国际油价周四（20日）再次下跌，每桶低于50美元。反映出人们对世界经济的信心降到了一个新低点。
仅在四个月前，国际原油价格曾飙升到每桶147美元。
但在周四，美国轻质原油和英国布伦特原油价格降到每桶50美元以下。分别为每桶49.75美元和48.90美元。
这是自2005年五月以来首次降到每桶50美元以下。这比今年七月时的高油价便宜了大约三分之二。
尽管油价在稍后略有回升，但分析人士认为，经济下滑的另一个迹象就是人们对石油的需求减少。
需求减少
最近，石油输出国组织欧佩克采取减产措施，每天减产150万桶原油，以确保油价的稳定。
但即便如此，油价还是呈下跌趋势。11月29日，欧佩克成员国将再次开会，讨论是否进一步减少产油量。
星期三，美国联邦储备局说，它预计美国经济在明年头半年将继续萎缩，加剧了人们对原油需求减少的担忧。
美国能源信息管理局周三公布的数字显示，美国原油储备上周增长了160万桶，是原先预期的两倍。
与此同时，来自日本的数据显示，日本10月份录得三个月以来的第二个贸易赤字，出口同比下降了7.7%。
随着全球经济出现大范围放缓，投资者开始把投资目标从商品转向现金。
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7740000/newsid_7740500/7740590.stm
Oil price goes below $50 a barrel
Oil prices have fallen below $50 a barrel for the first time since May 2005 amid fears of a recession and expectations that demand will drop.
US light sweet crude fell to $49.75, while London-traded Brent crude fell to $48.90 a barrel.
The price of oil is around two-thirds cheaper than in July, when it hit a record above $147 a barrel.
Members of oil cartel Opec are to meet on November 29, after opting to cut output by 1.5 million barrels per day.
"The lack of any positive news on the demand front as well as continued global economic turmoil continues to result in a dearth of bullish news," said Jonathan Kornafel, Asia director of Hudson Capital Energy.
On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve said it expected the US economy to shrink in the first half of next year, adding to fears over lower demand for fuel.
Figures from the Energy Information Administration released on Wednesday showed US stocks of crude oil increased by 1.6 million barrels last week - twice as much as expected.
Meanwhile figures from Japan showed the country experienced its second trade deficit in three months in October, with exports 7.7% lower year-on-year.
Amid signs of the wider slowdown, investors and hedge funds have been turning to cash, and away from commodities.
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