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
The 2026 edition has been “meticulously redesigned with the collector in mind,” according to the publisher.
“I am truly honored to have been part of this year’s transformation, working closely with the extremely talented and professional staff at Whitman and the invaluable Red Book Advisory Panel of more than 70 numismatic industry leaders, experts, and supporters,” said Jeff Garrett, Red Book editor and president of Mid-American Rare Coin Galleries. “Every change, from the book’s physical size to its presentation order, was carefully chosen and implemented with a single goal — to enhance the collector’s experience.”
Source – Coin World
Vicuña Corp, a joint venture of Australia’s BHP and Canada’s Lundin Mining (LUN.TO), opens new tab, on Thursday said it was extending the useful life of its Josemaria copper, gold and silver project in Argentina by six years.
It attributed the longer useful life of the mine, now 25 years instead of 19 years previously, to higher levels of exploitable resources.
Vicuña also predicted an ore processing rate at the site, located in Argentina’s north-western San Juan province, near the Chilean border, at 175,000 metric tons per day.
Source – Reuters
Zinc, the biggest loser in the LME complex, is currently trading 4.8% lower than at the start of the year.
Meanwhile, tin prices have increased by 13.5% in the first few weeks of the year, making it the biggest winner.
Copper refining grew as expected at 4.2%, but mine production surprised at 2.3%, 0.5% higher than the ICSG September forecast.
The supply of refined copper is under threat due to mine production, which has put downward pressure on processing fees in copper smelters, according to Commerzbank.
The lead market experienced a minor oversupply due to a substantial increase in mine production.
This increase, just under 2%, was fueled by significantly higher supply in the US, Australia, Peru, and Mexico.
Source – Invezz
Gold fell to a near three-week low on Monday as a U.S.-European Union trade accord lifted the dollar and risk sentiment, while investors awaited fresh cues on rate policy from this week’s Federal Reserve meeting.
Spot gold fell 0.6% to $3,316.03 per ounce as of 11:36 a.m. ET (1536 GMT), after touching its lowest level since July 9, earlier in the session. U.S. gold futures were down 0.7% at $3,313.2 per ounce.
“I think the more trade announcements we get, the more the dollar increases. These tariff deals are dollar friendly, lowering the allure of gold and driving the sell-off amid a risk-on sentiment,” said Marex analyst Edward Meir.
Spot silver was down 0.1% at $38.12 per ounce and platinum fell 0.6% to $1,393.25, while palladium gained 2.1% to $1,245.52.
Source – Reuters
Gold eased on Wednesday as risk appetite improved after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a trade deal with Japan ahead of an impending tariff deadline, though a soft dollar and lower Treasury yields capped losses for greenback-priced bullion.
Spot gold was down 0.2% at $3,423.44 per ounce, as of 0136 GMT, after hitting its highest point since June 16 earlier in the session. U.S. gold futures also slipped 0.2% to $3,437.70.
Trump said the U.S. and Japan had struck a trade deal that includes a 15% tariff that will be levied on U.S. imports from the country.
“If further trade deals are signed ahead of August 1, this could further boost general risk appetite and reduce the demand for gold,” CM Trade Chief Market Analyst Tim Waterer said.
“But if the USD remains pressured this will keep a return to $3,500 a viable near-term prospect for the precious metal.”
Spot silver fell 0.3% to $39.15 per ounce, platinum dropped 0.3% to $1,437.83 and palladium slipped 0.8% to $1,264.96.
Source – Reuters
China, the biggest steel maker, is not a top direct exporter of steel to the U.S. but Trump said that China’s exports had forced others to ship more to the U.S., while rising imports “support a conclusion” of transshipment or processing of steel products via third party countries into the U.S.
“Today is a great day for the U.S. aluminum industry,” said Mark Duffy, president of the APAA.
“Unfair trade practices have devastated the domestic aluminum industry and President Trump’s actions today will protect thousands of American workers and their families.”
Source – Reuters
