Seminar paper from the year 2014 in the subject Business economics - Trade and Distribution, grade: 1,7, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, language: English, abstract: After oil was discovered in the late 19th century, oil prices were primarily determined first by the major petroleum companies and then by the oil-exporting nations, who joined forces in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). In the 1960s, the market-oriented pricing system was adopted and since then oil prices are primarily formed by supply and demand. Oil prices are characterized by permanent price fluctuations. Especially rapid price rises and longer-term fluctuations are at the focus of many scientific work. Because oil is an indispensable resource for the global economy, the question arises after the economic impacts of such price developments. While oil- exporting countries benefit from strong price rises, oil- importing countries, with emerging countries leading the way, are negatively affected. The interplay of these opposite effects and the global economic situation are crucial for the net effect on global economy.