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OPEC+ to proceed with planned April oil output hike

LONDON (Reuters) -OPEC+ has decided to proceed with a planned April oil output increase, the group said on Monday, a move that follows U.S. President Donald Trump renewing pressure on OPEC and Saudi Arabia to bring down prices. The increase is the first since 2022 from OPEC+, which includes the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, plus Russia and other allies. Oil was trading 2% lower towards $71 a barrel at 1900 GMT.

Trump’s tariff tactics carry higher economic risks than during his first term

When Donald Trump started the biggest trade war since the 1930s in his first term, his impulsive combination of threats and import taxes on U.S. trading partners created chaos, generated drama -- and drew criticism from mainstream economists who favor free trade. The trade war sequel that Trump has introduced in his second term is likely to be a different matter altogether. Trump appears to have grander ambitions and is operating in a far more treacherous economic environment this time.