Crude falls more than $1 a barrel as Beijing dashes hopes of a demand rebound at the world's top importer
Singapore — Oil prices fell more than $1 a barrel on Monday after Chinese officials at the weekend reiterated their commitment to a strict Covid-19 containment approach, dashing hopes of an oil demand rebound at the world's top crude importer.
Brent and WTI rose last week, up 2.9% and 5.4%, respectively, as rumours of a possible end to stringent Covid-19 lockdowns sent China's stock markets and prices of commodities higher despite the lack of any announced changes. “The market is still dealing with signs of weakness in oil demand from already high prices and the weak economic backdrop in developed markets,” ANZ analysts said in a note, adding demand in Europe and the US have fallen back to 2019 levels.