Indonesia’s government may allow Freeport McMoRan (NYSE:FCX) to export ~1M tons of copper concentrate, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said Friday.
Freeport Indonesia (FCX) has been seeking permission to export copper concentrate after it was forced to stop copper cathode production at its new smelter in Gresik after a fire broke out at its gas cleaning unit in October.
Source – Seeking Alpha
Spot gold was up 0.3% at $3,336.33 an ounce, as of 1224 GMT, after falling to a low of $3,301.54 earlier in the session. U.S. gold futures were up 0.1% at $3,357.20.
“Gold found some floor amid dip-buying, though the uptick lacked bullish conviction. Fiscal concerns and Fed rate cut bets are the catalyst for a recovery in the prices,” said Jigar Trivedi, senior commodity analyst at Reliance Securities.
Spot silver was steady at $36.72 per ounce, hovering near a more than 13-year high. Platinum eased 0.1% to $1,218.85, after hitting its highest level since May 2021. Palladium lost 1.4% to $1,059.02.
Source – Reuters
Silver climbed as much as 3.1% to exceed $33 an ounce, while gold headed for a seventh weekly gain — the longest run since August 2020.
The president has already imposed 10% levies on Chinese goods and plans to slap 25% duties on all US steel and aluminum imports next month.
Spot silver rose 2.9% to $33.284 an ounce by 1:20 p.m. in London, taking this week’s gains to 4.6%. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell 0.2%. Gold, platinum and palladium were little changed.
Source – Bloomberg
2 reasons. The most important reason is that we think that central bank demand for gold, will structure your main higher.
The second reason is gold is a great hedge against tariff escalation concerns about debt sustainability. Daan Struyven, Goldman Sachs co-head of global commodities research
Source – CNBC / Video
Copper prices in the U.S. have surged ahead of those in the rest of world and hit a record last week, a sign the mere threat of tariffs is lifting costs for domestic manufacturers.
Benchmark U.S. copper futures ended Monday at $5.02 a pound, up 26% this year. That compares with an 11% gain to $9,673 a metric ton, or about $4.39 a pound, on the London Metal Exchange, which is the global trading hub.
U.S. copper futures have been the top performer among major commodities in the first quarter. Prices for the industrial metal last week topped the record set in May but have since pulled back. Copper’s gains have outpaced the 21% rise in lumber futures, which was also fueled by uncertainty over tariffs.
Source – Wall Street Journal
The Silver price (XAG/USD) attracts some sellers to around $39.00 during the early European session on Friday. Optimism surrounding the US trade deal allayed trade war concerns and dampened demand for safe-haven assets.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Friday that US President Donald Trump is now pursuing dealmaking with China. Trump might shift from a strategy of pressure to negotiation, with the goal of securing an economic agreement that will increase US access to Chinese markets, particularly in business and technology.
Source – FX Street
