# Oil settles down $1 at four-year low as US-China trade war escalates

> Oil settled at a four-year low as investors priced in a greater recession risk from the escalating US-China trade war. Brent settled at $62.82 and WTI at $59.58.

- Date: 2025-04-08 · published 2025-04-08T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: trade · region Global · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/25281-oil-settles-down-1-at-four-year-low-as-us-china-trade-war-escalates
- Commodities: [Crude Oil (Brent)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BRENT.md), [Crude Oil (WTI)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/WTI.md)

## Why it matters

Recession-driven crude weakness lowers energy and biofuel feedstock values, pressuring vegetable oil and feed-related prices.

## Read by commodity

- WTI: bearish ▼
- BRENT: bearish ▼

## Linked price moves

| Commodity | Date | Window | Change % | z-score | Why linked |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| BRENT | 2025-04-07 | 5 | -15.6% | -5.6 | Oil settled at a four-year low on April 8 on US-China escalation, but the date is after the window end and it only partly overlaps. |

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| BRENT | 2019-08-01 | [Trump escalates trade war with more China tariffs](https://feedsoft.ai/events/8497-trump-escalates-trade-war-with-more-china-tariffs.md) | -13.9% | -6.4% |
| BRENT | 2018-04-06 | [US oil closes 2.3% lower after Trump's latest China trade threats](https://feedsoft.ai/events/10843-us-oil-closes-2-3-lower-after-trump-s-latest-china-trade-threats.md) | +6.4% | +9.1% |
| BRENT | 2018-08-23 | [Oil slips as trade spat escalates; but crude stock decline supports U.S. crude](https://feedsoft.ai/events/63702-oil-slips-as-trade-spat-escalates-but-crude-stock-decline-supports-u-s-crude.md) | +3.7% | +7.5% |
| BRENT | 2025-04-06 | [Oil prices slide 2% to near 4-year low as US trade conflict fuels recession fears \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/6318-oil-prices-slide-2-to-near-4-year-low-as-us-trade-conflict-fuels-recession.md) | -1.7% | -9.0% |
| BRENT | 2019-05-23 | [Oil plunges as US-China trade dispute heats up, Iran tension cools](https://feedsoft.ai/events/7395-oil-plunges-as-us-china-trade-dispute-heats-up-iran-tension-cools.md) | -4.6% | -9.1% |
| WTI | 2019-08-01 | [Trump escalates trade war with more China tariffs](https://feedsoft.ai/events/8497-trump-escalates-trade-war-with-more-china-tariffs.md) | -12.7% | -4.7% |
| WTI | 2018-04-06 | [US oil closes 2.3% lower after Trump's latest China trade threats](https://feedsoft.ai/events/10843-us-oil-closes-2-3-lower-after-trump-s-latest-china-trade-threats.md) | +5.6% | +7.7% |
| WTI | 2018-08-23 | [Oil slips as trade spat escalates; but crude stock decline supports U.S. crude](https://feedsoft.ai/events/63702-oil-slips-as-trade-spat-escalates-but-crude-stock-decline-supports-u-s-crude.md) | +2.6% | +4.3% |

## Sources

- reuters.com: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/oil-prices-climb-1-after-heavy-us-tariff-driven-selloff-2025-04-08/

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