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Bloomberg Opec crude oil shipments to the world’s largest economy sank to a thirty-year low as part of an effort by the cartel and its allies to balance supplies and counteract America’s shale boom. Opec supply cuts that started in 2017 were extended in 2018. The end result was Saudi Arabia cutting exports to the US by 9 percent to …

Bloomberg Crescent Point Energy Corp., the Canadian oil driller that fended off an activist investor last year, wrote down the value of its assets by C$2.73 billion ($2 billion) and is putting more holdings on the block as its new chief executive officer targets core operations. The after-tax writedown reflects the fair value of its assets, many of which were …

Bloomberg The global economy is suffering more than expected from trade tensions and political uncertainty which are clouding prospects particularly in Europe, according to a gloomy report from the OECD. As these are the organisation’s first forecasts in almost four months, it’s partly playing catch-up with developments since then. In that period, little has gone right for the world’s biggest …

Bloomberg The US trade deficit widened in 2018 to a 10- year high of $621 billion, bucking President Donald Trump’s pledges to reduce it, as tax cuts boosted domestic demand for imports while the strong dollar and retaliatory tariffs weighed on exports. The annual deficit in goods and services increased by $68.8 billion, or 12.5 percent, Commerce Department data showed …

Bloomberg Despite sitting on top of the world’s largest crude reserves, the reach of Venezuela’s state-owned oil company is receding. In the 1980s Petroleos de Venezuela SA started an international expansion with the objective of finding new outlets for its growing oil production. The company bought Citgo Petroleum Corp. in the US, leased the Isla refinery in Curacao, bought a …

DUBAI / WAM The potential of DP World investing in new infrastructure in Kazakhstan’s ports and logistics sectors was the focus of discussions between global trade enabler DP World’s Chairman and CEO Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem and Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Askar Mamin in Astana on Tuesday. This follows the signing of two framework agreements with the government of Kazakhstan for …

Bloomberg US President Donald Trump’s attempt to pressure India on trade may be intended as a symbolic shot across New Delhi’s bow, but its inopportune timing threatens broader political consequences. The Trump administration notified Congress that it wants to scrap trade concessions for India, the largest beneficiary of the so-called generalised system of preferences that impacts $5.7 billion worth of …

DUBAI / Emirates Business Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has cemented its position as the leading financial hub in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia region (Measa) with a record-breaking 12 months that saw the centre reach new heights as it enters its 15th year of operations. The centre achieved strong financial performance with net profit increasing by 11% …

Bloomberg Libya’s biggest oil field resumed production. Sharara resumed production and is expected to reach 80,000 barrels in one day, according to people with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be identified because they aren’t authorized to speak to the media. Regular output will be fully restored in the coming days, now that the site has been re-secured …

DUBAI / Emirates Business Middle East and North Africa (Mena) IT spending is projected to reach $160 billion in 2019, a 1.8 percent increase from 2018, according to the latest forecast by Gartner Inc. “In 2019, businesses in Mena are set to increase their IT spending in all segments except for the devices segment,” said John Lovelock, distinguished research vice …