Chilean state miner Codelco, the world’s largest copper producer, is targeting production of 1.391 million metric tons of the red metal this year, according to an unpublished government decree approving its 2025 budget reviewed by Reuters.
In calculating its budget, Codelco forecast a copper price of $4.30 per pound and expects a cash cost of $1.98 per pound, the document showed.
Source – Reuters
Gold prices edged higher on Thursday, as markets closely tracked developments in U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff plans, which could ignite a global trade war, while investors awaited crucial U.S. data due later in the day.
Spot gold was up 0.2% at $2,908.50 per ounce, as of 0240 GMT. Bullion hit a record peak of $2,942.70 on Tuesday. U.S. gold futures firmed 0.3% to $2,936.50.
“Gold continues to serve as a key diversifier amid trade uncertainties, as market participants seek to mitigate portfolio volatility,” IG market strategist Yeap Jun Rong said.
Spot silver rose 0.2% to $32.29 per ounce, platinum gained 0.2% to $994.75 and palladium firmed 0.5% to $978.46.
Source – Reuters
A Malian court has adjourned to Thursday a hearing on whether to put Barrick Mining’s Loulo-Gounkoto gold complex under provisional administration, the court’s registry office and one of the lawyers involved told Reuters on Monday.
Granting the request would represent a major escalation of a dispute between the West African country and the Canadian miner after operations at the complex were suspended in January in a dispute over taxes and ownership.
Barrick has said it can only resume operations when the Malian government removes restrictions on gold exports.
The government has renegotiated agreements with other multinational miners under the new mining law. Four Barrick employees have been detained since November 2024 and an arrest warrant was issued for Chief Executive Mark Bristow in December 2024.
Source – Reuters
Source – MSN
Gold price have risen from Wednesday’s record close, propelled by fears that Trump’s tariffs will continue to hammer stocks and expectations that central banks will continue to hoard the precious metal. Gold futures for April delivery settled Wednesday at $3,139.90 a troy ounce, the latest notch in their 19% climb this year.
Source – The Wall Street Journal
“The precious metal pushed back above $2,600/oz, suggesting the market saw the selloff as overdone,” ANZ Research analysts said in a note to clients. “Nevertheless, the market will take some time to adjust to the pivot the Fed appears to have taken on rates.”
Source – BARRONS
Central banks worldwide are on track to buy 1,000 metric tons of gold in 2025, which would be their fourth year of massive purchases as they diversify reserves from dollar-denominated assets into bullion, consultancy Metals Focus said.
The price rally has so far kept purchases by central banks, a crucial category of demand, unaffected with the first-quarter buying in line with the 2022-24 quarterly average, Metals Focus said in its annual report on Thursday.
Jewelry demand for bullion has been hit hard by the price rally. Gold jewelry fabrication fell 9% to 2,011 tons in 2024 and is expected to deliver a 16% slump this year with India and China accounting for much of this decline.
Source – Reuters
