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EU May Delay First Counter-tariffs against US to Mid-April

FILE PHOTO: European Union flags flutter outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium August 21, 2020. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: European Union flags flutter outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium August 21, 2020. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
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EU May Delay First Counter-tariffs against US to Mid-April

FILE PHOTO: European Union flags flutter outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium August 21, 2020. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: European Union flags flutter outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium August 21, 2020. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo

The European Union could delay imposition of a first set of counter-measures against the United States over President Donald Trump's steel and aluminium tariffs until mid-April, European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said on Thursday.

The European Commission had proposed re-imposing tariffs on 4.5 billion euros ($4.9 billion) of US products on April 1, followed by hitting a further 18 billion euros of US goods on April 13, Reuters said.

"We are now considering to align the timing of the two sets of EU counter-measures so we can consult with member states on both lists simultaneously, and this would also give us extra time for negotiations with our American partners," Sefcovic told a hearing at the European Parliament.

The first set of EU counter-measures includes applying a 50% tariff on US bourbon. Trump threatened to slap a 200% tariff on all wines and other alcoholic products coming from the EU if the bloc went ahead with this.

The Trump administration is also planning further tariffs on April 2.

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said on Sunday that the EU was probably mistaken in targeting American whiskey, while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni cautioned EU partners on Tuesday against escalating the trade dispute with the United States.

"I am not certain that responding to tariffs with more tariffs is necessarily a good deal," Meloni, who is close to Trump, said.

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China Slams US Sanctions on Oil Refinery in Shandong

A view of the logo of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) outside their headquarters in Vienna, Austria, November 30, 2023. Reuters
A view of the logo of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) outside their headquarters in Vienna, Austria, November 30, 2023. Reuters
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China Slams US Sanctions on Oil Refinery in Shandong

A view of the logo of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) outside their headquarters in Vienna, Austria, November 30, 2023. Reuters
A view of the logo of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) outside their headquarters in Vienna, Austria, November 30, 2023. Reuters

Oil prices settled higher on Friday and recorded a second consecutive weekly gain as fresh US sanctions on Iran and the latest output plan from the OPEC+ producer group raised expectations of tighter supply.
Brent crude futures rose 16 cents, or 0.2%, to settle at $72.16 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 21 cents, or 0.3%, to $68.28.
On Thursday, the US Treasury announced new Iran-related sanctions, which for the first time targeted an independent Chinese refiner among other entities and vessels involved in supplying Iranian crude oil to China.
For its part, China on Friday slammed US sanctions on Chinese companies imposed over imports of Iranian oil.
Beijing has always opposed the use of “illegal unilateral sanctions” and “long-arm jurisdiction” and called on the US to “stop interfering with and undermining the normal trade and economic cooperation between China and Iran,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a news conference in Beijing.
“China will take all measures necessary to firmly safeguard the lawful rights and interests of our companies,” she added.
RBC Capital Markets LLC analysts including Brian Leisen said in a note on Friday, “We see this as a clear risk escalation for physical flows for the region, though today’s moves stopped short of a full physical impediment to the illicit Iranian oil trade into China.”
They added, “We think it reasonable that the risk premium here is taken more seriously.”
It was the fourth round of sanctions on Iran's oil sales since President Donald Trump's February call for “maximum pressure” on Tehran, including efforts to drive its crude exports to zero.
Analysts at ANZ Bank said they expect a 1 million barrels per day (bpd) reduction in Iranian crude oil exports because of tighter sanctions. Vessel tracking service Kpler estimated Iranian crude oil exports above 1.8 million bpd in February.
Oil prices were also supported by the new OPEC+ plan for seven members to cut output further to compensate for producing more than agreed levels. The plan would represent monthly cuts of between 189,000 bpd and 435,000 bpd until June 2026.
OPEC+ this month confirmed that eight of its members would proceed with a monthly increase of 138,000 bpd from April, reversing some of the 5.85 million bpd of output cuts agreed in a series of steps since 2022 to support the market.
“While the group shares a plan for compensation cuts, it certainly doesn’t mean members will follow it. A handful of members have consistently produced above their target production levels,” ING analysts said in a note on Friday.
Separately, a new explosion rocked an oil depot in Russia's southern Krasnodar region on Friday where firefighters had been trying to extinguish a blaze that had broken out on Tuesday after a Ukrainian drone attack hours after Putin spoke to Trump.
“During the extinguishing process, due to depressurisation of the burning tank, there was an explosion of oil products and release of burning oil,” Russian regional authorities said on the Telegram messaging app
The depot, near the village of Kavkazskaya, is a rail terminal for Russian oil supplies to a pipeline linking Kazakhstan to the Black Sea. Russia's foreign ministry said on Thursday that Ukraine had already violated a proposed ceasefire on energy sites by attacking the depot.