The Esso Fawley Oil Refinery, operated by Exxon Mobil, stands in Fawley, U.K., on Thursday, May 14, 2020.
The surprise output cut by OPEC and its allies sent oil prices rallying — and analysts say major oil importers like India, Japan and South Korea will feel the most pain if prices hit $100 per barrel, as some have predicted.
On Sunday, OPEC+ announced a production cut of 1.16 million barrels per day, in a move that oil markets were not expecting.
"It's a tax on every oil importing economy," said Pavel Molchanov, managing director of private investment bank Raymond James.
The voluntary cuts by countries in the oil cartel are set to start in May and last till the end of 2023.