Base metal prices plunged early Friday, with three-month benchmark copper on the London Metal Exchange recently -3.7% at $8,985.50/metric ton and three-month aluminum -1.4% at $2,422.50/ton, as President Trump’s worse than expected tariffs trigger global growth slowdown fears, sparking a selloff in industrial metals and mining equities.
Copper and aluminum have dropped 8.7% and 7.7%, respectively, so far this week, as the tariffs drag down demand forecasts
Trump hit China with a 34% “reciprocal” tariff on top of existing duties, and China announced Friday that it will likewise impose 34% tariffs on all U.S. goods starting April 10.
“While we remain structurally bullish copper in the long run, weaker global GDP and copper demand growth risk delaying the deficit we expect to see in the market this year,” Goldman Sachs wrote.
Source – Seeking Alpha
Source – Money Metals
Update to Gold and Silver Specie as Legal Tender
Source – www.flsenate.gov
Effective day : 7/1/2025
Is this going to happen? Is this bill passed and will be in affect July? If anyone know please comment as I cannot find much info on this except that this was posted 4 days ago. -V.
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
Spot gold was down 0.1% at $2,913.79 an ounce as of 10:04 a.m. EST (1504 GMT). U.S. gold futures rose 0.1% to $2,923.70.
“There’s still buying interest out there now … there’s going to be some measure of caution ahead of Friday’s (payrolls data), but the underlying trend remains favorable,” said Peter Grant, vice president and senior metals strategist at Zaner Metals.
“If the number comes out really bad, I would imagine gold sells off. If it comes out neutral, I don’t think that’s going to move the needle too much. But if it comes out bullish, then gold takes off and we get pretty quick to $3,000, if not higher than that,” said Daniel Pavilonis, senior market strategist at RJO Futures.
Spot silver advanced 1.2% to $32.36 an ounce and palladium fell 0.4% to $938.22. Platinum gained 0.5% to $965.45.
Source – Reuters
“Gold has again moved to yet another record, with its safe-haven reputation shining bright,” said analysts at RBC Capital Markets. “With the uncertainty related to Fed independence, gold continues to benefit as a safe-haven, and one not tied to the U.S. dollar.”
Gold has been soaring since early April when investors, alarmed by Mr. Trump’s tariffs, starting selling Treasury bonds. On Tuesday, the spot price of a troy ounce of gold briefly reached above $3,500 before slipping lower.
Source – New York Times
