One of the side effects of President Donald Trump’s escalating trade dispute with China is that U.S. exports of crude oil to the world’s biggest importer are now viewed through the prism of politics. However, this ignores that buyers and sellers of crude are generally more motivated by profit margins and getting the right grades of oil to maximize the productivity of their plants. While it’s true they can’t disregard politics, and this is especially the case for the state-controlled Chinese majors, it’s worth looking at the economics of the U.S.-China crude trade as well. U.S. crude exports to China appear set to slow dramatically in September, with vessel-tracking data compiled by Thomson Reuters Oil Research and Forecasts showing about 6.12 […]