supplier to Europe.  They charge high prices so Europe is looking to find another trading partner, which could be the United States since we are putting out record amounts of natural gas that we have found inside shale reserves.  This means that the price of natural gas should drop due to the competing prices between Russia and the United States.  This will mean that consumers, like my family, will save massive amounts of money.

Works Cited

Reuters. "U.S. Set to Challenge Russia on European Gas Market." The Moscow Times. The Moscow Times, 24 Feb. 2014. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.

Oil Exports - Week 5

China's oil demand rose 1.6% from last year which is the slowest it has ever risen in over 20 years.  Russia hasn't been able to sell as much oil to them, which China and the rest of Asia is who their primary consumers are.  They are dropping the prices for a gallon of crude oil in order to be able to sell more and make up for the money they lost last year.  This means that oil prices all over the world will drop if even just a few dollars or cents allowing for more gas to be purchased at lower prices.  The gas prices in the U.S. should drop slightly allowing for cheaper travel for my family and I.  Also we will save some money to spend on other necessities or luxuries.

Works Cited

Reuters. "Russia Boosts Oil Exports to China Despite Demand Slowdown." The Moscow Times. The Moscow Times, 20 Feb. 2014. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. <http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/russia-boosts-oil-exports-to-china-despite-demand-slowdown/494916.html>.

Russia's Auto-Industry - Week 4

Domestic car production in Russia dropped 1.8% in the 2013 sales year.  Russia's largest car-making company, AvtoVAZ, dropped 15% in sales which was a drop from 537,625 cars to 456,309 cars.  Another company, Renault, had its sales rate increase from 189,852 cars to 210,099 cars.  They were able to be successful due to their car, the Duster, which is one of the most popular cars in Russia as of last year.  This means that car companies are going to be looking for ways to improve their sales rating.  This affects me because car prices are going to fluctuate and increase due to the fact that they need to make up for the cars that they were unable to sell.  Since I am almost able to drive, I will be looking for cars I may want to save up to buy.

Works Cited

Medetsky, Anatoly. "Winners and Losers in Russia's Shrinking Car Market (Video)." The Moscow Times. The Moscow Times, 10 Feb. 2014. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. <http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/winners-and-losers-in-russias-shrinking-car-market-video/494183.html>.

Corruption in Russia and the European Union - Week 3

This article discusses how there is corruption in the world but mostly focuses on corruption in the European Union and in Russia.  A report came out stating that not one person belonging to the European Union is free of corruption.  It is estimated to take $162 billion in bribes to get stuff done compared to the $300 billion in bribes it takes Russian officials to complete tasks.  It causes some more people to hate the government and the rich as they may think they got it from shady deals.  This article brings authority into question as I am unsure if the U.S. officials requires as many bribes as the European Union officials or Russian officials.  It was very surprising to see how much money is wasted for corruption in the government.

Works Cited

D'Amora, Delphine. "Report on EU Corruption Could Spur Russian Recrimination." The Moscow Times. The Moscow Times, 5 Feb. 2014. Web. 06 Feb. 2014. <http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/report-on-eu-corruption-could-spur-russian-recrimination/493896.html>.

Russian Ruble Value Decrease - Week 2

The value of ruble, the Russian form of currency, has dropped by over 3% against the dollar just this week and by over 6% just this month. Right now, it is at the all-time low when weighed against the Euro.  Many Russians want a hard currency instead of the fluctuating ruble.  This means that many Russian people will have less money to spend on goods and services that are from the rest of the world.  The drop will affect the global economy and the Russian economy.  Throughout the drop though, the U.S. dollar's value will increase, which is good for American citizens.

 

Works Cited

"It's Been a Bad Week for the Ruble." The Moscow Times. The Moscow Times, 30 Jan. 2014. Web. 31 Jan. 2014. <http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/its-been-a-bad-week-for-the-ruble/493646.html>.