Oil prices were flat in Asian trade Friday as investors tracked developments surrounding a looming military strike against Syria and awaited the release of U.S. jobs data, analysts said.

New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate for delivery in October, was up two cents to $108.39 in afternoon trade, while Brent North Sea crude for October added one cent to $115.27.

Germany's trade surplus narrowed in July as exports weakened, data published by the federal statistics office Destatis showed on Friday.

In seasonally adjusted terms, Germany exported goods worth 90.3 billion euros ($118.6 billion) in July, down from 91.2 billion euros in June, Destatis calculated in a statement.

Hong Kong's de-facto central bank warned Friday that the city must not "sit on its laurels" if it wants to remain a global financial center after plans for China's first free trade zone were revealed.

Draft proposals for the free trade zone (FTZ) in Shanghai, seen by Agence France Presse, showed that the zone goes beyond greater liberalization of trade to take in investment and financial services -- including free currency convertibility.

The Turkish lira fell to another record low level against the dollar on Thursday, and the government said it would revise down its forecast for growth this year.

The lira fell to 2.0800 to the dollar in morning trading, from 2.0580 at Wednesday's close.

The International Monetary Fund warned the Group of 20 Wednesday that emerging economies were slowing more than expected and under pressure from U.S. plans to slow its stimulus.

In a report prepared for the two-day summit of the G20 major economies that opens Thursday in St. Petersburg, Russia, the IMF said that recent indicators pointed to stronger growth in several advanced countries, but key emerging economies have slowed.

The European Central Bank will face a dilemma at its policy meeting on Thursday as the nascent recovery in the crisis-stricken euro area remains extremely vulnerable to setbacks.

The ECB is not expected to unveil any policy changes when its policy-setting governing council convenes on Thursday morning.

Oil prices rose in Asian trade Thursday as U.S. President Barack Obama cleared the first legislative hurdle in his race to win congressional backing for military strikes on Syria.

New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate for delivery in October, gained 31 cents to $107.54 in afternoon trade, while Brent North Sea crude for October gained 23 cents to $115.14.

Overland oil shipments to NATO troops in landlocked Afghanistan resumed through Pakistan on Wednesday under tighter security after a five-month suspension due to attacks, Pakistani officials said.

Pakistani contractors had stopped driving oil supplies from the port of Karachi on the Arabian Sea to the Torkham crossing on the Afghan border due to frequent attacks on their vehicles.

New data on Wednesday confirmed that the eurozone escaped an 18-month recession in the second quarter but the outlook is difficult and the bloc still lags well behind in global terms.

Analysts welcomed the figures, which reinforce other survey findings, but were also cautious as the debt crisis continues to sap the economy and unemployment runs at record highs.

The price of oil stayed above $108 a barrel on Wednesday after President Barack Obama secured the support of key U.S. politicians for a retaliatory strike against Syria.

Benchmark oil for October delivery was down 30 cents to $108.24 per barrel at midday Bangkok time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil rose above $108 a barrel Tuesday as Obama won the support of key Republicans for military action against Syria.