Crude Prices Recover as US-China Trade Tensions Ease

Core Insights - Crude oil and gasoline prices have increased sharply, recovering from previous declines due to improved market sentiment following potential trade deal discussions between the Trump administration and China [2] - The consideration of arming Ukraine with long-range missiles by President Trump has raised concerns about further disruptions to Russian oil supplies, contributing to the price rally [2] - A recent agreement between Israel and Hamas has reduced geopolitical risk in the Middle East, which has impacted crude prices by lowering the risk premium [4] Price Movements - November WTI crude oil is up by $0.96 (+1.63%) and November RBOB gasoline is up by $0.0291 (+1.60%) [1] - Last Friday, crude prices hit a 5-month low while gasoline prices fell to a 4.5-year low due to renewed trade tensions with China [3] OPEC+ Production Decisions - OPEC+ agreed to a modest increase of 137,000 barrels per day (bpd) in crude production starting in November, which was below market expectations [5] - OPEC's crude production rose by 400,000 bpd to 29.05 million bpd in September, marking the highest level in 2.5 years [5] Russian Supply Constraints - Reduced crude production in Russia is supporting oil prices, with Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries limiting export capabilities [6] - Russian refined-product flows have dropped to 1.94 million bpd in early September, the lowest in over 3.25 years [6]