Key Currency Exchange Rates for Friday, 8/14/20

National Average Price for Regular Unleaded Current: $3.480; Month Ago: $3.301; Year Ago: $2.491. National Average Price for Diesel Current: $3.876; Month Ago: $3.586; Year Ago: $2.727.

The war of words over trade between the United States and China finally turned into an actual trade war Friday, after the administration of President Donald Trump announced a list of goods whose import from China, worth $50 billion in 2017, would be subject to an additional tariff of 25 percent. Among the retaliatory measures announced by the Asian country was the proposed imposition of tariffs on imports of petroleum products from the U.S., a move that sent domestic crude oil prices crashing. The fall in WTI crude is not in tandem with the global benchmark, Brent crude, which was trading about 0.7 percent higher Monday morning than a day before. The two prices are separated by a few dollars, Brent usually costing more, but that gap has increased in recent weeks for a number of reasons. However, the different directions in trade at present are caused largely by China’s announcement. Click Read More below for additional information.

American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear issued the following statement about the California Air Resources Board’s new Clean Truck Partnership: “We’ve long advocated for a single, national standard that respects and preserves interstate commerce. However, the trucking industry shouldn’t be strong armed by the government into an agreement with such terms. “Our association represents motor carrier members – the paying customers who will inherit the costs of this agreement – and we will not roll over nor relinquish our right to litigate with any party when our interests are threatened. It is clear that America has lost its way when the government bullies the private sector to succumb to unachievable timelines, targets and technologies.”