Although crude oil prices were down by a tenth in 2019 than the year before, largely thanks to the U.S.-China trade war, Asian economies, with their fast growth in consumption and price-sensitive consumers, cannot afford to be complacent in 2020.
Oil prices were benign in 2019 but have significant potential to swing

A crude oil terminal in Ningbo Zhoushan port, China: Asian importers will need to continue accelerating the building of their strategic oil reserves. © Reuters
Although crude oil prices were down by a tenth in 2019 than the year before, largely thanks to the U.S.-China trade war, Asian economies, with their fast growth in consumption and price-sensitive consumers, cannot afford to be complacent in 2020.