Oil prices edged lower in volatile trading as markets responded to multiple developments from the Trump administration.
Brent crude slipped to near $74 a barrel despite new U.S. sanctions on entities linked to Iranian oil shipments. Contributing to the uncertainty, Trump confirmed that tariffs against Canada and Mexico—America’s top foreign crude suppliers—remain scheduled for next month.
\Meanwhile, Chinese markets fell as investors grew concerned about economic decoupling between the world’s largest economies. These conflicting signals, along with supply issues involving OPEC+ and potential Kurdistan pipeline restarts, have kept oil trading in a narrow range.