International oil prices pulled back on August 13 after recent strong gains as weaker 2026 demand forecasts from OPEC and the IEA and a larger-than-expected 17.4 million-barrel build in U.S. crude inventories weighed on sentiment. WTI fell about 1.6% to $81.9 a barrel and Brent touched $87.6, while Japan's domestic crude futures also declined, with the front-month January 2027 contract opening 510 yen lower at 74,530 yen per kiloliter. In China, Zhuochuang Information expects a fifth retail fuel price cut of 2026 when the pricing window opens at midnight on August 14, lowering the cost of filling a 70-liter private car tank by about 11 yuan. Losses in oil were limited by continued shipping disruption around the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, leaving the market caught between softer demand expectations and persistent geopolitical supply risks.