Chilean miner Antofagasta said on Wednesday its copper production rose 11% to 314,900 metric tons in the first half of 2025, on higher production from its two concentrators.
The London-listed company left guidance for full-year copper output unchanged between 660,000 and 700,000 tons.
Source – Reuters
Citi anticipates an eventual implementation of a 25% copper-specific tariff by the fourth quarter of 2025, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order initiating an investigation into U.S. copper imports, the bank said in a note on Wednesday.
Source – Reuters
President Trump and the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have now targeted the San Francisco Mint for closure in a bid to sell the real estate on which the National Register of Historic Places structure stands, theoretically to reduce government expenses.
Mint-wide, the bureau has already trimmed more than 100 full-time staffers, with an edict from DOGE to trim another 200, while the bureau wrestles with vacancies, some of which still need to be filled. Many of the positions trimmed were resolved through resignations and retirements.
Closing the San Francisco Mint could affect the production of many numismatic products, such as Proof sets, silver Proof sets, Proof commemorative coins and Matte silver presidential medals.
Source – Coin World
Follow up to Gold and Silver may be adopted as legal tender in Florida
Sponsored by Senator Rodriguez, Senate Bill 132 aims to redefine financial transactions, taxation, and payment of debts using these alternative forms of currency.
The legislation would also exempt transactions involving gold, silver, and related currencies from taxation. The move reflects a growing interest in alternative monetary systems as a hedge against economic uncertainties.
The proposed bill includes several significant measures:
・Definition of Legal Tender:
・Tax Exemptions:
・Government Acceptance:
・Prohibition on Compulsion:
・Regulatory Framework:
If passed, SB 132 would make Florida one of the few states to officially recognize gold, silver, and digital currencies as legal tender.
Source – Tampa Free Press
China’s gold reserves rose to 73.61 million fine troy ounces at the end of February from 73.45 million at the end of January, as the central bank kept buying the precious metal for a fourth straight month.
“The PBOC’s purchases are an important factor underpinning gold, so a continuation of its buying in February could help to build further strength behind the gold price,” said Frank Watson, market analyst at Kinesis Money.
“Unlike investors, central banks are relatively price insensitive to gold and tend to buy as part of a restructuring of their reserve holdings,” Watson said.
Source – Reuters
In a landmark victory for coin dealers, collectors, and investors, the Kentucky General Assembly has overridden Governor Andy Beshear’s veto of House Bill 2, officially enacting a sales-tax exemption for currency, bullion, and coins.
Introduced Jan. 10, 2025, HB 2 passed the House with a 76–17 vote and the Senate with a 30–6 vote earlier this year. The veto override, finalized on March 27 with an 80-19 vote in the House and an 31-6 vote in the Senate, marks the successful conclusion of a year-long effort to protect Kentucky taxpayers.
Source – Coin World
Silver prices in India ended the week higher, closing at ₹1,01,522 per kg on Friday, March 28, 2025. The metal gained ₹209 (0.21%) on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) for May delivery, with a turnover of 22,870 lots.
Silver remains one of the top-performing assets of FY25, delivering a 35.56% return, surpassing gold (+31.37%), Nifty (+5.29%), and Sensex (+4.96%).
Max Layton, Global Head of Commodities at Citi, expects silver to trade between $34-$35 per ounce over the next 3-6 months.
Source – CNBC TV18
