WTI remains on the defensive near $66.00 amid tariff uncertainty
- WTI price remains under pressure around $66.00 in Friday’s early Asian session.
- Rising US inventories and plans to increase OPEC+ output weigh on the WTI price.
- Oil traders brace for the US February employment report on Friday for fresh impetus.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the US crude oil benchmark, is trading around $66.00 during the early Asian session on Friday. The WTI price remains on the defensive near a three-year low as traders are concerned about the impact of tariffs between the US, Canada, and China and plans by OPEC+ to raise output.
US President Donald Trump issued an executive order earlier in the day exempting goods from both Canada and Mexico under a North American trade agreement, known as USMCA, for a month from the 25% tariffs that he slapped earlier this week. However, tariff uncertainty under the Trump administration continues to undermine the WTI price.
A larger-than-expected build in US crude inventories further pressured the black gold. Crude oil stockpiles in the United States for the week ending February 28 rose by 3.614 million barrels, compared to a fall of 2.332 million barrels in the previous week, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA) weekly report. The market consensus estimated that stocks would decrease by 290,000 barrels.
OPEC+, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia, decided to increase output for the first time since 2022. This, in turn, drags the black gold price lower. Downside risks on demand will likely be greater than supply-side risks at this point with the additional oil coming from OPEC, said Scott Shelton, energy analyst at TP ICAP.
Oil traders will closely watch the release of the US employment report for February on Friday, including Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP), Unemployment Rate and Average Hourly Earnings. If the report shows a weaker-than-expected outcome, this could exert some selling pressure on the Greenback and lift the USD-denominated commodity price in the near term.
WTI Oil FAQs
WTI Oil is a type of Crude Oil sold on international markets. The WTI stands for West Texas Intermediate, one of three major types including Brent and Dubai Crude. WTI is also referred to as “light” and “sweet” because of its relatively low gravity and sulfur content respectively. It is considered a high quality Oil that is easily refined. It is sourced in the United States and distributed via the Cushing hub, which is considered “The Pipeline Crossroads of the World”. It is a benchmark for the Oil market and WTI price is frequently quoted in the media.
Like all assets, supply and demand are the key drivers of WTI Oil price. As such, global growth can be a driver of increased demand and vice versa for weak global growth. Political instability, wars, and sanctions can disrupt supply and impact prices. The decisions of OPEC, a group of major Oil-producing countries, is another key driver of price. The value of the US Dollar influences the price of WTI Crude Oil, since Oil is predominantly traded in US Dollars, thus a weaker US Dollar can make Oil more affordable and vice versa.
The weekly Oil inventory reports published by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Energy Information Agency (EIA) impact the price of WTI Oil. Changes in inventories reflect fluctuating supply and demand. If the data shows a drop in inventories it can indicate increased demand, pushing up Oil price. Higher inventories can reflect increased supply, pushing down prices. API’s report is published every Tuesday and EIA’s the day after. Their results are usually similar, falling within 1% of each other 75% of the time. The EIA data is considered more reliable, since it is a government agency.
OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) is a group of 12 Oil-producing nations who collectively decide production quotas for member countries at twice-yearly meetings. Their decisions often impact WTI Oil prices. When OPEC decides to lower quotas, it can tighten supply, pushing up Oil prices. When OPEC increases production, it has the opposite effect. OPEC+ refers to an expanded group that includes ten extra non-OPEC members, the most notable of which is Russia.