Life looks grimmer for 消費者s

By JIM ARMITAGE
Updated: 00:00 BST, 23 December 2002

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CONSUMER 信用／信任 has 低迷d to its lowest level since the 石油 危機 in 2000, によれば a 投票 today, which brought fresh bad Christmas tidings for retailers. The 影響力のある GfK 調査する （機の）カム on a 騒然とした day for 全世界の markets as the oil price 急に上がるd and the dollar fell on 恐れるs about war with Iraq and the political 危機 in oil-rich Venezuela.

London oil 仲買人s are 異常に 存在 told to be at their d esks for late 転換s on Tuesday and on ボクシング Day to 対処する with the volatility.

信用／信任 の中で British 消費者s fell はっきりと, with people nearly as 暗い／優うつな as they were in the 影響 of the 9.11 attacks. GfK's headline 手段 fell by six points to minus four. Asked 特に about the 経済的な 気候, people were at their most 悲観的な since 1995.

一方／合間, 天然のまま oil jumped to $29.10 a バーレル／樽 before 辛勝する／優位ing 支援する to $28.97, up seven cents on the day, 反映するing 即座の 関心s about the 激烈な 生産／産物 削減（する）s in Venezuela and longer-称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語 war worries.

天然のまま is still below the $34 a バーレル／樽 reached during the 石油 危機 two years ago, but prices have 増加するd by 40% this year. Some commentators 予報する 天然のまま prices could 攻撃する，衝突する their highest since the 1970s energy 危機 if a war in Iraq does not go 正確に／まさに to 計画（する）.

The dollar fell はっきりと on 関心s about US 介入 in Iraq. Against the 続けざまに猛撃する it fell to two-and-a-half-year lows at $1.6015 before a modest 回復.

一方／合間, Britain's 甚だしい／１２ダース 国内の 製品 for the third ４半期/4分の1 （機の）カム in higher than City 期待s at 0.9%, によれば 国家の 統計（学）' final 見積（る）.