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Commodity Online

NEW DELHI: UN Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) said, world crude oil prices are likely to go down on a slower industrial growth this year.

The UNESCAP however said, food prices would continue to remain high fuelling inflationary pressure in 2008.

Oil prices are expected to decline from the record levels in 2008 due to slow pace of industrial growth, led by the United States, said the UN Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific

It further pointed out that major currency in the Asian region, including rupee, would continue to appreciate against the dollar, driven by the unwinding of large US imbalances with the rest of the world and the turmoil in global financial markets .

Referring to frequent rate cuts by Federal Reserve, the survey said Countries in the region will face twin blows reduced demand and less competitive exports to the US .

Although the currency appreciation sheltered the Asian economies from high oil and food prices, it dealt a blow to the competitiveness of exports .

The survey said the countries whose currencies appreciated the most faced intensive competition from low cost producers in low technology manufactured goods and agriculture commodities.