Metal Prices Fall on Fresh U.S.-China Trade-War Fears

Investing.com – Copper prices fell on Friday as reports suggesting President Donald Trump was ready to impose tariffs on China raised concerns about demand for metals.

fell 1.83% to $2.63.

Trump on Thursday to proceed with tariffs on about $200 billion more in Chinese products, but the announcement has been delayed as the administration considers revisions based on concerns raised in public comments, Bloomberg reported, citing sources.

The prospect of further trade penalties on China, the world’s largest metals consumer, stoked fears that Beijing could rein in spending as its monthslong trade fight with Washington has exacerbated vulnerabilities in the Chinese economy.

China’s hit a record low, slowing to 5.3% in the first eight months of the year, below economists’ forecasts, government data showed on Friday.

Metals were also held back by an uptick in the greenback on renewed trade concerns and rising optimism about U.S. economic strength following upward revisions to July’s retail sales data.

The , which measures the greenback against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, rose 0.47% to 94.97.

fell 1.49% to 12,412.50, lost 1.87% to 2,309.75 and fell 0.76% to 2,036.75.

fell on 0.80% to $14.13 a troy ounce, while lost 0.73% to $797.40.

Gold prices, meanwhile, were also pressured by rising

for December delivery on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange fell by $8.80, or 0.73%, to $1,199.40 troy ounce.

Gold is sensitive to moves higher in both bond yields and the U.S. dollar. A stronger dollar makes gold more expensive for holders of foreign currency, while a rise in U.S. rates lifts the opportunity cost of holding gold as it pays no interest.

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