Oil prices stabilized on Thursday (February 12th), as the market reassigned a risk premium to US-Iran tensions despite US inventory data showing swelling domestic supplies. This movement confirms one thing: geopolitical headlines are still more "noise" than signals of a short-term surplus. As of 3:50 PM WIB, Brent was at $69.60/barrel (+0.29%) and WTI was at $64.83/barrel (+0.31%). The gains were moderate, but enough to keep prices near the psychological $70 level for Brent. From a geopolitical perspective, market focus is on the potential for escalation in the Middle East. Recent reports...
President Donald Trump said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told him he did not want to be nominated to replace Jerome Powell as the next chair of the Federal Reserve. "I asked him just last night, is this something you want? Nope, I want to stay where I am," Trump said Tuesday in an interview with CNBC. "He's doing a great job, and he wants to do what he's doing, so I just take him off. He does not want it," Trump continued. "He likes being Treasury secretary. He's doing a really good job." Trump said he was considering four candidates — including former...
Russia accused the United States on Tuesday of exerting illegal trade pressure on India after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened again to raise tariffs on India over its purchases of Russian oil. "We hear many statements that are in fact threats, attempts to force countries to cut trade relations with Russia. We do not consider such statements to be legal," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "We believe that sovereign countries should have and do have the right to choose their own trading partners, partners for trade and economic cooperation, and to choose for themselves...
The 15% tariff that European Union goods face when entering the United States is all-inclusive, unlike the deals some other countries have struck with Washington, a senior EU official said on Tuesday. The tariff framework will apply broadly to EU exports, except for steel and aluminium, the official said. The 15% rate will also apply to cars and car parts, with no quotas or limits, he added. "What we have obtained in our deal is the best available treatment," the EU official told reporters, while adding that the 27-nation bloc was not celebrating the 15% rate, but that it considered it was...
U.S. President Donald Trump again threatened on Monday to raise tariffs on goods from India over its Russian oil purchases, while New Delhi called his attack "unjustified" and vowed to protect its economic interests, deepening the trade rift between the two countries. In a social media post, Trump wrote, "India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits. They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine." "Because of this, I will be substantially raising...
US President Donald Trump renewed his threat on Monday to raise tariffs on Indian goods over its purchase of Russian oil. Meanwhile, New Delhi called Trump's attack "unprovoked" and vowed to protect its economic interests, deepening a trade rift between the two countries. In a social media post, Trump wrote, "Not only does India buy large quantities of Russian oil, but they also sell most of that purchased oil on the open market for huge profits. They don't care how many people in Ukraine are killed by the Russian war machine." "Therefore, I will substantially increase the tariffs India...
India defended its oil imports from Russia on Monday, calling U.S. and European Union criticism "unjustified and unreasonable" following U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to raise tariffs on the country. "Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement. Jaiswal explained that India began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict. He noted that the U.S. had "actively encouraged...
German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil stated on Monday that the European Union's trade deal with the United States requires significant clarification, adding that the bloc had shown weakness during negotiations. Speaking in Washington before meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Klingbeil emphasized the need for a rapid resolution to the ongoing trade conflict between the European Union and the United States. "There is a lot to clarify about the European Union's trade deal with the United States," Klingbeil said during his Washington visit. The German finance minister also...
The European Union will suspend its two packages of countermeasures to U.S. tariffs for six months following a deal with U.S. President Donald Trump, a Commission spokesperson said on Monday. The EU-U.S. agreement leaves many questions open, including tariff rates on spirits, and Trump's executive order last week setting tariffs on most EU goods at 15% did not include carve-outs such as for cars and car parts. EU officials have said they expect more executive orders to follow soon. "The EU continues to work with the U.S. to finalise a Joint Statement, as agreed on 27 July," the...
Gold rises in the early Asian trade. There's a broad commodities uptrend, driven by macro uncertainty, a weaker dollar, and persistent demand for "hard" assets, says Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst...
Oil extended declines after OPEC+ agreed to a bigger-than-expected production increase next month, raising concerns about oversupply just as US tariffs fan fears about the demand outlook.
Brent...
The Japanese Yen (JPY) weakened against its US counterpart and reversed part of Friday's recovery from the lowest level since July 23 following Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda's remarks....