Suez Canal Revenues Drop 46% in January

A ship carrying containers passes through the Suez Canal. (Reuters)
A ship carrying containers passes through the Suez Canal. (Reuters)
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Suez Canal Revenues Drop 46% in January

A ship carrying containers passes through the Suez Canal. (Reuters)
A ship carrying containers passes through the Suez Canal. (Reuters)

Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority reported that revenues for January 2024 witnessed a massive decrease of 46% compared to the same period in 2023, from $804 million to $428 million.

The Authority’s Chairman, Osama Rabie, said in televised statements that 1,362 ships crossed the Canal in January of 2024, compared to 2,155 vessels in January 2023, a 36% drop.

Rabie noted that this is the first time the Suez Canal has gone through a crisis, adding that the Authority held many meetings with shipping bodies and companies to reach a solution.

He said that the meetings witnessed consensus that the Suez Canal route is the best, shortest, and safest maritime course and that the Cape of Good Hope is an unsustainable navigation route.

Rabie pointed out that ships are being delayed between 12 and 15 days, depending on the speed of the vessel and weather conditions, as a result of taking routes alternative to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, thus disrupting global supply chains.

The official said the Suez Canal problem affects the whole world, not just Egypt.

He expected traffic through the Canal to increase rapidly after the current crisis is over to compensate for supply chains.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently warned of escalating tension in the Red Sea region and its repercussions on trade and shipping costs.

The Fund said in a report that included an update on the regional economic prospects in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) that after ships were subjected to drone attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, many major shipping companies transferred their shipments to alternative shipping routes, with potential implications for global supply chains and commodity trading, and higher insurance costs.

It warned that shipping costs could rise further if tension continues after some shipping companies shifted larger portions of their trade to longer alternative routes, which would increase fuel and operating costs.



Oil Edges Down amid Bearish Trump Tariff Outlook

A view shows disused oil pump jacks at the Airankol oil field operated by Caspiy Neft in the Atyrau Region, Kazakhstan April 2, 2025. REUTERS/Pavel Mikheyev/File Photo
A view shows disused oil pump jacks at the Airankol oil field operated by Caspiy Neft in the Atyrau Region, Kazakhstan April 2, 2025. REUTERS/Pavel Mikheyev/File Photo
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Oil Edges Down amid Bearish Trump Tariff Outlook

A view shows disused oil pump jacks at the Airankol oil field operated by Caspiy Neft in the Atyrau Region, Kazakhstan April 2, 2025. REUTERS/Pavel Mikheyev/File Photo
A view shows disused oil pump jacks at the Airankol oil field operated by Caspiy Neft in the Atyrau Region, Kazakhstan April 2, 2025. REUTERS/Pavel Mikheyev/File Photo

Oil prices declined moderately on Thursday as investors weighed the potential impact of US President Donald Trump's tariffs on global economic growth.

Brent crude futures were down 23 cents, or 0.3%, at $69.96 a barrel by 0904 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude fell 32 cents, or 0.5%, to $68.06 a barrel.

On Wednesday, Trump threatened Brazil, Latin America's largest economy, with a punitive 50% tariff on exports to the US, after a public spat with his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

He has also announced plans for tariffs on copper, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals and his administration sent tariff letters to the Philippines, Iraq and others, adding to over a dozen letters issued earlier in the week including for powerhouse US suppliers South Korea and Japan.

Trump's history of backpedaling on tariffs has caused the market to become less reactive to such announcements, said Harry Tchilinguirian, group head of research at Onyx Capital Group.

"People are largely in wait and see mode, given the erratic nature of policy making and the flexibility the administration is showing around tariffs," Tchilinguirian said.

Policymakers remain worried about the inflationary pressures from Trump's tariffs, with only "a couple" of officials at the Federal Reserve's June 17-18 meeting saying they felt interest rates could be reduced as soon as this month, minutes of the meeting released on Wednesday showed.

Higher interest rates make borrowing more expensive and reduce demand for oil, Reuters said.

Supporting oil prices however was a weaker US dollar in Thursday's Asia trading session, said OANDA senior analyst Kelvin Wong. A weaker dollar lifts oil prices by making it cheaper for holders of other currencies.

US crude stocks rose while gasoline and distillate inventories fell last week, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday. Gasoline demand rose 6% to 9.2 million barrels per day last week, the EIA said.

Global daily flights were averaging 107,600 in the first eight days of July, an all-time high, with flights in China reaching a five-month peak and port and freight activities indicating "sustained expansion" in trade activities from last year, JP Morgan said in a client note.

"Year to date, global oil demand growth is averaging 0.97 million barrels per day, in line with our forecast of 1 million barrels per day," the note said.

Additionally, there is doubt the recent increase in production quotas announced by OPEC+ will result in an actual increase in production, as some members are already exceeding their quotas, said Tony Sycamore, an analyst at IG.

"And others, like Russia, are unable to meet their targets due to damaged oil infrastructure," he said.

OPEC+ oil producers are set to approve another big output boost for September, as they complete both the unwinding of voluntary production cuts by eight members, and the United Arab Emirates' move to a larger quota.