Chile, the world’s No. 1 copper producer, will boost its output of the red metal to 5.54 million metric tons in 2034, representing a 5.6% increase from 2023, state-run copper commission Cochilco said on Wednesday.
Source – Reuters
BHP warned Thursday that a tariff war could slow the global economy and disrupt world trade, as the world’s biggest miner reported a slight decline in quarterly iron ore production and a 10% rise in copper output due to higher volumes from the giant Escondida mine in Chile.
“Despite the limited direct impact of tariffs on BHP, the implication of slower economic growth and a fragmented trading environment could be more significant,” CEO Mike Henry said. “China’s ability to shift toward a consumption-led economy and for trade flows to adapt to the new environment will be key to sustaining the global outlook.”
Source – Seeking Alpha
The South African rand strengthened on Tuesday, helped by the gold price extending its historic run to a new all-time peak.
At 0814 GMT, the rand traded at 18.0175 against the dollar , about 0.4% stronger than its previous close.
“At some point a gold price that continues to rise will excite local miners to make a greater effort to mine difficult-to-reach gold deposits. What may not have looked viable several years ago must be looking interesting now,” said ETM Analytics in a research note.
Source – Reuters
South African rand – is the official currency of South Africa. 1 South African Rand is $0.055 USD.
One gold and four silver pieces are being made available for collectors, the Royal Mint said, and they will be presented through auction via Stack’s Bowers Galleries.
“Each coin available at auction is a testament to the exceptional skills of our craftspeople at the Royal Mint.
“Taking hundreds of hours to produce, the masterworks crafted from gold and silver feature highlights from Paul’s career and his journey to becoming one of Britain’s most successful artists in history.
“The impressive five-kilogram gold coin has also been hand signed by Paul during his Got Back tour at the end of last year – a symbol of his personal seal of approval of this iconic one-of-one piece.”
People can bid for the coins online up until March 19, when the auction ends, with bidding starting at one US dollar.
Source – The Irish News
“The uncertainty surrounding Trump’s first measures as U.S. president fuelled demand for gold as a safe haven. This can be seen, among other things, in the strong inflow of more than 10 tons into the world’s largest and most liquid gold ETF on Friday,” Commerzbank Research said.
“The uncertainty as to whether tariffs will be introduced on gold and silver has already left visible traces on the Comex in recent weeks. In addition, the price premium for gold on the Comex has widened significantly compared to the spot price in London.”
Source – Seeking Alpha
A bevy of tariff headlines this week along with geopolitical worries has left investors wary and weary, taking stocks lower in Asian hours, gold to a record peak and the yen to its highest in over two months as sentiment remains fragile.
The risk-off mood meant the yen – already underpinned by rising odds of the Bank of Japan hiking rates again – was the main mover among currencies, hitting its highest level since early December and was last at 150.48 per dollar.
Both Citi and Goldman raised their target price on gold this month, predicting it to breach the $3,000 mark. A large part of the reason behind the bullishness is sustained demand from central banks. Perhaps in these uncertain times, gold is all that shines.
Source – Reuters
Gold prices firmed on Wednesday as weaker-than-expected jobs data fueled hopes of the U.S. Federal Reserve cutting rates sooner than anticipated, while investors also awaited the upcoming non-farm payrolls report for further cues on monetary policy
Spot gold was up 0.3% at $3,348.60 per ounce, as of 0151 p.m. EDT (1751 GMT). U.S. gold futures settled 0.3% higher at $3,359.7.
Spot silver rose 1.2% to $36.49 per ounce, platinum was up 4.6% at $1,413.40, while palladium gained nearly 5.2% to $1,157.09.
Source – Reuters