이란 산 원유 수입 전면 금지, 한국 영향은?
The U.S. pulled out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal last year, reinstating sanctions on Tehran, including import ban on Iranian oil.
Eight countries, namely South Korea, China, India, Japan, Taiwan, Turkey, Italy and Greece were granted temporary sanctions waiver on Iranian oil. Three of them, Greece, Italy, and Taiwan, stopped importing oil when Trump pulled out of the Iranian deal. But the remaining five, including South Korea, asked for an extension on the waivers.
Now, Washington officially has said, the time is up, and the waivers will end for those countries as of May 2nd.
With global oil prices surging at the news,... today we go in-depth on the impact of Iranian oil waiver termination on the Korean economy.
For that, Dr. Song Se-ryeon, law Professor at Kyung Hee University now joins us in the studio.
1. Washington's big announcement has certainly shook the world, with many countries and the global market swiftly reacting to the news. The Trump administration has explained that this was aimed at blocking Iran's main source of revenue. What do you think are some of the main reasons behind the decision?
2. Eight countries, including South Korea, were granted sanctions waiver for 180 days in November last year, meaning they could import Iranian oil during that period of time. Why were the eight countries given special exemptions?
3. What would happen if any country imported Iranian oil after May 2nd?
4. Immediately following Washington's announcement, global oil prices soared to its highest since October, last year on fears over reduced oil supply. How do you forecast the impact on oil prices from this point on? How long before the prices settle again?
5. Countries that rely heavily on Iranian oil will be hit hard once we enter the month of May. The biggest importer of Iranian oil is China. South Korea is also one of the largest importers of Iranian oil. How badly would our firms be affected?
6. China and Turkey are already making stern objections to the Trump administration's decision to end waivers on Iranian oil. If the exempted countries make a strong, collective voice, could that be a game-changer?
7. It looks like increased oil supply from other petropowers is critical at this point, to mitigate the impact on global oil prices. How are the oil-producing countries reacting so far?
8. The South Korean government has said it will try its best to make its stance clear on the issue. Nonetheless, counter measures are deemed necessary to mitigate the impact on South Korean firms, as well as our economy.
9. The U.S. has emphasized maximum pressure on Iran when making the announcement. Many argue that this also sends an indirect message to North Korea. What's your take on this?
