Crude oil prices have nearly doubled since December amid the ultralax monetary policies of central banks and moves by speculators toward riskier assets, and gasoline prices have already started to rise.
Predicting price volatility, some experts are concerned that if the price of crude oil goes any higher, it may affect households and companies and hamper what some see as a fragile economic recovery.
Norihiro Fujito, senior investment strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Securities Co., suggested higher oil prices will negatively affect personal consumption and corporate profits. Airlines may also reimpose fuel surcharges, Fujito warned.