- Gold for now ties up with the second day of gains for this week.
- US President Trump is ready to issue Copper tariffs much sooner than initially expected.
- Gold could head back to the all-time high level at $3,057 at any time.
Gold’s price (XAU/USD) is trading flat to marginally higher around $3,020 at the time of writing on Wednesday and has turned this week’s performance into positive numbers. The precious metal is being bought together with other precious metals as Copper pops to a new all-time high. Copper metal is in the eye of attention after United States (US) President Donald Trump mentioned on Tuesday that Copper tariffs will be implemented in the coming weeks, which is far sooner than markets were anticipating.
Meanwhile, there is also a headline risk on Ukraine, where a Black Sea ceasefire deal is on the table. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was quick to support the breakthrough and said his country was ready to adhere to it effective immediately. The Kremlin was quick to issue additional demands that would need to be met before the ceasefire deal in the Black Sea could become valid, with the request to see sanctions on banks and companies involved in agricultural exports being halted, Bloomberg reports.
Daily digest market movers: Takover saga Gold Road and Gold Fields continues
- The primary sticking point in talks for an acquisition of Australian miner Gold Road Resources by South Africa’s Gold Fields was the price, according to the Australian company’s chief executive. In an interview on Wednesday, Gold Road Resources CEO Duncan Gibbs said the company remains open to further talks with Gold Fields but noted that most of its shareholders do not support a takeover at the price its partner proposed, Dow Jones reports.
- Another reason mentioned for Gold being bought this Wednesday is because the US Conference Board Consumer Confidence dropped to the lowest level in four years in March on concerns over escalating trade wars and higher prices, Bloomberg reports.
- The CME Fedwatch Tool sees the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) policy rate unchanged in its May meeting by 87.1%. Chances for a rate cut in June are currently at 63.2%.
Technical Analysis: Don’t bet on a straight line
Gold sees how the surge in Copper prices pulls up the whole precious metals complex higher. This is a good set off from the easing of the reciprocal tariffs fears seen on Monday. Expect a test of this week’s high, near $3,036, before the all-time high at $3,057 comes into play.
On the upside, the daily R1 resistance comes in at $3,034 and coincides with this week’s high for now. Further up, the R2 resistance at $3,049 roughly coincides with Friday’s high. This means this level is a heavy barrier before pointing to the current all-time high of $3,057.
On the downside, the intraday S1 support stands at $3,006, preceding the $3,000 mark, which can be perceived as a bullish sign. That means the $3,000 mark is no longer exposed and has some circuit breaking element beforehand to slow down any downmoves. Further down, the S2 support comes in at $2,992.
XAU/USD: Daily Chart
US-China Trade War FAQs
Generally speaking, a trade war is an economic conflict between two or more countries due to extreme protectionism on one end. It implies the creation of trade barriers, such as tariffs, which result in counter-barriers, escalating import costs, and hence the cost of living.
An economic conflict between the United States (US) and China began early in 2018, when President Donald Trump set trade barriers on China, claiming unfair commercial practices and intellectual property theft from the Asian giant. China took retaliatory action, imposing tariffs on multiple US goods, such as automobiles and soybeans. Tensions escalated until the two countries signed the US-China Phase One trade deal in January 2020. The agreement required structural reforms and other changes to China’s economic and trade regime and pretended to restore stability and trust between the two nations. However, the Coronavirus pandemic took the focus out of the conflict. Yet, it is worth mentioning that President Joe Biden, who took office after Trump, kept tariffs in place and even added some additional levies.
The return of Donald Trump to the White House as the 47th US President has sparked a fresh wave of tensions between the two countries. During the 2024 election campaign, Trump pledged to impose 60% tariffs on China once he returned to office, which he did on January 20, 2025. With Trump back, the US-China trade war is meant to resume where it was left, with tit-for-tat policies affecting the global economic landscape amid disruptions in global supply chains, resulting in a reduction in spending, particularly investment, and directly feeding into the Consumer Price Index inflation.