25/02/03
European products markets open higher on US tariffs
London, 3 February (Argus) — European light and middle distillate markets opened
higher today after US tariffs against China, Mexico and Canada were announced
over the weekend, but market participants reacted cautiously to the move. US
president Donald Trump on 1 February slapped tariffs of 10pc on Canadian energy
imports, which account for a significant share of foreign crude and products
supply into the US. The tariff rate against Canada stood in contrast to the 25pc
tariff applied to Mexico, which may be designed to mitigate the inflationary
effect of costlier Canadian crude and products imports in the US market. Eurobob
non-oxy gasoline barges were trading at a volume-weighted average of $728/t at
13:40 GMT, up from $715/t since the 31 January close, while underlying Ice
February gasoil futures — the futures value against which diesel and jet cargoes
are traded — was higher at $727/t, up from $711.25/t. Brent crude values were
just 14¢/bl higher, as product cracks firmed by 19.1pc and 8.6pc to $10.37/bl
and $20.43/bl against Brent futures for non-oxy barges and Ice gasoil futures,
respectively. Any Canadian product sales into the US would see tariffs passed
onto the buyer, according to one source with knowledge of the matter, adding
they were waiting to see how Canada otherwise responds to the US tariffs.
Canadian refiners could also start sending their product to west Africa or Latin
America, another source close to the matter told Argus last week. This
‘wait-and-see' approach was echoed by one Mideast Gulf gasoline trader, while
two European analysts said the desired policy outcome of rebalancing trade
between the US and Canada was not straightforward, and may make Canadian
products imports more affordable as the Canadian dollar depreciates. The US may
be better prepared for a gasoline supply shock as a result of seasonal
stockpiling, one analyst said, but the US Atlantic Coast has a more significant
gasoline supply shortage than Canada if gasoline output were to remain in the
domestic market north of the border, another said. In a sign of concerns over US
Atlantic Coast diesel tightness, the Sebarok Spirit LR2 appeared to have been
booked to deliver a mixed cargo of 10ppm diesel and gasoline from the Port of
Antwerp to New York by 15 February, according to Kpler tracking data. These type
of voyages "never happen", one analyst said, with Europe structurally short of
diesel and the ARA hub a reliable diesel buyer of last resort. The vessel was
still anchored at the Port of Antwerp today. In the event of lower Canadian
crude deliveries to US refineries, US product cracks could strengthen, one
analyst said, but added a halt in supplies of Western Canadian Select (WCS) to
US refineries was unlikely. A strengthening in product cracks could exacerbate a
seasonal improvement in Rbob gasoline premiums ahead of the summer driving
season, the source said, while transatlantic diesel arbitrage economics could
remain shut firmly for longer — closing off a key supplier from the European
diesel market. It was not immediately clear how product flows from Canada to the
US were otherwise impacted today, as most product exports into the US are made
via pipeline. No new gasoline or diesel cargoes were recorded loading at
Canadian ports signalling US delivery by Kpler today. Two vessels carrying clean
products from Valero's 265,000 b/d Jean Gaulin refinery, Quebec, were sitting
offshore northeast US signalling to discharge volume at New Haven, Connecticut
on 5-6 February. By George Maher-Bonnett Send comments and request more
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