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Oil drops on doubts over U.S-China trade deal

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Oil prices slipped today on concerns that the Phase 1 trade deal between the United States and China, the world’s biggest oil users, may not boost demand as the United States intends to keep tariffs on Chinese goods until a second phase.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced yesterday that tariffs on Chinese goods will remain the same until the completion of a second phase of a U.S.-China trade agreement, even as both sides are expected to sign an interim deal today.

Brent crude LCOc1 was down 11 cents at $64.38 per barrel by 10:20 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures CLc1 were down 12 cents at $58.11 a barrel.

Edward Moya, analyst at brokerage OANDA, claimed that “A pickup with global demand for crude may struggle as U.S.-Chinese tensions linger after some hard line stances from the Trump administration.”

“Financial markets are disappointed that the Trump administration … signalled tariffs will remain the same until after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election, depending on whether China comes through on their promises with the Phase 1 agreement.”

U.S. President Donald Trump is due to sign the Phase 1 agreement with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He at the White House on Wednesday. That agreement is expected to include provisions for China to buy up to $50 billion more in U.S. energy supplies.

U.S. crude inventories rose by 1.1 million barrels, data from the American Petroleum Institute showed, countering expectations for a draw.

U.S. oil production is expected to rise to a record of 13.30 million barrels per day in 2020, mainly driven by higher output in the Permian region of Texas and New Mexico, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said.

Their statements came after Russian news agency Tass reported that OPEC and its allies – known as OPEC+, started consultations on extending the current output-cutting deal until June without holding a meeting in March.

Libya: Migrants at risk of human trafficking

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 Hundreds of migrants returned to Libya this month are at high risk of human trafficking as worsening violence is allowing criminal gangs to thrive, according to the United Nations.

At least 953 migrants headed for Europe were picked up in the Mediterranean and sent back to Libya in the first two weeks of 2020.

Mostly intercepted by Libya’s coast guard, backed by the European Union, they were all taken to detention centres where aid workers clarified they have first-hand testimony of migrants being sold to traffickers.

Libya is a key gateway for Africans trying to reach Europe for years, and about 140,000 migrants and refugees were residing in Tripoli before the fighting broke out last April, according to the International Rescue Committee.

Even before that, migrants were preyed on by armed groups and traffickers, with slavery, rape and torture as human rights experts reported.

“There is no guarantee that prevents refugees and migrants returned to Libyan shores from falling back into the clutches of traffickers,” announced Anais Deprade, a spokeswoman for the international medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).

“European governments can no longer pretend that Libya is a place of safety where refugees and migrants rescued at sea can be disembarked,” she added.

Germany plans to hold Libya summit

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Germany plans to hold a summit concerning Libya on January 19, two participants in the preparatory negotiations claimed today.

The Turkish presidency announced that Tayyip Erdogan will come to Berlin for a one-day visit on January 19, but gave no further details.

Erdogan’s presence is essential to the success of any conference on Libya, since Ankara’s decision to deploy military advisers and possibly troops there has made it a major player in the country’s long-running civil war.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced the summit on Saturday, adding that the United Nations will lead talks if a meeting takes place in Berlin. She also added that the aim is to give Libya the chance to become sovereign and peaceful.

GECOL: the maintenance of war-affected areas

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The General Electricity Company of Libya (GECOL) will start its maintenance of power transmission lines damaged by the war in south Tripoli, after the ceasefire announcement , director of the GECOL media department Mohamed Takouri announced.

In a press statement, Al-Takouri ensured consumers that the power output in the stations is continuous and sufficient.

He explained that the reasons for the blackouts and load shedding hours were due to the inability of the maintenance teams to enter areas of clashes in order to repair the damaged transmission lines .

Peace talks in Moscow

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 Libya’s warring rival leaders will hold peace talks in Moscow today alongside representatives from Russia and Turkey, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced.

It will be attended by Khalifa Haftar and Fayez al-Serraj, Russian news agencies reported. Russia and Turkey’s foreign and defence ministers will also take part in the talks

Lev Dengov, the head of the Russian contact group on Libya, claimed that the two parts will discuss “the possibility of signing a truce and the details of such a document,” Interfax reported.

Tripoli: ceasefire violated

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The libyan conflicted parties accused each other after a violation of ceasefire in Tripoli. GNA’s Presidency Council reported that the ceasefire was violated within hours of its start by the pro Khalifa Hafter forces in Ain Zara and Wadi Rabea, thus, they called on UNSMIL along with the sponsors of the ceasefire to ensure its full implementation.

Yet, sample reports from Tripoli announced that, overall, the firing decreased.

In addition, the fact that the Libyan Civil Aviation authority claimed that the reopening of Mitiga airport is an evidence that there is enough confidence in the ceasefire to send passenger flights into Tripoli’s skies.

New convention uniting Libyan and Algerian Red Crescent

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Today, the Libyan Red Crescent signed a partnership agreement with Algeria’s Red Crescent in order to strengthen cooperation between the two sides in humanitarian field.

Algerian Red Crescent President, Saida Benhabiles, declared that the Libyan delegation will stay in Algeria from today (Saturday) to next Monday.

Last Saturday, the Libyan authorities received more than 100 tons of humanitarian aids from Algeria, consisting mainly of foodstuffs, medicines, clothing and electric generators.

Discredit of Misurata and Al Khums Ports’ closure

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The GNA’s presidential Council denied the instructions announced by the Ports and Maritime Transport Authority to close Misurata and Al Khums Ports, confirming that they operate in a regular process.

A Council statement issued today on the GNA’s official page emphasized that what was published regarding threats by the general command forces is incorrect, confirming that these ports work in a normal process and under the control of all the relevant international mechanisms.