Why Is Oil Considered a Commodity

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ilWhy is oil considered to be a commodity? Oil is considered to be a commodity because it can be produced by several companies and all these companies produce the good at the same level of quality. Therefore, there is no product differentiation. However, goods like a pair of jeans would not be considered a commodity because they are produced by various companies with various levels of quality. However, a product like oil is a commodity because it has to pass a certain standard of approval. Only specific goods can be classified as commodities. A commodity specifically applies to a good that has been created with human labour with which can be traded in markets for sale. What has happened to the demand for oil over the past couple of years and why? The demand for oil has increased over the past couple of years due to an ever growing population. In some countries the demand for oil has decreased as countries are trying to find alternatives to this finite resource. The demand for oil in the long run at present is relatively inelastic because no matter how much oil costs, people will still purchase it because it is a good without any particularly “effective substitutes” – there are sources such as biodiesel, gasohol etc. The energy market has been constantly changing due to global unrest between nations such as Israel and Iran which are some of the largest oil producers in the world have meant there have been times of high prices. The rate of economic growth in China has slowed down compared to what it was originally therefore affecting the level of demand of oil needed by businesses in the secondary industry. A slowdown in economic growth in China has caused a large decrease in global demand, since the Chinese make one of the biggest importers globally. The fact of the matter is that the high demand for oil has led to lower prices in the past. But in recent times,

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