Pumpjacks pump crude oil near Halkirk, Alta., more than a decade ago. Oil prices have plunged into negative territory due to the glut created by the COVID-19 global economic shutdown. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Larry MacDougall

Oil crash explained: How are negative oil prices even possible?

Alberta oil is the collateral damage of the oil war between Russia and Saudi Arabia, with COVID-19 launching an additional attack. The province’s oil industry will struggle to recover.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland arrive to hold a news conference on the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) in Ottawa on Oct. 1, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

The winners and losers in the new NAFTA

Who are the winners and losers in the new USMCA? It’s complicated, but one thing’s for certain: Canada should never again allow itself to be overly dependent upon one trading partner.
In this July 2018 photo, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are seen at a news conference after their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

The Trump‑Putin friendship could be all about oil and China

Vladimir Putin may well have something on Donald Trump. But their close ties could also be about oil prices and Trump’s efforts to get Russia to ends it alliance with China.
Harga bensin di Kanada biasanya naik menjelang liburan akhir pekan yang panjang. Penjelasan di balik fluktuasi harga minyak bumi lebih dari sekadar alasan ekonomi. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Memahami naik turunnya harga minyak bumi

Naik turunnya harga minyak tidak ada kaitannya dengan besar kecilnya pasokan dan permintaan maupun dorongan ekonomi. Semuanya berdasar politik.
Gas prices usually rise heading into long weekends. The reasons behind wild oil price fluctuations, reflected at the pumps, is about a lot more than economics. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Understanding the rollercoaster ride of oil prices

Oil prices have little to do with supply or demand or even economic forces. Instead, it’s all about politics.
U.S. President Donald Trump enjoys some time in the cab of a mover truck parked at the White House in March when truckers and industry CEOs came for a discussion on health care. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

NAFTA talks see Trump in driver’s seat – and Canada at risk

Mexico has traditionally been NAFTA’s biggest loser. But Canada is at risk if the U.S. gets its way in removing a dispute settlement mechanism from the deal in the upcoming NAFTA renegotiations.

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