Oil prices fall as economic growth worries spread

Reuters  |  SYDNEY/SINGAPORE 

By and Gloystein

International Brent futures were at $62.26 per barrel at 0410 GMT, down 48 cents, or 0.8 percent, from their previous close.

U.S. Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $53.44 per barrel, down 0.7 percent, or 36 cents.

on Monday reported its lowest economic growth figure since 1990, with GDP rising by 6.6 percent in 2018.

"Slowing in is likely weighing on demand," said Singapore-based Eastport on Tuesday, adding that industrial slowdowns tended to be leading indicators that only gradually fed into lower demand for shipped

In a sign of spreading economic weakness, South Korea's export-oriented economy slowed to a six-year low growth rate of 2.7 percent in 2018, official data showed on Tuesday.

This followed the on Monday trimming its 2019 global growth forecasts to 3.5 percent, down from 3.7 percent in last October's outlook.

"After two years of solid expansion, the world economy is growing more slowly than expected and risks are rising," IMF told reporters.

Despite the darkening outlook, have been getting some support from supply cuts that started in late 2018 by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

"The effects of OPEC-led cuts ... will undoubtedly place a price floor under crude oil," said Singapore-based brokerage on Tuesday.

(Reporting by in SYDNEY and Gloystein in SINGAPORE; Editing by and Tom Hogue)

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

First Published: Tue, January 22 2019. 09:43 IST