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Saudi Crude Oil Exports Fall to 5.6Mn Barrels Per Day

Oil prices hover near $65 a barrel (Reuters)
Oil prices hover near $65 a barrel (Reuters)
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Saudi Crude Oil Exports Fall to 5.6Mn Barrels Per Day

Oil prices hover near $65 a barrel (Reuters)
Oil prices hover near $65 a barrel (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia’s crude oil exports fell to their lowest in eight months in February, the Joint Organizations Data Initiative (JODI) said on Monday.

Crude exports fell to 5.625 million barrels per day (bpd), their lowest since June 2020 in February, from 6.582 million bpd in the prior month.

Monthly export figures are provided by Riyadh and other OPEC members to JODI, which publishes them on its website.

Saudi Arabia, the de facto leader of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies, voluntarily cut output by one million bpd in February, March, and April as part of a deal with OPEC+ producers after new virus variants cast doubts over fuel demand.

Meanwhile, Oil prices edged higher on Monday, supported by a weaker US dollar but gains were capped by concerns about the impact on demand from rising coronavirus cases.

Brent crude settled up 28 cents, or 0.4 percent, at $67.05 a barrel, after rising six percent last week. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) US oil ended the session up 25 cents, or 0.4 percent, at $63.38 a barrel, having gained 6.4 percent last week.

The US dollar traded at a six-week low versus major peers on Monday, with Treasury yields hovering near their weakest in five weeks.

A weaker dollar makes oil cheaper for holders of other currencies.

However, COVID-19 cases have surged in India, the world’s third-biggest oil importer and consumer, dampening optimism for a sustained global recovery in demand.

India reported a record rise in infections, which lifted overall cases to just over 15 million, making the country the second-worst affected after the United States, which has reported more than 31 million infections.

“This new wave of measures, while so far likely to be less stringent than what we saw in March 2020, when gasoline and gasoil/diesel demand in the country fell by close to 60 percent, is nevertheless set to weigh on transportation fuel consumption,” consultancy JBC said.

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China Exempts Some Goods from US Tariffs to Limit trade War Pain

TOPSHOT - An aerial view shows cargo containers stacked at a port in Shanghai on April 20, 2025. (Photo by AFP) / China OUT
TOPSHOT - An aerial view shows cargo containers stacked at a port in Shanghai on April 20, 2025. (Photo by AFP) / China OUT
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China Exempts Some Goods from US Tariffs to Limit trade War Pain

TOPSHOT - An aerial view shows cargo containers stacked at a port in Shanghai on April 20, 2025. (Photo by AFP) / China OUT
TOPSHOT - An aerial view shows cargo containers stacked at a port in Shanghai on April 20, 2025. (Photo by AFP) / China OUT

China has exempted some US imports from its 125% tariffs and is asking firms to identify critical goods they need levy-free, according to businesses notified, in the clearest sign yet of Beijing's concerns about the trade war's economic fallout.

The dispensation, which follows de-escalatory statements from Washington, signals that the world's two largest economies were prepared to rein in their conflict, which had frozen much of the trade between them, raising fears of a global recession.

Beijing's exemptions - which business groups hope would extend to dozens of industries - pushed the US dollar up slightly and lifted equity markets in Hong Kong and Japan.

“As a quid-pro-quo move, it could provide a potential way to de-escalate tensions," said Alfredo Montufar-Helu, a senior adviser to the Conference Board's China Center, a think tank.

But, he cautioned: "It’s clear that neither the US nor China want to be the first in reaching out for a deal."

China has not yet communicated publicly on any exemptions. A Friday statement by the Politburo, the Communist Party's elite decision-making body, focused on efforts to maintain stability at home by supporting firms and workers most affected by tariffs.

The readout, which followed the Politburo's regular monthly meeting, showed that Beijing was also ready to hunker down and fight a trade war of attrition if needed to outlast Washington in enduring the pain from the breakdown of their relationship.

A Ministry of Commerce taskforce is collecting lists of items that could be exempted from tariffs and is asking companies to submit their own requests, according to a person with knowledge of that outreach.

The ministry said on Thursday it had held a meeting with more than 80 foreign companies and business chambers in China to discuss the impact of US tariffs on investment and the operation of foreign firms in the country.

"The Chinese government, for example, has been asking our companies what sort of things are you importing to China from the US that you cannot find anywhere else and so would shut down your supply chain," American Chamber of Commerce in China President Michael Hart said.

Hart added some member pharmaceutical companies had reported being able to import drugs to China without tariffs. He believed the exemptions were drug-specific, not industry-wide.

The chief executive of French aircraft engine maker Safran said on Friday it had been informed last night that China had granted tariff exemptions on "a certain number of aerospace equipment parts" including engines and landing gear.

The tariff exemptions under consideration by Beijing could provide cost relief for companies in China and take pressure off US exports at a time when the Trump administration has shown signs of wanting to make a deal with Beijing.

The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China also said it had raised the issue of tariff exemptions with the commerce ministry and was awaiting a response.

"Many of our member companies are significantly impacted by the tariffs on critical components imported from the US," President Jens Eskelund said.

A list of 131 categories of products said to be under consideration for tariff exemptions was circulating on Chinese social media platforms and among some businesses and trade groups on Friday. Reuters could not verify the list, which included items ranging from vaccines and chemicals to jet engines.

Huatai Securities said the list corresponded to $45 billion worth of imports to China last year.

China's customs agency and Ministry of Commerce did not reply to requests for comment. China's foreign ministry said it was not familiar with tariff exemption plans, redirecting queries to "relevant authorities".