Gold prices fell slightly on Friday (December 19), pressured by a stronger dollar and year-end investor positioning, but are poised to end the week higher as weaker US inflation data raised speculation of an interest rate cut. Spot gold prices fell 0.1% to $4,326.29 an ounce at 09:35 GMT, but are expected to post a weekly gain of 0.6%, having returned to near the record high reached in October. US gold futures fell 0.2% to $4,354.80. Spot silver prices rose 0.7% to $65.90 an ounce, expected to end the week up 6% after hitting an all-time high of $66.88 on Wednesday. Silver has risen 128%...
US President Donald Trump's plans to place hefty import tariffs on copper have already caused a spike in costs for American factories, with New York futures trading 25% higher than other global benchmarks on Tuesday. The fresh spike in US prices came after Trump said he planned to place a 50% tariff on copper imports, doubling down on a threat he first made in February to impose targeted levies on the crucial industrial metal. A 50% tariff would match duties he has already imposed on steel and aluminum in a bid to revive US production, but it would take a particularly heavy toll on...
President Donald Trump reiterated his displeasure with Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine and confirmed he's sending more defensive weapons to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's government, sweeping aside an earlier pause by the Pentagon. "He's killing too many people so we're sending some defensive weapons to Ukraine and I've approved it," Trump told reporters at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. Earlier in the meeting, he said he was "not happy with Putin" because the Russian leader is "killing a lot of people." It was the second time in less than 24 hours that...
President Donald Trump said Jerome Powell should "resign immediately" if allegations from critics that the Federal Reserve chairman misled lawmakers about renovations at the central bank's headquarters are proven true. Trump repeated his criticism of the Fed chairman at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, calling Powell "terrible," and telling reporters that deceiving Congress would be grounds for a quick exit. "Then he should resign immediately," Trump said. "We have to put somebody in there who will lower interest rates." Trump has attacked Powell over the bank's position on keeping interest...
President Donald Trump says he will not offer any extension to the new Aug. 1 deadline for imposing higher tariffs on many goods imported into the U.S. "Tariffs Will Begin Be Paid On August 1, 2025. There has been no change to this date, and there will be no change," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday. "In other words, all money will be due and payable starting AUGUST 1, 2025 - No extensions will be granted." Trump began notifying trading partners of the new tariffs on Monday ahead of a deadline originally this week for countries to conclude trade negotiations with his...
China warned the Trump administration on Tuesday against reigniting trade tension by restoring tariffs on its goods next month, and threatened to retaliate against nations that strike deals with the United States to cut China out of supply chains. Washington and Beijing agreed to a trade framework in June that restored a fragile truce, but with many details still unclear, traders and investors on both sides of the Pacific are watching to see if it will unravel or lead to a lasting detente. On Monday, President Donald Trump began notifying trade partners of sharply higher U.S. tariffs from...
The 17th annual BRICS meeting in Rio de Janeiro lasted for two days and officially closed yesterday. Attended by representatives from 11 full member countries, this meeting confirmed BRICS' position as a new geopolitical power that dares to challenge the dominance of Western global institutions and pressure from the United States, especially under the leadership of Donald Trump. This year's meeting is an important moment for BRICS with the presence of Indonesia as a full member, along with Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. BRICS...
President Donald Trump announced the first in a series of letters threatening higher tariffs on major trading partners, including 25% tariffs on goods from Japan and South Korea, and signed an executive order delaying the new duties until Aug. 1. Trump also announced 25% tariffs on Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Tunisia, while South Africa will face 30% tariffs and Laos and Myanmar will face 40% tariffs. Other countries hit with tariffs include Indonesia with 32% tariffs, Bangladesh with 35% tariffs, and Thailand and Cambodia with 36% tariffs. Bosnia received 30% tariffs, while Serbia faced 35%...
President Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs on goods from Japan and South Korea starting Aug. 1, as he moves to impose unilateral tariffs on countries that have not reached trade deals with his administration. The two Asian countries were the first announcements in what the president promised would be a series of trade demands and deals announced Monday. Trump's hasty efforts to overhaul U.S. trade policy in his second term have been a source of persistent uncertainty for markets, central bankers and executives trying to gauge the impact on production, inventories, hiring, inflation and...
Gold rises in the early Asian trade. There's a broad commodities uptrend, driven by macro uncertainty, a weaker dollar, and persistent demand for "hard" assets, says Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst...
Oil extended declines after OPEC+ agreed to a bigger-than-expected production increase next month, raising concerns about oversupply just as US tariffs fan fears about the demand outlook.
Brent...
The Japanese Yen (JPY) weakened against its US counterpart and reversed part of Friday's recovery from the lowest level since July 23 following Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda's remarks....