Crude oil prices are expected to remain around $90 a barrel through the
April–June quarter before easing toward pre-conflict levels, according to Mizuho
Securities economists. “There is higher-than-usual uncertainty about how
crude-oil volatility will be passed through to downstream consumer prices,
particularly in the current environment where corporate price-setting behavior
is changing," they said. The Bank of Japan has flagged upside inflation risks as
firms grow more willing to pass on higher costs to consumers.
