President Trump’s tariff policies – which tanked oil prices and raised the odds of a recession – are undermining America’s petroleum trade surplus. That’s not a desirable outcome for an administration fixated on fixing trade deficits. Petroleum and energy trade, in fact, is one of the few sectors in which the U.S. has a large trade surplus in the dozens of billions of U.S. dollars annually.
Whether China will keep this rate of imports going forward is an open question, with U.S. exports of crude to the world’s top importer clearly set to get decimated if not outright sapped. For oil exporters, however, the more pressing issue is how long the tariff war will continue. Alas, this is also an open question at this part, although there is a chance of good news down the road. Until then, there will be some suffering, especially among the less wealthy oil exporters.
Despite bullish inventory and mere hopes that the trade war will not escalate, global economic concerns look set to put significant limitations on how far crude could climb in this climate. The World Trade Organization (WTO) slashed its 2025 global trade growth forecast from +3.0% to -0.2%, citing escalating tariff risks. If the U.S. proceeds with reciprocal tariffs, global trade could shrink by as much as -1.5%, raising fears of reduced energy demand.
The ultimate goal of the sanctions is to reduce Iran’s oil exports to zero, as stated by President Trump in a February directive to the State Department. The president directed the Secretary of State to “implement a robust and continual campaign, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury and other relevant executive departments or agencies, to drive Iran’s export of oil to zero, including exports of Iranian crude to the People’s Republic of China.”
The Empire Wind project has a price tag of $5 billion, with Equinor saying in January it had secured a financing package of $3 billion. The installation was planned to power 500,000 New York homes and was expected to reach its commercial operation date in 2027. With a contracted capacity of 810 megawatts, Empire Wind 1 was going to be the first offshore wind project to connect to the New York City grid. Now, its future is in question as President Trump and his administration crack down on the technology.
Oil news this week has been a mixed bag, but it seems bullish developments have prevailed. Sanctions on Iran are one of the leading reasons for the recovery in oil prices. Another is a forecast from the International Energy Agency that expects oil supply growth this year to be weaker than previously predicted.
Global energy major TotalEnergies SE signed a heads of agreement (HoA) with Energia Natural Dominicana Enadom, S.R.L. (Enadom) for the delivery of 400,000 tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) per year. TotalEnergies said in a media release that the HoA with the joint venture between AES Dominicana and Energas in the Dominican Republic is subject to the finalization of sale and purchase agreements (SPAs). Once the SPAs are signed, the agreement will start in mid-2027, with a 15-year term, and the price will be indexed to Henry Hub.
In this role as EVP and CFO, Rodgers will oversee all financial activities and departments, including Accounting, Audit, Investor Relations, Planning, Tax, and Treasury. He joined APA in 2018 and previously served as SVP, Finance, and Treasurer. He also served as CFO of Altus Midstream and later as a director on the board of Kinetik Holdings Inc., APA said. He currently serves on the board of Khalda Petroleum Company, a joint venture between APA subsidiary Apache Corporation and Egypt Petroleum Company.
West Texas Intermediate futures added 1.9% to settle near $62.50 a barrel, the third gain in the four past sessions, after China signaled openness to trade negotiations with the Trump administration. Pre-conditions for the talks would include a more consistent US position and a willingness to address China’s concerns around American sanctions and Taiwan, according to a person familiar with the Chinese government’s thinking.
Most of the oil released has been recovered and remediation efforts have started, South Bow Corp. said in a statement Wednesday. The line will be able to operate at no more of 80% of pressure levels at the time of the April 8 spill. At the time of failure, the line was transporting 17,844 barrels per hour, or the equivalent of 428,000 barrels a day.