West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil prices are attempting to attract buyers, but the market remains in a state of uncertainty.
Concerns over President Trump's aggressive trade tariffs are putting pressure on fuel demand, which is a significant factor limiting oil price growth. Additionally, the upcoming OPEC+ program to increase oil production in April—and likely in May as well—creates further barriers to price gains.
The situation is further complicated by Trump's threats to impose secondary tariffs on Russian oil if he feels that Moscow is obstructing his efforts to end military actions in Ukraine. Trump has also threatened Iran with bombings and secondary tariffs if the country refuses to sign a nuclear agreement. These threats increase the risk of potential supply disruptions from both Russia and Iran, thereby offering some support to crude oil prices.
It is also worth noting that rising expectations of the Federal Reserve resuming its rate-cutting cycle could put pressure on the US dollar, which in turn may support dollar-denominated oil prices.
From a technical standpoint, oscillators on the daily chart are mixed, indicating a current range-bound market. WTI support lies at the 68.60 level; below that, prices may stabilize around 68.25, with a potential pause at the psychological level of 67.00.
On the other hand, clear resistance is located at the round level of 70.00. If prices break above this level, they will then face resistance at 70.10, and sustained strength beyond this area could take prices up to 70.50, where the 100-day simple moving average (SMA) is located. Therefore, it is advisable to wait for clarity before entering new positions. However, the RSI (Relative Strength Index) has just started to gain upward momentum, indicating that the path of least resistance is currently to the upside.
PAUTAN SEGERA