# Oil Prices Slide on Trade Tensions and China Fears

> Oil prices fell sharply on Friday to their lowest levels in more than three months. Concerns about President Trump's trade policy and a slowdown in the Chinese economy raised doubts about global demand.

- Date: 2019-05-31 · published 2019-05-31T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: trade · region Global · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/9884-oil-prices-slide-on-trade-tensions-and-china-fears
- Commodities: [Crude Oil (WTI)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/WTI.md), [Crude Oil (Brent)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BRENT.md)

## Why it matters

Weaker expected demand from the US-China trade dispute and slower Chinese growth reduces crude consumption expectations and pressures prices lower.

## Read by commodity

- WTI: bearish ▼
- BRENT: bearish ▼

## Linked price moves

| Commodity | Date | Window | Change % | z-score | Why linked |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| BRENT | 2019-06-03 | 5 | -10.4% | -2.9 | Oil dropped sharply to 3+ month lows on May 31 on trade policy and China slowdown fears that cut global demand expectations. |
| BRENT | 2019-06-03 | 1 | -5.4% | -3.2 | Trade tension and China slowdown fears cut global demand expectations and pushed prices to three-month lows heading into June 3. |

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| WTI | 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) | -0.8% | -6.8% |
| WTI | 2018-04-03 | [MARKET WATCH: NYMEX, Brent crude prices drop on US-China trade tensions \| Oil & Gas Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/10844-market-watch-nymex-brent-crude-prices-drop-on-us-china-trade-tensions-oil-and.md) | +0.6% | +8.8% |
| WTI | 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) | -4.2% | -12.5% |
| WTI | 2019-08-05 | [Oil Slumps Into Bear Market as Trade Tensions Feed Demand Angst - Bloomberg](https://feedsoft.ai/events/10827-oil-slumps-into-bear-market-as-trade-tensions-feed-demand-angst-bloomberg.md) | -2.2% | -1.1% |
| WTI | 2018-11-23 | [A slippery trade: oil slump proves bears right](https://feedsoft.ai/events/10784-a-slippery-trade-oil-slump-proves-bears-right.md) | -5.6% | -16.1% |
| 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 | 2018-04-03 | [MARKET WATCH: NYMEX, Brent crude prices drop on US-China trade tensions \| Oil & Gas Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/10844-market-watch-nymex-brent-crude-prices-drop-on-us-china-trade-tensions-oil-and.md) | +0.1% | +10.6% |
| 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% |

## Sources

- wsj.com: https://www.wsj.com/articles/oil-prices-slide-on-trade-tensions-and-china-fears-11559298946?reflink=e2twmkts

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