Oil edges up as China, U.S. set for talks to resolve trade disputes

Reuters  |  SINGAPORE 

By Gloystein

U.S. Intermediate (WTI) crude futures traded at $65.11 per barrel at 0209 GMT, up 10 cents, or 0.15 percent, from their last settlement.

International Brent were up 41 cents, or 0.6 percent, at $71.17 per barrel.

Both benchmarks lost more than 2 percent the previous day.

Traders said Thursday's market moves followed in the slipstream of a statement by China's that it would send a delegation led by to the for trade talks in late August.

The talks are at the invitation of the and will be held with U.S. Under David Malpass, the commerce ministry said.

Still, sentiment in was broadly cautious due to a rise in U.S. crude production and storage levels and weakness in emerging economies, especially in

U.S. and storage levels both rose last week, which traders said had pulled prices down.

Output of U.S. crude rose by 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) in the week ending Aug. 10, to 10.9 million bpd, according to the (EIA) weekly production and storage report.

At the same time, U.S. crude inventory levels climbed by 6.8 million barrels, to 414.19 million barrels, the EIA said.

"This build certainly hasn't helped market sentiment," Dutch said after the release of the EIA report.

While supply rose in the United States, Asia's emerging markets were showing signs of economic slowdown due to trade disputes with the United States and currency weakness, dragging on

Despite a rise in China's yuan after, the dollar held near a 13-month peak on Thursday as political turmoil in and concerns about China's economic health continued to support safe-haven assets and weighed on emerging market currencies.

Providing Brent crude with some support were looming U.S. sanctions against Iran's oil exports, set to start from November, with Asian buyers including India, and already scaling back orders in anticipation.

(Reporting by Gloystein; Editing by and Kenneth Maxwell)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Thu, August 16 2018. 09:30 IST