# COMMENTARY: China overtakes OPEC+ as the main oil price maker

> A commentary piece argues China has overtaken OPEC+ as the main driver of oil prices. It notes that OPEC+ and allies shored up prices through production cuts that faded once reversal began, and that OPEC+ has chosen to hold output steady in the first quarter.

- Date: 2026-01-01 · published 2026-01-01T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: macro · region Global · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/21669-commentary-china-overtakes-opec-as-the-main-oil-price-maker
- Commodities: [Crude Oil (Brent)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BRENT.md), [Crude Oil (WTI)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/WTI.md)

## Why it matters

Shifts in who sets marginal oil supply change how crude price moves unfold, with knock-on effects on energy and input costs for feed buyers.

## Read by commodity

- WTI: neutral
- BRENT: neutral

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| BRENT | 2020-12-03 | [Why the OPEC+ agreement to boost production in 2021 didn’t tank oil prices - MarketWatch](https://feedsoft.ai/events/49827-why-the-opec-agreement-to-boost-production-in-2021-didn-t-tank-oil-prices.md) | +1.7% | +7.3% |
| BRENT | 2025-01-30 | [Oil Prices Hold Steady As Markets Await US Tariff Decisions, OPEC+ Meeting](https://feedsoft.ai/events/26669-oil-prices-hold-steady-as-markets-await-us-tariff-decisions-opec-meeting.md) | -2.8% | -4.9% |
| BRENT | 2017-03-15 | [Will A Fed Rate Hike Boost The Price Of Oil? \| Investing.com](https://feedsoft.ai/events/71924-will-a-fed-rate-hike-boost-the-price-of-oil-investing-com.md) | +0.6% | +10.4% |
| BRENT | 2017-09-29 | [Arab News \| Middle East OPEC producers fret oil price rally may burn out](https://feedsoft.ai/events/69122-arab-news-middle-east-opec-producers-fret-oil-price-rally-may-burn-out.md) | -1.8% | +1.6% |
| BRENT | 2024-01-04 | [Oil prices remain volatile amid uncertainty arising from geopolitical conflict](https://feedsoft.ai/events/32316-oil-prices-remain-volatile-amid-uncertainty-arising-from-geopolitical-conflict.md) | -0.1% | +6.0% |
| WTI | 2020-12-03 | [Why the OPEC+ agreement to boost production in 2021 didn’t tank oil prices - MarketWatch](https://feedsoft.ai/events/49827-why-the-opec-agreement-to-boost-production-in-2021-didn-t-tank-oil-prices.md) | +0.5% | +7.0% |
| WTI | 2020-06-19 | [Over-Correcting a Low Crude Oil Price Environment \| Breakthrough \| Breakthrough](https://feedsoft.ai/events/52822-over-correcting-a-low-crude-oil-price-environment-breakthrough-breakthrough.md) | -0.3% | +4.5% |
| WTI | 2017-03-15 | [Will A Fed Rate Hike Boost The Price Of Oil? \| Investing.com](https://feedsoft.ai/events/71924-will-a-fed-rate-hike-boost-the-price-of-oil-investing-com.md) | -0.6% | +12.6% |

## Sources

- reuters.com: https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/china-overtakes-opec-main-oil-price-maker-2025-12-22/

---
Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.