NEW YORK: Oil prices edged up 1% to a seven-week high on Tuesday on hopes trade talks between the US and China – the world’s two biggest economies – will result in a deal that could support global economic growth and boost oil demand.
Brent crude futures rose 81 cents, or 1.2%, to $67.85 a barrel by 11:22 a.m. EDT (1522 GMT), while US West Texas Intermediate crude rose 83 cents, or 1.3%, to $66.12.
Those gains pushed both crude benchmarks into technically overbought territory for the first time since early April and put Brent on track for its highest close since April 17 and WTI on track for its highest close since April 3.
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said trade talks with China were going well as the two sides met for a second day in London, seeking a breakthrough on export controls that have threatened a fresh rupture between the superpowers. “There’s a sense of optimism around these trade talks; the market is waiting to see what this will produce, and that is supporting prices,” said Harry Tchilinguirian, group head of research at Onyx Capital. On the supply side, allocations to Chinese refiners showed that Saudi Arabia’s state oil company Saudi Aramco will ship about 47 million barrels of oil to China in July, 1 million barrels less than June’s allotted volume, Reuters reported.
The Saudi allocations could be an early sign that the unwinding of OPEC+ production cuts might not result in much additional supply, Tchilinguirian said. OPEC+, which pumps about half of the world’s oil and includes the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies like Russia, put forward plans for an output increase of 411,000 barrels per day (bpd) for July as it looks to unwind production cuts for a fourth straight month.
A Reuters survey found that OPEC’s May increase to oil output was limited, with Iraq, the second biggest OPEC producer behind Saudi Arabia, pumping below target to compensate for earlier overproduction, and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates making smaller increases than agreed.
Elsewhere, Iran said it would soon make a counter-proposal for a nuclear deal in response to a US offer that Tehran deems “unacceptable”, while US President Donald Trump made clear that the two sides remained at odds over whether Tehran would be allowed to continue enriching uranium on Iranian soil. Iran is the third-largest OPEC producer and any easing of US sanctions on Tehran should allow Iran to export more oil, which should reduce crude prices.
