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South Africa's currency and stock prices fall as lower commodity costs weigh
Investors focused on precious metals prices, which have fallen after U.S. president Trump's latest threats. Trump announced on Tuesday that he would impose 50% tariffs on imports of copper, in an effort to increase U.S. production. Copper is a critical metal for electric vehicles, military equipment, power grids, and many consumer products. At 1218 GMT the rand was trading at 17.8250 per dollar, down 0.2% from Tuesday's closing price. South Africa, a major producer and exporter of precious metals, and minerals, is closely watching developments in Washington, as will investors in other currencies linked to commodities. The prices of gold, platinum and palladium outside the U.S. dropped sharply on Wednesday. Roy Topol is the portfolio manager of Cratos Asset Management. He said that although South Africa produces relatively less copper, it has a minimal direct exposure. A potential U.S. tariff on copper would have a greater impact on emerging economies exporting commodities. Last week, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange Top-40 Index fell by 0.2% due in part to a fall in mining shares. Topol attributes the decline in shares of Anglo American and Glencore to their exposure to copper. Shares in gold mining companies Harmony Gold and Gold Fields fell 1%. The rand's already high risk profile is further exacerbated by the country's efforts to reach a deal with the United States in time for the extended deadline of 1 August, after which the country will face a 30% tariff on exports to the United States. Trump reiterated his threat on Tuesday to impose 10% tariffs on South Africa and the BRICS bloc. The yield on the benchmark government bond for 2035 in South Africa was unchanged at 9.9%, although it had increased by half a basis-point. (Reporting and editing by Tomasz Janovski and Alex Richardson; Sfundo parakozov)
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Emirates Global Aluminium claims Guinea terminated the deal in error
Emirates Global Aluminium announced on Wednesday that Guinean authorities had terminated a contract with its subsidiary Guinea Alumina Corporation after a dispute lasting a year over the construction of alumina refinery. Guinea's military regime GAC has suspended its bauxite West Africa's militarized states are increasingly focusing on exports and mining as part of their increasing aggressive They are also pushing to get more out of their natural resources. The junta that took power in 2021 is the second largest producer of bauxite ore, which is used to make aluminum. The miners demanded to be paid Present plans to build refineries to generate capital for country. EGA, which is owned equally by Abu Dhabi sovereign fund Mubadala, and Dubai sovereign fund Investment Corporation of Dubai said that they plan to seek remedies through international courts. In a statement, Abdulnasser Bin Kalban said that "these actions have made it impossible to continue GAC's operation and develop an alumina refining facility." GAC said it will proceed with the necessary redundancy process, which initially will affect more than 2,00 employees and contractors. Kalban said, "We've maintained GAC employees in difficult circumstances as long as we could." The government of Guinea did not respond immediately to a comment request. Despite Guinea's regulations, bauxite exports jumped The robust Chinese demand will drive a 36% increase to 99,8 million metric tonnes in the first half 2025. (Reporting and writing by Hadeel al Sayegh, Maxwell Akalaare Adombila, Editing by Bate Felis and Mark Porter).
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UK signs $10 billion clean energy investment agreement with Japan's Sumitomo Corp
The British government announced on Wednesday that it had reached an agreement with Japan's Sumitomo Corp to fund clean energy infrastructure, such as offshore wind projects and hydrogen, over the next ten years. Poppy Gustafsson, the Investment Minister announced the deal on a visit to Japan. She described Japan as a major trading partner. Gustafsson stated that Sumitomo had historically been a major investor in UK energy project and the new deal would "really increase the bar of ambition" for areas such as power grids or investments in wind farms. In an interview conducted before the trip, she said: "Everything we're doing... You quickly run into supply chain constraints. And they've been great partners in helping to unlock those constraints." There are real examples of how this capital is being used to support and build real projects. The Labour government is prioritising private sector support to help fund planned energy investments. Prime Minister Keir starmer wants to achieve net zero and boost Britain's anaemic economic growth. The announcement by Donald Trump of tariffs has complicated the situation. Britain has reached a deal with the United States to eliminate certain tariffs. Japan to face new tariffs Gustafsson stated that the international trading environment is now "front-of-mind" when making investment decisions. She said that Britain should be a "central hub for discussions" in an environment that is fragmented.
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EU lawmakers reject attempts to limit the influence of far-right politicians in climate talks
The European Parliament rejected on Wednesday a proposal for fast-tracking talks on the EU’s new climate goal, undermining a bid by liberals, socialists and greens to limit the influence climate sceptic legislators have on this goal. The far-right Patriots of Europe, which rejects EU policy to curb climate changes, took over the role of leading negotiators on Tuesday for the 2040 target. They were seeking to steer discussions on this goal, to which they said they strongly opposed. On Wednesday, lawmakers rejected a proposal to speed up the negotiation process. This would have bypassed the stages in which the Patriots had the most influence and restricted their ability to determine the timing of negotiations. Total 379 legislators rejected the plan for accelerating the talks. 300 lawmakers voted in favor and eight abstained. With this vote, the Patriots are now in the driving seat for the Parliament as it negotiates with EU members the final climate target 2040. Patriots will draft an initial negotiation proposal for the Parliament. Patriots spokesperson stated that the group will not prioritize meeting the September deadline by which countries must submit their new climate targets at the United Nations. "What is important is to reach a deal which delivers real benefits to our citizens." The spokesperson stated that Patriots had never negotiated like traders on a market. The Patriots is the third largest group of legislators in the EU Parliament. It includes the far-right parties of France’s Marine Le Pen, and Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban. EU officials said that the Patriots won the top negotiating position in a meeting held behind closed doors on Tuesday, by outbidding parliament's largest group, the centre right European People's Party. Green legislators expressed concern that the goal would be diluted or delayed. Michael Bloss, a German EU legislator, said that there is a danger the EU's climate goal will be forgotten. The EPP, the party of European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, did not support the attempt to speed up the talks. Jeroen Lénaers, a Dutch EPP EU legislator, said that the group didn't deem the fast track procedure necessary and that it wanted to "improve", without providing any further details, the target set by the Commission to reduce emissions 90% by 2040. Some EPP legislators have stated that a target of 90% is too ambitious. This year, governments from Italy to Poland have been reluctant to adopt ambitious goals for reducing emissions. They cited concerns about the costs of industries.
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China is hit by extreme weather conditions including heat, landslides, and floods
On Wednesday, torrential rains were sweeping across large areas of China as Tropical Storm Danas dunked coastal tech hubs. Monsoonal rains in the interior unleashed flash floods and deadly landslides over an 1,400 km (870 mile) arc. A subtropical system of high pressure has been saturating the north-east coast and the central provinces in the $19 trillion US economy since last week. This is straining power grids, and parching crops. Extreme weather is a growing threat to the world's second largest economy, and meteorologists attribute it to climate change. The impact of extreme weather threatens to wipe out billions in commercial activity and deaths each year as old flood defences are overwhelmed. Infrastructure gaps, such as the lack of air conditioning, are also exposed. Chinese weather authorities warned residents to stay inside as Storm Danas, which had been downgraded from a Typhoon following the death of two people in Taiwan, began dumping water that it had collected over the South China Sea (or Taiwan Strait) on the coast provinces Zhejiang or Fujian. China's State Broadcasting said that Danas could bring up to 300 millimetres of rain (30 centimetres in some areas), closing schools and putting officials on high alert along the rivers feeding important ports in Fuzhou and Xiamen. On Flood Alert The Danas residual vortex, and the large amount of water that it carries, could still cause havoc in south China, where rapid urbanisation sealed vast tracts of land under impermeable cement. This risk was realized 1,500 km away, in Yibin in the southwest Sichuan Province, where more than 6,000 people had to be evacuated after 14 hours rain. CCTV, the state broadcaster, showed firefighters rescuing residents from rising water in lower floors of apartment blocks. CCTV reported that heavy rains in Zhaotong (about a 3-hour drive away from Yibin) forced the evacuation of more than 7,000 residents. Five people went missing. In one county, 227.8mm of rain fell in 24 hours. This is the highest amount recorded since 1958. Over 300 people were forced to relocate after a flash flooding near the foothills the Himalayas, in China's Tibet. The flood was caused by the Gyirong river bursting its bank. Authorities in Shijiazhuang, in Hebei Province, activated emergency flood protocol after districts in the city received more than 100 mm of rain overnight. HEATWAVES On Wednesday, the subtropical system, which straddles the monsoonal cloud bands in China's interior with the Danas rain bands, continued to hover over central China, the eastern seaboard from Shanghai to Beijing, and brought near-record temperatures to the megacities of Shanghai Wuhan and Changsha. After reports of heatstroke deaths in the last week, people were advised to stay hydrated and avoid going out during the hottest part of the day. China does not keep an official record of deaths due to heat, but domestic media sometimes report on fatalities by citing local authorities. The country experienced a 79 day heatwave in 2022 from mid-June until late August - the worst since 1961. In 2023, a study published in The Lancet reported that over 50,000 deaths were caused by heat that year. (Reporting and editing by Saad sayeed and Bernadettebaum; Reporting and Editing by Joe Cash & Ethan Wang)
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The final rush to move metal across the border will be sparked by Trump's copper tariffs
In the next few weeks, copper shipments to the United States will likely increase in an effort to meet President Donald Trump's 50% tariff on imported metal that is higher than expected. Trump announced the tariffs on copper on a Tuesday. U.S. Comex futures rose more than 12%, reaching a new record high. U.S. commerce secretary Howard Lutnick stated that the tariff would be implemented by the end or beginning of August. The deadline puts an end to a playbook that has been in use for months. Traders have taken metal from warehouses all over the world to ship it to the U.S., hoping to profit on a premium of around $2600 per metric tonne early on Wednesday. Analysts and traders say that with only three weeks to go, only those cargoes on the water already or from Latin America are likely to arrive in time. "Shipments on their way to the U.S. are likely to try and get there even if they haven't yet, so the ex-U.S. market shouldn't be faced with excess cargoes right away." It will be harder to ship extra cargoes within a three week window, Morgan Stanley analysts said in a report. According to a Chinese copper dealer who spoke under condition of anonymity, Chilean producers that have Chinese contracts will likely increase their practice of sending Comex-eligible stocks to the U.S. instead of sending other brands to China. Analysts and traders said that the final rush may mean continued tightness in the U.S., during the sprint to the deadline for tariffs. After the deadline, the U.S. gravitational pull will lessen, allowing supplies elsewhere. Analysts at J.P. Morgan say that the U.S. imported enough copper to last a full year in the past six-month period. They predict that imports will continue to fall even after tariffs are implemented as users use up their stockpiles. Prices of copper on the London Metal Exchange as well as the Shanghai Futures Exchange Just over 1% of the population has declined In the hours following Trump's announcement. Citi predicts that copper prices outside of the U.S. are likely to drop to $8,800 a ton in the next three-months. Benchmark copper prices on the LME were trading at $9.603 per metric ton as of 0941 GMT. The tightness on the global copper markets, where demand continues outstrips supply, will likely limit any possible decline. According to Zhao Yongcheng of benchmark mineral intelligence, "Copper prices are under pressure on the SHFE, but will likely rebound once U.S. Copper Tariffs are finalised, as fundamentals are tight in the near-term."
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Oil and stocks gain as traders ignore Trump's tariff news
The European stock market rose on Wednesday, as traders appeared unconcerned about the announcement by U.S. president Donald Trump that he will impose a tariff of 50% on imported copper. He also announced he would introduce levies up to 200% on pharmaceuticals. Trump's remarks on Tuesday caused the price of Copper to reach record highs, and Wall Street to close down. The equity markets quickly shrugged the news off. Asian stocks were mixed over night and the MSCI World Equity Index rose 0.1% at 0956 GMT. The London FTSE 100 rose 0.2%, while the pan-European STOXX 600 rose 0.8%. Wall Street futures showed that the gains would continue, with S&P and Nasdaq both up 0.1%. The U.S. Dollar Index was unchanged at 97.567, and the euro dropped 0.1% to $1.1714. The dollar reached its highest level against the yen in over two weeks, with Japan, which depends on exports, being the most far away from a deal between Washington and Washington among the major U.S. trade partners. U.S. Copper Futures have risen by over 10%, reaching a new record, after Trump threatened to increase duties on this metal, which is essential for electric vehicles, military equipment, the power grid, and many consumer products. The traders are waiting for further developments in Trump’s trade war, following his announcement on Monday to 14 countries that they would face sharply increased tariffs after the new deadline of August 1st. Trump said that he "probably" would tell the European Union in two days the rate at which it can expect to receive its exports from the United States. The EU has struggled to obtain immediate tariff relief and an agreement from the U.S. not to introduce any new measures. This is according to the head of the European Parliament’s Trade Committee, who has been negotiating for the bloc. On Wednesday Investors are worried that tariffs could increase inflation and slow down economic growth. They will be watching the minutes of the U.S. Federal Reserve's latest meeting, which will be released on Wednesday. Amelie Derambure is a senior multi-assets portfolio manager at Amundi. She said: "We are in the dark about tariffs because it's difficult to know their impact on the end-inflation or the margins of U.S. corporations, or on corporates in general." The uncertainty is enormous. Derambure stated that although equity markets expect tariffs to manageable, and are supported by the underlying expectation of growth. The impact of tariffs can be seen through the rising yields of fixed income. The yields on U.S. Treasury bonds rose Tuesday and the auction for three-year Treasury notes saw a weak demand. Treasury will be selling $39 billion of 10-year bonds on Wednesday, and $22 billion of 30-year bonds on Friday. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury fell back to 4.4072% early Wednesday morning, down from its peak of 4.435% that was reached Tuesday, which marked its highest level in over three weeks. The benchmark German 10-year yield was 2.637%. Gold is in its third consecutive day of declines. It was down 0.3% for the day, at $3,290 an ounce. Brent crude futures rose by 0.4% to $70.42.
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India's iron pellet makers want to curb Iranian imports through Oman
Sources and an analyst have said that India's iron pellet makers have asked the government to curtail a surge of imports via Oman. They claim the products are from Iran, despite U.S. sanction, and warned the cheaper supplies may hurt the local industry. Lalit Ladkat of the London-based CRU Group told us that India is the third largest iron ore producer in terms of metric tonnage. However, imports between 2021-2024 were negligible, Lalit Ladkat said. Ladkat stated that the majority of these pellets were of Iranian origin, and they were shipped via Oman in order to avoid sanctions. Ladkat stated that the surge in imports was driven by higher prices for pellets at home and the availability cheaper, high quality Iranian pellets. One of the sources who was involved in this matter declined to identify themselves as the discussions were not made public. The ministry didn't respond to an email asking for comments. The Pellet Manufacturers' Association of India (PMAI), in a letter to the Ministry, said that even though the pellet imports had been shown to come from Oman, "there were doubts about the country of origin/manufacture as it was understood that this country did not produce pellets." PMAI reported that due to the increasing imports, domestic pellet producers are only operating at 69% capacity. Manish Kharbanda told PMAIm that the country of Oman's origin is questionable. In 2019, Donald Trump imposed sanctions on Iran that targeted the Islamic Republic's industrial metals export revenue. Steelmaking uses both iron ore and pellets of iron ore. India's steel demand is driven by a robust steel production that is underpinned by the growth of infrastructure, construction and the automobile sector. India's steel consumption in April and May of 2025/26 was 25.1 million tons, an increase of 7.1% compared to a year ago. Meanwhile, crude steel production increased by 9.5%, reaching 26.9 millions metric tons. (Reporting and editing by Mayank Bhardwaj, Kim Coghill and Mayank Bhardwaj; Additional reporting from Sarah El Safty and Manoj Kumar at New Delhi; and Manvi Pan in Bengaluru.)
Asia shares increase, dollar supported by elevated bond yields
Asian stocks edged up on Tuesday, though relocations were controlled in a holidaycurtailed week, while the greenback held near a twoyear high assisted by raised U.S. Treasury yields as financiers gotten ready for less Federal Reserve rate cuts in 2025.
In China, stocks extended gains somewhat on the back of news of more assistance from Beijing to shore up the nation's. stuttering economic healing.
The CSI300 blue-chip index and Shanghai. Composite Index last traded 0.9% higher each. Hong. Kong's Hang Seng Index advanced 1.08%.
Two sources informed Reuters that Chinese authorities have. agreed to issue 3 trillion yuan ($ 411 billion) worth of unique. treasury bonds next year, which would be the highest on record.
Chinese government bond yields ticked up in action, with. the 10-year yield getting 2 basis indicate. 1.7125%.
The news came shortly after the country's financing. ministry said authorities will ramp up financial support for. intake next year by raising pensions and medical insurance coverage. subsidies for homeowners in addition to expanding consumer goods. trade-ins.
Still, financiers stay careful on the outlook for the. world's second-largest economy, especially as it faces the. danger of hefty tariffs from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
China faces considerable difficulties entering 2025. The. ongoing real estate crisis has actually shattered consumer self-confidence. while a prospective trade war with the United States might trigger. the worst growth slowdown in years, stated Ronald Temple, chief. market strategist at Lazard.
Investor expectations have been raised and rushed more than. once in China in the last few years, and 2025 might prove to be no. different. China's financial and market outlook might largely. depend on the speed and magnitude of government reforms.
Elsewhere, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares. outside Japan increased 0.44%, tracking Wall Street's. over night gain.
EUROSTOXX 50 futures ticked up 0.04%, while FTSE. futures increased 0.46%. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq. futures each lost 0.05%.
Japan's Nikkei fell 0.24%.
Nippon Steel's $15 billion quote for U.S. Steel. has been referred to U.S. President Joe Biden, a White House. spokesperson stated, offering the president 15 days to decide on a tie. up he has formerly stated he opposes.
Shares of Nippon Steel last traded 1.2% greater.
FED FOCUS
After a current run of central bank choices, today is. much quieter, leaving the rates theme the primary chauffeur of market. moves, with the dollar's ongoing strength a problem for. products and gold.
Markets are now pricing in just about 35 basis points of. reducing for 2025, which has in turn sent U.S. Treasury yields. surging and the dollar to brand-new highs.
The two-year Treasury yield last stood at. 4.3427%, while the standard 10-year yield steadied. near a seven-month high at 4.5907%.
Like markets, the Fed will need to think about U.S. policies. on tariffs and migration in its inflation and development outlook. Our company believe the subtle slowing down in the U.S. labor market will. still be the Fed's critical concern, said experts at Citi. Wealth.
While constantly unsure, our base case expectation for a. 3.75% policy rate is the same. It's a far cry from the 1.7%. U.S. policy rate average of the previous twenty years.
Ahead of Trump's go back to the White Home in January,. international reserve banks have urged care over their rate paths. due to uncertainty on how his scheduled tariffs, lower taxes and. immigration curbs may impact policy.
Data on Monday revealed U.S. customer self-confidence suddenly. damaged in December as the post-election euphoria fizzled and. concerns about future business conditions emerged.
In currencies, the dollar index held near a two-year. high at 108.14, having climbed more than 2% for the month hence. far.
The euro alleviated 0.09% to $1.03955, while the yen. languished near a five-month low at 156.99 per dollar.
Japan's Financing Minister Katsunobu Kato on Tuesday. restated Tokyo's pain over extreme foreign exchange. moves and put speculators on notice that authorities are prepared. to act to stabilise a failing yen.
The strong dollar combined with high bond yields to weigh on. gold, which stood at $2,618.10 an ounce after slipping 1%. recently.
Oil rates edged higher, with Brent crude futures. increasing 0.5% to $72.99 a barrel, while U.S. crude acquired. 0.46% to $69.56 per barrel.
(source: Reuters)