Themes We Cover

What types of data does Intratec publish?

Intratec publishes data organized around six cross-cutting themes, each addressed by one or more product lines:

These themes span across multiple industries, providing different lenses through which to analyze commodity markets and manufacturing economics.

Does Intratec provide price forecasts?

Price forecasts are available across three subscription products:

• Primary Commodity Prices -- Rolling 6-month forward price forecasts for selected commodities. Available on Pro, Advanced, and Ultimate plans (not included in Starter).
• Energy Prices & Markets -- Short-term price forecasts for selected energy price assessments. Available on Pro, Advanced, and Ultimate plans.
• Industry Economics & Competitiveness -- 6-month forecasts on two reference datasets (Plant Construction Cost Indexes and Industrial Utility Costs). Available on Advanced and Ultimate plans.

Forecasts are generated using machine-learning algorithms and are labeled with a "Forecast (F)" data status to distinguish them from final and preliminary values.

Can I find production cost data at Intratec?

Commodity Production Costs is a dedicated product line offering a library of 850+ reports examining the capital and operating costs of commodity manufacturing processes. Each report provides a comprehensive study of a specific production process, covering:

• Capital costs (CAPEX) -- Total plant capital cost, owner's cost, working capital, and additional capital. Detailed breakdowns (ISBL, OSBL, contingency) available in the Detailed and Premium editions.
• Operating costs (OPEX) -- Raw materials costs, utility costs, co-product credits, fixed costs, depreciation, and return on capital employed. Detailed breakdowns in Detailed and Premium editions.
• Process descriptions -- Technical description, schematic diagrams, block flow diagrams, and (in Premium) process flow diagrams with equipment lists.

Reports cover 250+ commodities across 10 industries and are purchased individually starting at $799 per report.

Does Intratec cover energy market data?

Energy Prices & Markets is a dedicated subscription product providing monthly reports on energy commodity prices and market fundamentals. The product covers 12 energy commodities -- Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Coal, LPG, Naphtha, Gasoline, Kerosene, Diesel, Fuel Oil, Electricity, Ethanol, and Biodiesel -- across 33 strategic countries.

Beyond pricing, the Advanced and Ultimate plans include market outlook data (exports, imports, trade balance, production, demand), freight and insurance costs, electricity generation by source, and global price comparisons across countries.

Are market supply and demand data included alongside prices?

Supply and demand data are included in Energy Prices & Markets, but only on Advanced and Ultimate plans. The Market Outlook section covers exports, imports, trade balance, trade partners, production, demand, energy balance, energy self-sufficiency, and trade dependencies — all on a country-by-country basis across 33 countries.

The Starter and Pro plans for Energy Prices & Markets include current and historical prices and price forecasts, but do not include Market Outlook data.

Primary Commodity Prices and Industry Economics & Competitiveness do not include supply and demand data — those products focus on market prices and manufacturing competitiveness, respectively.

What is the difference between prices and production costs?

Prices and production costs address different aspects of commodity economics:

• Prices reflect what buyers pay for a commodity in the market. Primary Commodity Prices tracks transaction prices, spot prices, and contract prices based on actual trade data. These serve as benchmarks for procurement, sales, and commercial strategy.

• Production costs represent what it costs to manufacture a commodity. Commodity Production Costs reports break down capital expenditures (CAPEX) for building a plant and operating expenditures (OPEX) for running it, including raw materials, utilities, and labor.

In practice, the market price of a commodity and its production cost are related but distinct. A buyer uses price data to evaluate what they pay; a producer or investor uses cost data to evaluate whether manufacturing is economically viable at current market prices.

Does Intratec publish data on manufacturing competitiveness?

Industry Economics & Competitiveness is a subscription product focused on country-level manufacturing competitiveness. It delivers monthly country reports ranking 33 countries across 7 industrial sectors, with four reference datasets included on Advanced and Ultimate plans:

• Plant Construction Cost Indexes -- Monthly index per country (Jan 2000 = 100) tracking how plant construction costs evolve over time. Includes a 6-month forecast.
• Plant Location Factors -- Multipliers that translate plant construction costs from each of the 32 peer countries into the report country's terms.
• Labor Costs & Productivity Factors -- Monthly workforce cost and productivity benchmarks across manufacturing and construction roles, plus plant operator and supervisor wages.
• Industrial Utility Costs -- Monthly prices for 10 industrial utilities (steam, chilled water, cooling water, compressed air, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, demineralized water, process water), with a 6-month forecast on selected series.

This data supports investment screening, location analysis, and capital budgeting for companies evaluating where to build or expand manufacturing operations.

How far back does Intratec's historical data go?

Historical data depth varies by product and subscription plan:

Commodity Production Costs reports use the latest available economic data at the time of delivery and do not offer a time-series history -- each report is a snapshot of current costs.