The Economist (May 12)
“Ten weeks into the Iran war, the great oil-market mystery is deepening. Every day the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, nearly 14m barrels of oil—14% of global output—are lost.” Yet somehow Brent crude is priced at “just $107 a barrel,” far lower than expected. “Petro-powers [especially the U.S.] outside the Gulf have turbocharged exports.” Inventories and strategic reserves [especially China’s] are being tapped liberally. “During the four weeks to May 10th the big oil-buying regions imported 11m b/d less petroleum” than a year prior. “America and China have bought the world time. It still faces a reckoning if Hormuz stays shut.”
Tags: $107, 14m b/d, Brent crude, China, Closed, Exports, Global output, Gulf, Inventories, Iran war, Mystery, Oil market, Petro-powers, Strait of Hormuz, Strategic reserves, Ten weeks, U.S.
The Economist (December 14, 2013)
Despite its modest scope, “the first global deal since the World Trade Organisation (WTO) came into existence in 1995” is an achievement. “It includes some useful stuff: by one estimate, cutting customs red tape could raise annual global output by $400 billion, with much of the gain flowing to developing economies.” With fresh approaches, this momentum can be this leveraged to achieve other modest, but noteworthy deals.
Tags: Customs, Deal, Developing economies, Fresh approaches, Global output, Momentum, Red tape, WTO
