NEW YORK, March 4 ------ Oil prices fell about 2% to a 12-week low on reports OPEC+ will proceed with a planned oil output increase in April and worries U.S. tariffs could hurt global economic growth and oil demand. Brent futures fell $1.19, or 1.6%, to settle at $71.62 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell $1.39, or 2.0%, to settle at $68.37. Those were the lowest closes for Brent since December 6 and WTI since December 9.
"Crude oil is under siege on multiple fronts and is vulnerable to the latest bearish headline or economic data," Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho, said in a report, pointing to the OPEC+ decision, U.S. manufacturing data, Ukraine peace talks and U.S. tariffs.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies like Russia, known as OPEC+, decided to proceed with a planned April oil output increase, three sources from the producer group told Reuters on Monday. OPEC+ has been cutting output by 5.85 million barrels per day (bpd), equal to about 5.7% of global supply, agreed in a series of steps since 2022 to support the market. Britain said several proposals had been made for a truce in fighting between Ukraine and Russia, after France floated a plan for a one-month pause leading to peace talks, but U.S. President Donald Trump suggested his patience was running out.
The U.S., meanwhile, is drawing up a plan to potentially give Russia sanctions relief as Trump seeks to restore ties with Moscow and stop the war in Ukraine. Russia is the third-biggest oil producer behind the U.S. and Saudi Arabia and is a member of OPEC+.
U.S. TARIFFS
On the trade front, Trump will decide on Monday what levels of tariffs the U.S. will impose early on Tuesday on Canada and Mexico amid last-minute negotiations over border security and efforts to halt the inflow of fentanyl opioids. Trump has vowed to impose 25% tariffs on all imports from Canada and Mexico, with 10% on Canadian energy products. Canada's oilfield drilling and services sector was showing signs of slowing ahead of threatened tariffs. Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum said her country was ready for whatever decision Washington reached.
In response to U.S. tariffs, China, the second-biggest economy after the U.S., said it was preparing countermeasures to tariffs targeting U.S. agriculture. U.S. manufacturing was steady in February, but a measure of prices at the factory gate jumped to nearly a three-year high and it took longer for materials to be delivered, suggesting that tariffs on imports could soon undercut production. Analysts have said Trump's planned tariffs have also raised inflation worries at the U.S. Federal Reserve. This could lead the Fed to keep interest rates higher for longer, which could slow economic growth and energy demand.
Source: reuters.com
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