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August 20th - According to sources, the Trump administration is preparing to lower tariffs on imported Canadian cars from 25% to 15% as part of a broader agreement. Under this agreement, Canada would remove retaliatory trade measures imposed on the United States. Last year, the White House imposed a 25% tariff on foreign-made cars and trucks. For vehicles manufactured in Canada and Mexico, this tariff applied only to non-U.S. components, a move aimed at encouraging companies to move more production to the United States. Sources say the new 15% tariff rate will also use this "non-U.S. component" calculation rule. The specific details of the agreement have not yet been finalized. Furthermore, Trump has a history of last-minute changes to trade agreements, even canceling them altogether, just before a deal is reached, so the final outcome remains uncertain.Mayor of Kyiv: Kyiv is under attack by ballistic missiles.August 20th - As US government borrowing increases at an unprecedented rate, the total US national debt has surpassed $40 trillion. Despite Trumps promises to control government spending, the ever-expanding debt continues to raise concerns among investors about the state of US public finances. According to data released by the US Treasury Department on Wednesday, the total US federal debt surpassed the $40 trillion threshold on Tuesday. In the past year, its debt has increased by $3 trillion, the fastest growth rate in history excluding the pandemic period. "Its like a huge warning light on a car engine," said Mark Godwin, senior policy director at the Committee on a Responsible Federal Budget. "It doesnt mean the engine will burn out tomorrow, but its a clear signal that things are out of control. The problem isnt just the sheer size of the debt, but the speed at which weve reached this level." Over the past two decades, US national debt has risen dramatically, climbing from less than $6 trillion at the beginning of the century to its current level. Massive public spending during the financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the widening budget deficit. In the past decade alone, the overall debt has doubled. The Congressional Budget Office projects that the ratio of publicly held federal debt to GDP will exceed the historical peak of 106% set in 1946 after World War II around 2030, and will further climb to 120% by 2036.According to Al Jazeera: A U.S. State Department spokesperson said the Trump administration has begun discussions on Syrian sovereignty and Israels right to self-defense.On August 20th, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is soliciting public comments on computing power futures contracts as industry giants begin to accept computing power as a tradable asset. Several exchanges, including the CME Group, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), and emerging fintech company Architect Financial Technologies, have announced plans to launch related contracts after obtaining regulatory approval. These exchanges stated that establishing a computing power futures market would help end-users and speculators hedge against risks related to energy shortages or other issues that could impact the technological progress of AI developers. CFTC Chairman Michael Selig stated in a statement on Wednesday, “The U.S. cannot win the AI race without a robust computing power derivatives market. This comment period is the first step in establishing clear rules for the U.S. computing power market.” One of the issues addressed in the CFTCs comment period is how computing power futures differ from other types of derivatives or underlying commodities that the agency already regulates. Allowing computing power futures to be listed on CFTC-regulated exchanges may require further standardization of variables affecting computing power prices, including price indices used for settlement references.

WTI crude oil climbs above $80.00 as NFP and recession fears contend with an OPEC+ surprise

Daniel Rogers

Apr 07, 2023 11:36

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As energy markets celebrate the Good Friday holiday, WTI crude oil prices remain stable around $80.50, poised for a three-week uptrend. In doing so, black gold defends the week-beginning gains provided by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, headed by Russia, known as OPEC+, who announced a surprise output cut. However, concerns of a recession and a cautious disposition ahead of the March US employment report have recently posed a challenge to the energy benchmark.

 

The OPEC+ group startled the market with a voluntary output decline of nearly 1.66 million barrels per day. The International Energy Agency (IEA) stated, in response to the OPEC+ announcements, that the OPEC+ decision to reduce oil output risks aggravating a stressed market by driving up oil prices in response to inflationary pressures.

 

On the other hand, the US Dollar's weakness, bolstered by disappointing US data, supported the recovery of the black gold.

 

In spite of this, the US Dollar Index (DXY) has a four-day losing streak and is currently trading around 102.000.

 

Initial Jobless Claims for the week ending March 31 increased to 228K from 200K expected and an upwardly revised 246K the previous week. Notable is that the Challenger Job Cuts for the given month increased from 77,77K to 89,703K. Previously, US JOLTS Job Openings fell to a 19-month low in February, and March's ADP Employment Change figures of 145K also disappointed markets. In addition, the US ISM Services PMI for March decreased to 51.2 compared to 54.5 anticipated and 55.1 previously.

 

China's optimism for economic development and optimistic activity data from the dragon nation could also support the oil price. Pan Gongsheng, the director of China's State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), stated on Friday that Beijing "will defend itself against external financial market shocks and risks."

 

It should be noted, however, that recent calls for a recession pose a challenge to WTI crude oil purchasers, and more signs of economic decline should be monitored for direction, particularly when commodity prices trade near the key short-term resistance line.

 

In addition to the news about the recession, the March US employment report will be crucial to monitor for direction. Analysts anticipate a decline in headline Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) to 240K from 311K previously, with the unemployment rate remaining unchanged at 3.6%. However, the contradictory forecasts for Average Hourly Wages make the outcome even more intriguing.