Indonesia has restricted raw material exports to pressure companies to refine minerals locally and add value to its exports. Freeport has local refining capacity, but is seeking to keep exporting concentrate due to a fire last October at its Manyar smelterin East Java.
Should exports resume, it will relieve, although not reverse, a shortage of copper concentrate that has hit the profits of smelters.
Source – Reuters
January 1, 2026, a significant regulatory shift took hold in Washington State, fundamentally altering the landscape for physical metal investors. The implementation of Engrossed Senate Substitute Bill (ESSB) 5794 officially repealed the state’s long-standing sales tax exemption on precious metal bullion and monetized coins. For the first time since 1985, residents in the Evergreen State must now pay a statewide 6.5% sales tax—plus local surtaxes that can push the total levy as high as 10.6%—on every ounce of gold or silver they acquire.
The most immediate losers of this policy shift are the brick-and-mortar dealers within Washington State. Historically, these businesses drew customers from across the Pacific Northwest, but they now face a stark competitive disadvantage against neighboring Oregon, which has no sales tax, and Idaho, which maintains its bullion exemption.
Source – Financial Content
Devastating to learn that Washington’s 40 years of no tax on gold and silver has taken effect this year. We are in March now since this has started but what a shame for this to have happened. I hope all businesses stay strong and speak to those who can help change this tax law back to the way it was. Good luck!
-V.
The U.S. Federal Reserve jolted markets with an unexpectedly hawkish set of projections for the path of interest rates next year, setting gold prices up for a blow — but analysts told CNBC they still see solid support for the precious metal in 2025.
The Fed’s “dot plot,” a gauge of policymakers’ outlook, now suggests the Fed will cut interest rates twice in 2025, compared with four quarter-point cuts previously expected in September, when concerns about the weakening labor market were front-of-mind. The big concern for the central bank is now whether the policies of incoming President-elect Donald Trump — particularly his threat of sweeping trade tariffs — will prove inflationary.
Source – CNBC
Gold prices ticked higher on Tuesday as focus turned to U.S. jobs and inflation data, that could influence the Federal Reserve’s policy decision in the face of rising economic growth concerns.
Spot gold (XAUUSD:CUR) +0.93% to $2,911.21 an ounce after hitting its lowest since March 3 in the previous session.
Meanwhile, worries over Trump’s tariff policies have also pushed safe-haven gold to a record high of $2,956.15 on February 24, as the metal is seen as a hedge against political risks and inflation.
Source – Seeking Alpha
The bank’s analysts found that only 10% of the 126 posts Trump had published this time around on sensitive topics such as trade tariffs, foreign relations and economics had caused clear currency market moves.
“Among the different topics, the posts on tariffs have been the biggest market movers,” JPMorgan’s note published on Monday said, adding that closer to a third of those ones had been market moving.
Source – KITCO News / Reuters
Goldman Sachs raised its end-2025 gold price forecast to $3,700 per ounce from $3,300, with a projected range of $3,650-$3,950, citing stronger-than-expected demand from central banks and higher exchange-traded fund inflows due to recession risks.
“If a recession occurs, ETF inflows could accelerate further and lift gold prices to $3,880 per troy ounce (toz) by year-end,” the bank said
Source – Reuters
Spot gold gained 0.4% to $3,312.05 an ounce by 08:56 a.m. EDT (1255 GMT), after hitting a session low of $3,285.19 on Tuesday.
U.S. gold futures rose 0.3% to $3,310.60.
“The gold market has been kind of choppy recently, just reacting to fresh daily fundamental news events with no real trending price action. In the near term, market top is in place,” Jim Wyckoff, senior analyst at Kitco Metals, said.
Goldman Sachs recommended on Wednesday a higher-than-usual allocation to gold in long-term portfolios, citing elevated risks to U.S. institutional credibility, pressure on the Fed, and sustained central bank demand.
Spot silver fell 0.3% to $33.20 an ounce, platinum firmed 0.8% to $1,088.65 and palladium eased 0.6% at $972.36.
Source – Reuters
