Journal
Reading energy grades into Thai ports without over-weighting the screen
Paper prices travel faster than vessels. Importers need a method for joining screen moves to arrival windows.
Energy importers into Thailand live with a split reality: the screen can reprice overnight while the vessel is already steaming. A useful price trend assessment must say which part of the move still matters for the arrival you can actually take.
Map the decision to a sailing
If you cannot change the vessel, the relevant question is not “where does the front month go next week?” but “does the expected landed cost at arrival still fit the book we planned?” That reframing changes which drivers deserve ink.
Treat freight as a character, not a footnote
Freight and demurrage can reverse a pure price preference. When Datavector Base writes an import timing review, we force freight into the same paragraph as the commodity case so operations and trading argue together.
Keep currency visible
Baht moves against the pricing currency can look like commodity strength or weakness when the barrel itself has barely moved. Spell that out early so sponsors do not celebrate the wrong victory.