Investing.com -- European natural gas prices have seen an increase in early trading but are set for a weekly loss exceeding 7%.

The market is currently contending with the potential effects of a slower economic growth and trade disruptions. The Dutch TTF contract, a benchmark in the industry, has risen 1.4% to 33.75 euros per megawatt hour.

This comes after U.S. President Trump put a temporary 90-day halt on reciprocal tariffs for most countries, while increasing duties on China.

In addition to these challenges, Europe is preparing for a particularly difficult stockpiling season this year.

The European gas transmission group Entsog has issued a warning, stating it is "critical" to begin refilling inventories as soon as possible. The group also noted that the continent will need a larger volume of liquefied natural gas (LNG) this summer compared to previous years.

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