Red Sea Attacks' Impact on Suez Canal Revenue Can be Partly Absorbed, Says Egypt Finance Minister

A handout photo made available by the Suez Canal Authority shows the Greek-owned bulk carrier 'Zografia' at the Suez Shipyard Co. in Ismailia, Egypt, 22 January 2024. EPA/SUEZ CANAL AUTHORITY OFFICE
A handout photo made available by the Suez Canal Authority shows the Greek-owned bulk carrier 'Zografia' at the Suez Shipyard Co. in Ismailia, Egypt, 22 January 2024. EPA/SUEZ CANAL AUTHORITY OFFICE
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Red Sea Attacks' Impact on Suez Canal Revenue Can be Partly Absorbed, Says Egypt Finance Minister

A handout photo made available by the Suez Canal Authority shows the Greek-owned bulk carrier 'Zografia' at the Suez Shipyard Co. in Ismailia, Egypt, 22 January 2024. EPA/SUEZ CANAL AUTHORITY OFFICE
A handout photo made available by the Suez Canal Authority shows the Greek-owned bulk carrier 'Zografia' at the Suez Shipyard Co. in Ismailia, Egypt, 22 January 2024. EPA/SUEZ CANAL AUTHORITY OFFICE

Egypt's Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said part of the impact on Suez Canal revenue of the Red Sea attacks on vessels could be absorbed.

Maait explained that this would be possible thanks to previous growth which had been doing well before the incidents started.

He noted that the government was planning to rely more on the private sector in terms of project expenditure.

"If you look at (project spending) figures for the last 7 months, it has dropped by 10%," he told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in Dubai.



Oil Edges Up on Strong US GDP Data

A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
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Oil Edges Up on Strong US GDP Data

A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo

Oil prices were up slightly on Friday on stronger-than-expected US economic data that raised investor expectations for increasing crude oil demand from the world's largest energy consumer.

But concerns about soft economic conditions in Asia's biggest economies, China and Japan, capped gains.

Brent crude futures for September rose 7 cents to $82.44 a barrel by 0014 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude for September increased 4 cents to $78.32 per barrel, Reuters reported.

In the second quarter, the US economy grew at a faster-than-expected annualised rate of 2.8% as consumers spent more and businesses increased investments, Commerce Department data showed. Economists polled by Reuters had predicted US gross domestic product would grow by 2.0% over the period.

At the same time, inflation pressures eased, which kept intact expectations that the Federal Reserve would move forward with a September interest rate cut. Lower interest rates tend to boost economic activity, which can spur oil demand.

Still, continued signs of trouble in parts of Asia limited oil price gains.

Core consumer prices in Japan's capital were up 2.2% in July from a year earlier, data showed on Friday, raising market expectations of an interest rate hike in the near term.

But an index that strips away energy costs, seen as a better gauge of underlying price trends, rose at the slowest annual pace in nearly two years, suggesting that price hikes are moderating due to soft consumption.

China, the world's biggest crude importer, surprised markets for a second time this week by conducting an unscheduled lending operation on Thursday at steeply lower rates, suggesting authorities are trying to provide heavier monetary stimulus to prop up the economy.