I’ll let the news speak for itself this week, but do want to flag a few upcoming AFPM webinars and events that you might be interested in:

• April 15 - FCC Process Safety Regional Workshop - El Segundo, CA
• April 16 - OPEX Webinar - HOP Integration: Tools You Can Use for Operational Learning - Online
• April 17 - OPEX Webinar - FCC Optimization 101: Successful Implementation of Advanced Process Control for FCC - Online
• May 5-7 - 2025 AFPM Labor Relations/Human Resources Conference - San Antonio, TX
• May 8-9 -  2025 AFPM Security Conference - San Antonio, TX
• May 13-15 - 2025 AFPM National Occupational & Process Safety Conference & Exhibition - Austin, TX
• May 21 - OPEX Webinar: Get the Right Tools to Walk the Line - Online

Happy Monday!

-Charlie and the AFPM EMPOWER team

Have ideas for content, comments, or questions? You can reach me at charlie@afpm.org.
 

What we’re reading this week

Decoding US tariffs and their impact on global energy markets - Energy Connects
The oil market really doesn’t like tariffs. As US President Donald Trump unveiled his levies last week, Brent crude plunged almost $2 per barrel over the course of an hour, and have fallen further since then. When the US last had tariffs this high, in 1930, US producers couldn’t give their oil away, and the Texas National Guard had to be ordered in to shut down over-production.

Oil imports exempted from Trump’s sweeping tariffs - Reuters
The exemption will come as a relief to the U.S. oil industry, which had expressed concerns that new levies could disrupt flows and raise costs on everything from Canadian crude oil serving Midwest refineries to European cargoes of gasoline and diesel to the eastern seaboard.

Grassley, Thune, Colleagues Urge Trump to Authorize Nationwide, Year-Round Sale of E15 - Senate.gov
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and a bipartisan group of Senate colleagues in urging President Trump to permit the nationwide sale of E15 fuel through the 2025 summer driving season and beyond.

Price hikes, layoffs and import fees: How car giants are reacting to Trump’s tariffs - CNBC
Auto giants have responded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs by announcing plans to raise prices, impose import fees, pause production and even lay off staff.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel Faces Funding Challenge - OilPrice.com
The aviation industry is increasingly turning to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to meet its decarbonization targets, but significant investment and production scaling are required.