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Business Recorder
12 hours ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Oil prices fall as tariff deadline looms
LONDON: Oil prices declined for a third consecutive session on Tuesday on concerns the brewing trade war between major crude consumers the United States and the European Union will curb fuel demand growth by reducing economic activity. Brent crude futures were down 53 cents, or 0.8%, to $68.68 a barrel at 1219 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $66.57 a barrel, down 63 cents, or 0.9%. The August WTI contract expires on Tuesday and the more active September contract was down 52 cents, or 0.8%, to $65.43 a barrel. 'Oil prices fell for a third straight session … as urgency builds in trade negotiations between the U.S. and its partners,' Soojin Kim, an analyst at bank MUFG, said in a note. The Trump administration has set an August 1 deadline for countries to secure trade deals or face steep tariffs. The EU is exploring a broader set of possible counter-measures against the United States as prospects for an acceptable trade agreement with Washington fade, according to EU diplomats. The U.S. has threatened to impose a 30% tariff on EU imports if a deal is not reached. A weaker dollar has limited some losses for crude as buyers using other currencies are paying relatively less. Prices have slipped 'as trade war concerns offset the support by a softer (U.S. dollar),' IG market analyst Tony Sycamore wrote in a note. Stronger distillate profit margins due to low inventories are also supporting crude prices. 'The move lower might have seen more momentum if it were not for the continued performance in distillates which continues to be aided by low stocks,' PVM Oil analyst John Evans said in a note. Meanwhile, a Reuters poll of analysts showed U.S. crude oil inventories likely fell by about 600,000 barrels in the week to July 18.
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Oil prices fall as tariff deadline looms
Oil prices declined for a third consecutive session on Tuesday on concerns the brewing trade war between major crude consumers the United States and the European Union will curb fuel demand growth by reducing economic activity . Brent crude futures were down 49 cents, or 0.7 per cent, to $68.72 a barrel at 0915 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude was at $66.60 a barrel, down 60 cents, or 0.9 per cent. The August WTI contract expires on Tuesday and the more active September contract was down 47 cents, or 0.7 per cent, to $65.48 a barrel. "Oil prices fell for a third straight session ... as urgency builds in trade negotiations between the US and its partners," Soojin Kim, an analyst at bank MUFG, said in a note. The Trump administration has set an August 1 deadline for countries to secure trade deals or face steep tariffs. The EU is exploring a broader set of possible counter-measures against the United States as prospects for an acceptable trade agreement with Washington fade, according to EU diplomats. The US has threatened to impose a 30 per cent tariff on EU imports if a deal is not reached. A weaker dollar has limited some losses for crude as buyers using other currencies are paying relatively less. Prices have slipped "as trade war concerns offset the support by a softer (US dollar)," IG market analyst Tony Sycamore wrote in a note. Stronger distillate profit margins due to low inventories are also supporting crude prices. "The move lower might have seen more momentum if it were not for the continued performance in distillates which continues to be aided by low stocks," PVM Oil analyst John Evans said in a note. Meanwhile, a Reuters poll of analysts showed U.S. crude oil inventories likely fell by about 600,000 barrels in the week to July 18.
Reuters
16 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
Oil prices fall as tariff deadline looms
LONDON, July 22 (Reuters) - Oil prices declined for a third consecutive session on Tuesday on concerns the brewing trade war between major crude consumers the United States and the European Union will curb fuel demand growth by reducing economic activity. Brent crude futures were down 49 cents, or 0.7%, to $68.72 a barrel at 0915 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $66.60 a barrel, down 60 cents, or 0.9%. The August WTI contract expires on Tuesday and the more active September contract was down 47 cents, or 0.7%, to $65.48 a barrel. "Oil prices fell for a third straight session ... as urgency builds in trade negotiations between the U.S. and its partners," Soojin Kim, an analyst at bank MUFG, said in a note. The Trump administration has set an August 1 deadline for countries to secure trade deals or face steep tariffs. The EU is exploring a broader set of possible counter-measures against the United States as prospects for an acceptable trade agreement with Washington fade, according to EU diplomats. The U.S. has threatened to impose a 30% tariff on EU imports if a deal is not reached. A weaker dollar has limited some losses for crude as buyers using other currencies are paying relatively less. Prices have slipped "as trade war concerns offset the support by a softer (U.S. dollar)," IG market analyst Tony Sycamore wrote in a note. Stronger distillate profit margins due to low inventories are also supporting crude prices. "The move lower might have seen more momentum if it were not for the continued performance in distillates which continues to be aided by low stocks," PVM Oil analyst John Evans said in a note. Meanwhile, a Reuters poll of analysts showed U.S. crude oil inventories likely fell by about 600,000 barrels in the week to July 18.
Business Recorder
20 hours ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Dollar indecisive as investors await more tariff clarity
SINGAPORE: The dollar traded in a tight range on Tuesday after a brief fall at the start of the week, as investors watched out for any progress on trade talks ahead of an August 1 deadline for countries to strike deals with the U.S. or face steep tariffs. The yen mostly held to gains from the previous session following results from a weekend upper house election in Japan that proved no worse than what had already been priced in, as focus now turns to how quickly Tokyo can strike a trade deal with Washington and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's future at the helm. The Japanese currency was last a touch weaker at 147.65 in early Asia trade, after rising 1% on Monday in the wake of the election outcome. The bruising defeat suffered by Ishiba and his ruling coalition also drew just a modest response in the broader Japanese market, which returned from a holiday in the previous session. 'The initial relief for the yen that the ruling coalition did not lose even more seats and that Prime Minister Ishiba plans to hang on to power is likely to prove short-lived,' said MUFG senior currency analyst Lee Hardman. 'The pick-up in political uncertainty in Japan could complicate reaching a timely trade deal with the U.S., posing downside risks for Japan's economy and the yen.' With just slightly over a week to go before an August 1 deadline on tariffs, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday that the administration is more concerned with the quality of trade agreements than their timing. Asked whether the deadline could be extended for countries engaged in productive talks with Washington, Bessent said President Donald Trump would make that decision. Uncertainty over the eventual state of tariffs globally has been a huge overhang for the foreign exchange market, leaving currencies trading in a tight range for the most part, even as stocks on Wall Street have scaled fresh highs. 'Nothing that happens on August 1 is necessarily permanent, so long as the U.S. administration remains willing to talk, as was indicated in Trump's letters from two weeks ago,' said Thierry Wizman, global FX and rates strategist at Macquarie Group. The dollar was last steady after slipping in the previous session due in part to the yen's rise and a dip in U.S. Treasury yields, leaving sterling trading 0.03% lower at $1.3488. The euro fell 0.12% to $1.1684, with focus also on a rate decision by the European Central Bank later this week, where expectations are for policymakers to stand pat on rates. The European Union is exploring a broader set of possible counter measures against the United States as prospects for an acceptable trade agreement with Washington fade, according to EU diplomats. Against a basket of currencies, the dollar rose slightly to 97.94, after having fallen 0.6% on Monday. Also weighing on investors' minds has been worries about the Federal Reserve's independence, given Trump has railed repeatedly against Chair Jerome Powell and urged him to resign because of the central bank's reluctance to cut interest rates. 'Our base case remains that solid U.S. data and a tariff driven rebound in inflation will keep the FOMC on hold into 2026, and that the resulting shift in interest rate differentials will drive a continued rebound in the dollar in the next few months,' said Jonas Goltermann, deputy chief markets economist at Capital Economics. 'But that view is clearly at the mercy of the White House's whims.' Elsewhere, the Australian dollar eased 0.05% to $0.6522, while the New Zealand dollar fell 0.14% to $0.5960.
CNBC
21 hours ago
- Business
- CNBC
Dollar indecisive as investors await more tariff clarity
The dollar traded in a tight range on Tuesday after a brief fall at the start of the week, as investors watched out for any progress on trade talks ahead of an August 1 deadline for countries to strike deals with the U.S. or face steep tariffs. The yen mostly held to gains from the previous session following results from a weekend upper house election in Japan that proved no worse than what had already been priced in, as focus now turns to how quickly Tokyo can strike a trade deal with Washington and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's future at the helm. The Japanese currency was last a touch weaker at 147.65 in early Asia trade, after rising 1% on Monday in the wake of the election outcome. The bruising defeat suffered by Ishiba and his ruling coalition also drew just a modest response in the broader Japanese market, which returned from a holiday in the previous session. "The initial relief for the yen that the ruling coalition did not lose even more seats and that Prime Minister Ishiba plans to hang on to power is likely to prove short-lived," said MUFG senior currency analyst Lee Hardman. "The pick-up in political uncertainty in Japan could complicate reaching a timely trade deal with the U.S., posing downside risks for Japan's economy and the yen." With just slightly over a week to go before an August 1 deadline on tariffs, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday that the administration is more concerned with the quality of trade agreements than their timing. Asked whether the deadline could be extended for countries engaged in productive talks with Washington, Bessent said President Donald Trump would make that decision. Uncertainty over the eventual state of tariffs globally has been a huge overhang for the foreign exchange market, leaving currencies trading in a tight range for the most part, even as stocks on Wall Street have scaled fresh highs. "Nothing that happens on August 1 is necessarily permanent, so long as the U.S. administration remains willing to talk, as was indicated in Trump's letters from two weeks ago," said Thierry Wizman, global FX and rates strategist at Macquarie Group. The dollar was last steady after slipping in the previous session due in part to the yen's rise and a dip in U.S. Treasury yields, leaving sterling trading 0.03% lower at $1.3488. The euro fell 0.12% to $1.1684, with focus also on a rate decision by the European Central Bank later this week, where expectations are for policymakers to stand pat on rates. The European Union is exploring a broader set of possible counter measures against the United States as prospects for an acceptable trade agreement with Washington fade, according to EU diplomats. Against a basket of currencies, the dollar rose slightly to 97.94, after having fallen 0.6% on Monday. Also weighing on investors' minds has been worries about the Federal Reserve's independence, given Trump has railed repeatedly against Chair Jerome Powell and urged him to resign because of the central bank's reluctance to cut interest rates. "Our base case remains that solid U.S. data and a tariff driven rebound in inflation will keep the FOMC on hold into 2026, and that the resulting shift in interest rate differentials will drive a continued rebound in the dollar in the next few months," said Jonas Goltermann, deputy chief markets economist at Capital Economics. "But that view is clearly at the mercy of the White House's whims." Elsewhere, the Australian dollar eased 0.05% to $0.6522, while the New Zealand dollar fell 0.14% to $0.5960.
