National Average Price for Regular Unleaded Current: $3.587; Month Ago: $3.581; Year Ago: $4.440. National Average Price for Diesel Current: $3.873; Month Ago: $3.897; Year Ago: $5.476.

Last week, the International Longshoremen’s Association provided a legally-required 60-day strike notice ahead of the expiration of the East Coast dockworkers’ contract at the end of September. More than 40,000 port workers are pressing for strike action against the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) on October 1 if their demands are not met. A strike by East Coast dockworkers would have a colossal impact not only on the profits of the major maritime shipping companies, but, most significantly, on the entire global capitalist economy. The contract covers 36 ports on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States, including the port of New York and New Jersey, the second biggest in the country. The Atlantic and Gulf ports handle over 100 million tons of cargo every year from Europe, South America and Asia.

Crude oil prices were mixed in Asia on Monday as the market turned cautious ahead of a key OPEC meeting near the end of the week. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures dipped 0.42% to $58.70 a barrel. ICE Brent crude futures, the benchmark for oil prices outside the U.S., rose 0.47% to $63.77 a barrel. This week, market participants will focus on the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries highly-anticipated meeting on Thursday to see whether major producers plan to extend their current production-cut agreement. Click Read More below for additional information.