While no official tariff has been imposed, the price gap between the CME and London Metal Exchange (LME) contracts has widened sharply, with CME copper trading at a premium exceeding $1,000 per metric ton. This suggests the market is pricing in at least a 10% tariff, though a 25% duty, similar to those on aluminum and steel, remains a possibility.
Source – Econo Times
Quarter dollars in the set are produced at the San Francisco Mint and will feature reverse designs recognizing, in order of release, Ida B. Wells, a founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America; Dr. Vera Rubin, trailblazing astronomer; Stacey Park Milbern, disabilities rights advocate; and Althea Gibson, accomplished amateur tennis player and professional golfer.
The clad composition comprises outer layers of an alloy of 75% copper and 25% nickel bonded to a core of pure copper.
Source – Coin World
London Metal Exchange (LME) three-month copper slumped to a 17-month low of $8,105 per metric ton on April 7 after China responded to U.S. tariffs in kind.
Citi, which now expects copper to hit $8,000 per ton over the next three months, warns that commodity markets are still not pricing the full potential impact on demand.
Copper as a macro play cannot but reflect the broader market concerns about the negative impact of an escalating trade war between the United States and China on the world economy.
But at a micro level, the specific threat of U.S. tariffs on the metal is pulling normal trade patterns out of shape and causing both LME and Shanghai exchange inventories to fall.
Source – Reuters
Spot gold was down 1.2% at $2,882.49 an ounce as of 09:42 a.m. ET (1442 GMT), after hitting its lowest level since February 12 earlier in the session. Prices hit a record high of $2,956.15 on Monday, driven by safe-haven flows.
“The direction of gold is very evident, and these short-term bumps and some profit taking is just a normal part of the cycle,” said Alex Ebkarian, chief operating officer at Allegiance Gold.
Spot silver retreated 0.5% to $31.67 an ounce, platinum fell 0.9% to $957.10 and palladium dropped 0.9% to $917.96.
Source – Reuters
Gold prices dipped for a second straight session on Monday as U.S.-China trade tensions eased, and the market awaited data due this week.
Spot gold was down 0.6% at $3,297.10 an ounce as of 09:27 a.m. ET (1327 GMT). U.S. gold futures rose 0.3% to $3,307.80.
“The broader gold forecast and price direction remains constructive, even with some of its haven appeal diminishing,” said Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst at City Index and FOREX.com.
“Until we witness clear patterns of lower highs, lower lows, and firm trade agreements rather than more political bluster from the Trump administration, the prospect of fresh highs for gold cannot be dismissed.”
Spot silver eased 0.1% to $33.04, platinum gained 1.8% to $988.90 and palladium added 0.8% to $956.35.
Source – Reuters
Trump announced 25% tariffs on all vehicles and foreign-made auto parts imported into the United States late on Wednesday, prompting heavy losses in Japanese and South Korean stocks in Asian trading overnight.
General Motors slumped 6%, while shares in Ford fell almost 5%, reflecting concerns about the impact on their supply chains.
“Uncertainty on the tariff front remains high, which is really tough for both businesses but also investors to plan into the future, and of course it’s making it really difficult for investors to price risk,” said Baylee Wakefield, a multi-asset portfolio manager at Aviva Investors.
Gold prices rose, up 0.7% on the day at $3,040 an ounce. Goldman Sachs raised its gold price forecast on Wednesday, citing stronger-than-expected ETF inflows and sustained central bank demand.
Source – Reuters
