Oil prices rallied on Tuesday following reports that the U.S has decided to delay the next round of tariffs that were to be imposed on Chinese goods.
The delay gives hope to a skittish market that the trade war really won’t go on forever.
For WTI prices climbed 4.30 per cent to trade at $57.29. Brent Crude traded up even more at 4.70 per cent, at $61.32—resuming its over $60 per barrel that it had fallen below during the first week of this month as the trade war stoked fears of souring oil demand growth.
This is the fourth straight day of gains for the oil prices—the previous gain helped along by Saudi Arabia’s chat with other Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) producers about what additional steps the group could take to stanch the price bleed that sought to undermine not only Saudi Arabia’s budget which relies heavily on oil, but its much-anticipated public listing of its crown jewel, Saudi Aramco.
Aramco’s valuation, which The Kingdom feels is $2 trillion, is dependent on oil prices. Analysts claim that this $2 trillion valuation is but a pipe dream, and that the real value of Aramco is at most $1.5 trillion.
In addition to the tariff delay, which will now go into force on December 15, the U.S. will also be taking some of the items on that tariff list off completely, according to its newest policy document published on the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative website. While the list hasn’t been made public, it will include items that will be removed “based on health, safety, national security, and other factors”.
The items that will be delayed until December include cellphones, laptops, toys, computer monitors, and some footwear and clothing items, according to the USTR website.
Oil will face another challenge this afternoon when the API estimates about crude oil inventory moves will be released.