LONDON: Oil prices steadied on Wednesday as investors awaited developments on US President Donald Trump’s tighter deadline for Russia to end the war in Ukraine and his tariff threats to countries that trade its oil.
The most active Brent crude futures were down 5 cents or about 0.1 percent, at $71.63 a barrel by 2:26 p.m. Saudi time while US West Texas Intermediate crude slipped 5 cents to $69.61.
The Brent crude September contract that expires on Wednesday was steady at $72.50.
Both contracts had fallen nearly 1 percent earlier in the day.
“Events in the last few days have moved the needle a touch more, but we still appear to be somewhat rangebound and testing the next resistance level,” said Rystad Energy analyst Janiv Shah.
Trump had said on Tuesday that he would start imposing measures on Russia, such as secondary tariffs of 100 percent on trading partners, if it did not make progress on ending the war within 10 to 12 days, moving up from an earlier 50-day deadline.
The US also warned China, the largest buyer of Russian oil, that it could face huge tariffs if it kept buying, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told a news conference in Stockholm.
JP Morgan analysts wrote that while China was unlikely to comply with US sanctions, India has signalled it would do so, which could affect 2.3 million barrels per day of Russian oil exports.
“Oil prices reacted strongly yesterday, so there is some profit booking,” said UBS commodity analyst Giovanni Staunovo, adding that data from the American Petroleum Institute from Tuesday was also bearish for crude.
“Market participants are also taking into account that low prices and secondary sanctions/tariffs on Russia won’t work at the same time.”
US crude and distillate stocks rose last week while gasoline inventories fell, market sources said, citing API data.
“Depending on the outcome of the US-Russia discussions, tariff implementation and the OPEC+ meeting and announcement on unwinding (of output cuts), the market could see some movement,” Rystad’s Shah added.
