EUROPE GAS-Prices continue to fall on global trade fears, warmer temperatures

LONDON, April 7 (Reuters) - Dutch and British gas prices continued to fall on Monday morning as warmer temperatures and fears of a global trade war leading to weaker energy demand weighed on the market.

The benchmark Dutch front-month contract TRNLTTFMc1 was down 1.75 euros to 34.70 euros per megawatt hour (MWh) or $11.19/mmBtu by 0817 GMT, LSEG data showed.

The contract hit 33.65 euros/MWh earlier, its lowest level since September 2024.

The Dutch June contract TRNLTTFMc2 was down 1.92 euros at 34.83 euros/MWh.

The British day-ahead contract TRGBNBBD1 was down 4.25 pence at 85.25p/therm.

U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff plans hammered global financial markets on Monday after he warned foreign governments they would have to pay "a lot of money" to lift the levies that he called "medicine".

“These tariffs include a 20% levy on goods from the European Union, which has led to concerns about economic slowdown and reduced industrial activity in Europe. This has contributed to the bearish sentiment in the gas market,” LSEG analyst Oleh Skrynyk said in a daily market report.

The benchmark contract fell around 9% on Friday as China announced reciprocal tariffs on U.S. goods, escalating a trade war that has led investors to price in a higher probability of recession.

Expectations of warmer temperatures were also weighing on the gas market.

"Gas demand in Local Distribution Zones (LDZ) continued to drop amid above-normal temperatures in most European countries," analyst at Engie EnergyScan said in a daily research note.

Europe’s gas storage sites ended the winter heating season on March 31 almost two-thirds empty and the current weak prices are expected to encourage more injections into storage.

"Fears of being able to refill gas storages this summer have taken a change with advantage being taken to get that process underway," consultancy Auxilione said in a daily research note.

In the European carbon market, the benchmark contract CFI2Zc1 was down 3.51 euros at 60.31 euros a metric ton.