Gold inched higher on Thursday in holiday-thinned trade, as investors focused on the U.S. Federal Reserve’s interest rate strategy and anticipated tariff policies under President-elect Donald Trump, both of which could influence the metal’s direction in the coming year.
Source – Daksh Grover / Reuters
Source – Money Metals
Gold prices are higher in midday trading Thursday despite another U.S. inflation report that came in warmer than expected. Silver prices are slightly down. April gold was up $16.20 at $2,944.00. March silver prices were last down $0.095 at $32.69.
Source – KITCO News
The U.S. is expected to implement a 50% tariff on copper imports at the end of the week, but what happens next is anyone’s guess as talk of an exemption for Chile, the biggest U.S. supplier of the metal, and a potential U.S. and European “metal alliance” heats up.
“There remains uncertainty over country-based exemptions and a general sense of tariff fatigue,” wrote Natalie Scott-Gray, senior metals demand analyst at StoneX, in a note Tuesday. The European Union, meanwhile, looks to get a break when it comes to U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum and copper.
President Donald Trump’s announcement on July 8 of the coming tariff had led to a 13% spike in copper prices that day, to settle at $5.6855 a pound, a record-high finish at that time, based on data going back to 1968, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
Scott-Gray said that when it comes to a potential country-based tariff exemption, Chile is “singled out,” not just because of Marcel’s comments and ongoing negotiations this week, but because the U.S. is reliant on Chile’s imports and the fact that the U.S. holds a trade surplus with Chile, she said.
Source – Market Watch
The decision follows a settlement with the Malian Government over its 2023 mining code, which has reduced the risk of disruption.
B2Gold CEO Clive Johnson said: “From a B2Gold perspective, we have seen a reduction in risk since the signing of our settlement agreement.”
“We have expatriate employees that move in and out of the country regularly, including some of the mine management, so there is no reason to think that any detention would ever be contemplated as it relates to B2Gold,” Johnson added.
Source – Global Data / Reuters reported
Spot gold was at $3,026.85 an ounce at 1131 GMT. U.S. gold futures edged 0.4% higher to $3,032.40.
“A modestly weaker dollar is probably giving gold a little bit of a tailwind at present,” said Ross Norman, an independent analyst.
“A worse-than-feared tariff announcement on April 2 could give bullion bulls a shot in the arm towards striving for the $3,100 mark,” said Han Tan, Exinity Group’s chief market analyst.
“Should risk-on sentiment make a comeback, assuming the U.S. tariff threats prove to be more bark than bite, that could see fleeting forays below $3,000,”
Spot silver firmed 0.4% to $33.16 an ounce, platinum steadied at $975.55, and palladium was flat at $957.95
Source – Reuters
