Oil Gains on Rosier Outlook for Global Economy, Fuel Demand

An oil pump is seen at sunset outside Vaudoy-en-Brie, near Paris, France April 23, 2018. REUTERS//File Photo
An oil pump is seen at sunset outside Vaudoy-en-Brie, near Paris, France April 23, 2018. REUTERS//File Photo
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Oil Gains on Rosier Outlook for Global Economy, Fuel Demand

An oil pump is seen at sunset outside Vaudoy-en-Brie, near Paris, France April 23, 2018. REUTERS//File Photo
An oil pump is seen at sunset outside Vaudoy-en-Brie, near Paris, France April 23, 2018. REUTERS//File Photo

Oil prices rose for a third session on Tuesday as the passage of a US infrastructure bill, Chinese exports and the global post-pandemic recovery lifted the outlook for fuel demand.

Brent crude was up 8 cents at $83.51 a barrel by 0220 GMT, after gaining 0.8% on Monday. US oil was up 10 cents at $82.03, also after a 0.8% gain the previous day.

US President Joe Biden's long-delayed $1 trillion infrastructure bill - which passed through Congress at the weekend - and better-than-expected Chinese exports helped paint a picture of a more expansive global economy.

"More consumption growth lies in wait once travel begins in earnest and jet fuel demand picks up," JPMorgan Chase commodities analysts said in a note.

The US bank also said global demand for oil in November was already nearly back to pre-pandemic levels of 100 million barrels per day (bpd).

But as major producers maintained strict supply discipline in October, oil prices rose to seven-year highs, with fuel values also rising.

Biden, though, may take measures as early as this week to address soaring gasoline prices, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said on Monday.

"He's certainly looking at what options he has in the limited range of tools a president might have to address the cost of gasoline at the pump, because it is a global market," Granholm told MSNBC in an interview.

Despite the tighter market, US crude inventories are expected to have risen a third straight week, a Reuters polls showed, possibly helping to cap further gains.



Gold Eases from Record Peak on Profit-taking; Trump's Tariffs in Focus

Gold bars at a gold shop in Bangkok, Thailand, 01 April 2025. EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT
Gold bars at a gold shop in Bangkok, Thailand, 01 April 2025. EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT
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Gold Eases from Record Peak on Profit-taking; Trump's Tariffs in Focus

Gold bars at a gold shop in Bangkok, Thailand, 01 April 2025. EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT
Gold bars at a gold shop in Bangkok, Thailand, 01 April 2025. EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT

Gold dipped on Thursday as traders locked in profits after prices hit a record high, following a rush to safe-haven assets triggered by US President Donald Trump's aggressive import tariffs, which escalated the already intense global trade war.

Spot gold was down 0.4% at $3,122.1, as of 0710 GMT. Earlier in the session, bullion hit an all-time high of $3,167.57.

US gold futures fell 0.7% to $3,145.00.

Trump unveiled on Wednesday a 10% baseline tariff on all imports to the US, and higher duties on dozens of countries, including some of its biggest trading partners, deepening a trade war that has rattled global markets, Reuters said.

The reciprocal tariffs do not apply to certain goods, including gold, energy and "certain minerals that are not available in the US," according to a White House fact sheet.

One of the factors supporting gold was "the slowdown that tariffs are likely to cause the US economy, raising the prospects of future rate cuts," Capital.com's financial market analyst Kyle Rodda said.

The Trump administration confirmed that the 25% global car and truck tariffs will take effect on April 3, as planned, and duties on automotive parts imports will be launched on May 3.

Gold is in "a pure momentum trade, where bulls who were left for dust are agonizing on the side line, eager for even the smallest of dips, and until we see a volatile shakeout big enough to stun bulls and bears, the momentum trade could continue higher," said Matt Simpson, a senior analyst at City Index.

Gold, a hedge against political and financial instabilities, has surged more than 19% year-to-date, mainly driven by tariff jitters, rate- cut possibilities, geopolitical conflicts, and central bank buying.

"There's also some front running going on amongst traders who anticipate (Trump's) policies will drive central banks to park their reserves in gold rather than US dollar-denominated assets," Rodda said.

Market awaits US non-farm payrolls report due on Friday for clues into the Federal Reserve's policy path.

Spot silver slipped 2.8% to $33.07 an ounce, platinum fell 1.5% to $968.37, and palladium lost 1.4% to $956.50.