LONDON: Oil prices were little changed on Tuesday after the United States and China extended a pause on higher tariffs and data showed a rise in U.S. inflation in July.
Brent crude futures lost 36 cents, or 0.54%, to $66.27 a barrel by 1240 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures eased by 45 cents, or 0.7%, to $63.51. U.S. President Donald Trump extended a tariff truce with China to November 10, staving off triple-digit duties on Chinese goods as U.S. retailers prepared for the critical end-of-year holiday season.
This raised hopes that an agreement could be reached between the world’s two largest economies and avert a virtual trade embargo between them. Tariffs risk slowing global growth, which could sap fuel demand and drag oil prices lower.
U.S. consumer prices increased in July as tariff-induced rising costs for imported goods helped to drive the strongest gain in six months for one measure of underlying inflation.
Also potentially weighing on the oil market, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are due to meet in Alaska on Friday to discuss an end to the war in Ukraine.
The U.S. has stepped up pressure on Russia to end the conflict, with Trump setting a deadline of last Friday for Russia to agree to peace in Ukraine or have its oil buyers face secondary sanctions. He has also pressed India and China to reduce their purchases of Russian oil.
“If Friday’s meeting brings a ceasefire or even a peace deal in Ukraine closer, Trump could suspend the secondary tariffs imposed on India last week before they come into force in two weeks,” Commerzbank said in a note.
“If not, we could see tougher sanctions against other buyers of Russian oil, like China.”
Elsewhere, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) raised its forecast for global oil demand next year and trimmed its forecast for growth in supply from the United States and other producers outside the wider OPEC+ group, pointing to a tighter market outlook.
OPEC’s monthly report on Tuesday said that global oil demand will rise by 1.38 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2026, up 100,000 bpd from the previous forecast. Its 2025 projection was left unchanged.
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