Matthieu Favas

As Trump starts talks with Russia on ending war in Ukraine, European gas prices are cooling. They are now 17% down from their peak of Feb 10th. How likely is it that Europe starts piping gas from Russia again? economist.com/finance-and-ec…

Knowing how much of a commodity China has in reserve is hard, but this week I gathered clues. Startling finding: China appears to be stockpiling food, fuel and metals at a rapid pace, even though many materials remain pricey. What is it preparing for? economist.com/finance-and-ec…

Thrilled to say that I have been named Journalist of the Year by the @Wincottfound, for my coverage of Iran's sanction-busting, Russia's new economic friends and China's secret commodity stockpiles. Huge thanks to my colleagues and editors wincott.co.uk/matthieu-favas…

In the trade war between the US and China, most of the focus has been on the tariff tit for tat. But China has another weapon to hurt America: restrictions on rare-earth exports. That is a weapon it is starting to deploy. How much damage could it cause? economist.com/finance-and-ec…

Markets are sliding. Oil and gas are tanking. Other commodities are down. So this week I wrote about a niche material that's holding up better than most. Tin is the one critical metal no one's talking about economist.com/finance-and-ec…

What if America lifts sanctions on Russia but Europe does not? Access to US tech, currency and payment networks, some say, is what Russia really wants. But the old continent has its own weapons. Ignored and threatened, it may be tempted to use them economist.com/finance-and-ec…

Faced with Trump's bullying, Europe wants to avoid escalation. Its retaliatory tariffs are measured. The bloc still hopes that the worst instincts of the American president and his coterie can be moderated. But what if they can't? economist.com/briefing/2025/…

Three months after Syria’s 14-year civil war ended, and as Ramadan begins, euphoria is being replaced by anger at the continuing atrophying of the economy. There is a way to change this economist.com/briefing/2025/…

MUFG, a bank, estimates that a 25% tariff will push up the cost of a tonne of steel imported into America from $755 to over $900, negating a cost advantage that America currently enjoys over Europe. Donald Trump's metals wars will corrode the economy economist.com/finance-and-ec…

The Arctic’s first ice-free day may occur before 2030. For many this is a tragedy. But some smell a huge economic opportunity economist.com/finance-and-ec…

After ignoring Iran's clandestine oil trade for most of his tenure, Biden is finally turning the screws. The result: Iran's oil exports are down by a quarter in 3 months. Now Trump promises maximum pressure... How will Iran - and oil prices - respond? economist.com/finance-and-ec…

For the first time since 2022, it looks like Ukraine is winning the economic war against Russia. But it faces strong headwinds: the uptick of war, the downtick of domestic resources... and Donald Trump economist.com/finance-and-ec… Great to collaborate with @olliecarroll

Donald Trump wants to be the ultimate energy baron. But how much oil can he really pump? (Spoiler: much less than he says) economist.com/finance-and-ec…

Coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel. Yet it still provides a third of global energy. What would it cost to kill it? My colleagues and I crunched the numbers in this COP-special interactive piece economist.com/interactive/th…

Western sanctions against Russia have generally been feeble - with one exception: Putin's flagship gas project, known as Arctic LNG, which looks dead in the water. Will that last? That's up to Donald Trump economist.com/finance-and-ec…

In a war with Israel, Iran would need money. In this investigation, I found that the country hides a huge fortune, generated by its oil exports, in bank accounts all over the world - $53bn in US dollars alone, as at July. Here's how Iran does it economist.com/finance-and-ec…

As the world awaits Israel's response to Iran's missiles, oil markets are nervous. Could crude prices hit $100 a barrel? I take a look at the worst possible scenarios economist.com/finance-and-ec…

Europe's gas storage is nearly full. Its nuclear and hydropower plants are back online. A lot of new gas from America and Qatar is about to hit export markets. So why is the fuel more expensive than at almost any time since the 2022 panic? economist.com/finance-and-ec…

Mimosas have a simple recipe: one part champagne, one part orange juice. Soon, though, the tipple may be even less affordable—and not because sparkling wine is ever more expensive economist.com/finance-and-ec…

When commodity prices move in tandem, it is usually because real-world events jolt markets. But every once in a while the shock is caused by wonks at America’s Federal Reserve. Could the looming rate cuts propel oil, gold and copper upwards? economist.com/finance-and-ec…