Gold rebounds from one-month low on renewed trade uncertainty
Spot gold was up 0.4 per cent at US$3,286.99 per ounce, as at 0041 GMT. Bullion hit its lowest level since Jun 30 in the previous session.
US gold futures fell 0.5 per cent to US$3,282.10.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued a blitz of tariff announcements, ranging from changes to previously threatened levies on imports of copper and on goods from Brazil to ending an exemption from tariffs for small-value shipments from overseas.
Trump announced a deal with South Korea involving a 15 per cent US tariff on imports from the country, while confirming ongoing negotiations with India after declaring a 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods effective on Friday. He also expressed optimism about trade talks with China, stating he expects a fair deal to be reached.
Meanwhile, the US Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday and Chair Jerome Powell's comments following the decision dampened expectations of rate cuts in September.
BT in your inbox
Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.
Sign Up
Sign Up
Gold, often considered a safe-haven asset during economic uncertainties, tends to do well in a low interest rate environment.
The market awaits the US core PCE index data due later in the day, which is expected to rise 0.3 per cent month on month and 2.7 per cent year on year, as per a Reuters poll.
US economic growth rebounded more than expected in the second quarter, but that measurement grossly overstated the economy's health as declining imports accounted for the bulk of the improvement and domestic demand increased at its slowest pace in 2½ years.
Spot silver held steady at US$37.10 per ounce, platinum fell 0.3 per cent to US$1,308.85 and palladium rose 0.9 per cent to US$1,216.25. REUTERS

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
India will continue to buy Russian oil, government sources say
India will keep purchasing oil from Russia despite U.S. President Donald Trump's threats of penalties, two Indian government sources said, not wishing to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. "These are long-term oil contracts," one of the sources said. "It is not so simple to just stop buying overnight." Trump last month indicated in a Truth Social post that India would face additional penalties for purchases of Russian arms and oil. On Friday, Trump told reporters that he had heard that India would no longer be buying oil from Russia. The New York Times on Saturday quoted two unnamed senior Indian officials as saying there had been no change in Indian government policy, with one official saying the government had "not given any direction to oil companies" to cut back imports from Russia. Reuters reported this week that Indian state refiners stopped buying Russian oil in the past week after discounts narrowed in July. "On our energy sourcing requirements ... we look at what is there available in the markets, what is there on offer, and also what is the prevailing global situation or circumstances," India's foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters during a regular briefing on Friday. Jaiswal added that India has a "steady and time-tested partnership" with Russia, and that New Delhi's relations with various countries stand on their own merit and should not be seen from the prism of a third country. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Opening of Woodlands Health has eased load on KTPH, sets standard for future hospitals: Ong Ye Kung Singapore $3b money laundering case: MinLaw names 6 law firms taken to task over involvement in property deals Asia KTM plans new passenger rail service in Johor Bahru to manage higher footfall expected from RTS Singapore HSA investigating teen allegedly vaping on MRT train Singapore New vehicular bridge connecting Punggol Central and Seletar Link to open on Aug 3 Singapore New S'pore jobs portal launched for North West District residents looking for work near home Singapore Tengah facility with over 40 animal shelters, businesses hit by ticks Business Property 'decoupling' illegal if done solely to avoid taxes: High Court The White House in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Indian refiners are pulling back from Russian crude as discounts shrink to their lowest since 2022, when Western sanctions were first imposed on Moscow, due to lower Russian exports and steady demand, sources said earlier this week. The country's state refiners - Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp and Mangalore Refinery Petrochemical Ltd - have not sought Russian crude in the past week or so, four sources familiar with the refiners' purchase plans told Reuters. INDIA'S TOP SUPPLIER On July 14, Trump threatened 100% tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil unless Moscow reaches a major peace deal with Ukraine. Russia is the top supplier to India, responsible for about 35% of India's overall continued to be the top oil supplier to India during the first six months of 2025, accounting for about 35% of India's overall supplies, followed by Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab the world's third-largest oil importer and consumer, received about 1.75 million barrels per day of Russian oil in January-June this year, up 1% from a year ago, according to data provided to Reuters by sources. Nayara Energy, a major buyer of Russian oil, was recently sanctioned by the European Union as the refinery is majority-owned by Russian entities, including oil major month, Reuters reported that Nayara's chief executive had resigned after the imposition of EU sanctions and company veteran Sergey Denisov had been appointed as CEO. Three vessels laden with oil products from Nayara Energy have yet to discharge their cargoes, hindered by the new EU sanctions on the Russia-backed refiner, Reuters reported late last month. REUTERS

Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
Excitement, concern at send-off for S'pore's Columbia-bound freshmen amid US political uncertainty
The campus protests and recent political turmoil had no impact on their decision to apply to Columbia, a few freshmen told The Straits Times. SINGAPORE - The wide-eyed Ivy League prospects milled about, exchanging pleasantries and exuberant hellos at a Columbia University send-off for Singapore freshmen on Aug 2. But this year's iteration of the annual tradition, held at the function room of the Horizon Towers condominium in Leonie Hill, differed slightly from past editions. It took place in the wake of a much-publicised crackdown by the US government on the country's elite universities over accusations of anti-Semitic behaviour on campuses and bias in diversity, equity and inclusivity (DEI) initiatives. This followed a wave of pro-Palestinian protests on US campuses in 2024, prompted by the outbreak of the Gaza war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in October 2023. For Columbia, negotiations with the Trump administration ended on July 23, with the school agreeing to pay more than US$200 million (S$255 million) to the US government as settlement, in exchange for the re-instatement of federal funding which had been cancelled in March. But the campus protests and recent political and financial turmoil had no impact on their decision to apply to the New York school, a few students told The Straits Times at the event organised by the Columbia Singapore Students Association (SSA). The event had about 15 attendees. One outgoing freshman, who did not wish to reveal her name, said: 'I believe that a lot of institutions have recently had massive protests. But at the end of the day, you get the same quality education, world-class professors, and opportunities. 'In the grand scheme of things, these events don't impact your education to a degree that you would think they do.' Another remained upbeat, saying: 'I'm excited but also nervous about the whole idea of going to college. It's about exposing yourself to new things, new people, new friends, new activities, and stepping outside your comfort zone.' In May, the Trump administration asked its overseas missions to cease scheduling fresh appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants. The move, said Reuters, came as the administration sought to ramp up deportations and revoke student visas as part of its wide-ranging efforts to fulfil the US leader's hardline immigration agenda. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Opening of Woodlands Health has eased load on KTPH, sets standard for future hospitals: Ong Ye Kung Singapore New vehicular bridge connecting Punggol Central and Seletar Link to open on Aug 3 Singapore New S'pore jobs portal launched for North West District residents looking for work near home Singapore HSA investigating teen allegedly vaping on MRT train Asia KTM plans new passenger rail service in Johor Bahru to manage higher footfall expected from RTS Singapore Tengah facility with over 40 animal shelters, businesses hit by ticks Business Property 'decoupling' illegal if done solely to avoid taxes: High Court Singapore 60 years of building Singapore Part of those efforts also included tightening the vetting of foreign students' social media accounts in a bid to identify any who may pose a threat to the US' national security. Two freshmen told ST that they would be switching their Instagram accounts to 'public' before entering the US, to facilitate such checks. They added that they did not mind doing so. One SSA committee member who is a current Columbia student and did not wish to reveal his name, told ST that some of the matriculating students 'have shared some concerns, including visa and safety issues, and whether or not they may be able to express themselves freely'. He added that the club is hoping to support them as they navigate the transition to university abroad amid the current climate. Other American universities, including Duke University and several campuses in the University of California system, are still being investigated by the Trump administration. Even at Columbia, the environment remains somewhat cautious ahead of the new academic year which begins in September. The campus is gated and security forces are omnipresent, another SSA committee member who is also a current Columbia student, added. 'Most people know that the situation is very sensitive and tense,' he said. 'It's about juggling that tension, while still being at school and trying to live like a normal university student.'

Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
Trump fires US labour official over data and gets earlier than expected chance to reshape Fed
Signage is seen at the United States Department of Labor headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 29, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly WASHINGTON/NEW YORK - President Donald Trump on Friday fired a top Labor Department official on the heels of a market-shocking weak scorecard of the U.S. job market, accusing her without evidence of manipulating the figures and adding to already growing concerns about the quality of economic data published by the federal government. In a second surprise economic policy development, the door for Trump to make an imprint on a Federal Reserve with which he clashes almost daily for not lowering interest rates opened much earlier than anticipated when Fed Governor Adriana Kugler unexpectedly announced her resignation on Friday afternoon. The two developments further rattled a stock market already reeling from his latest barrage of tariff announcements and the weak jobs data. The benchmark S&P 500 Index sank 1.6% in its largest daily drop in more than two months. Trump accused Erika McEntarfer, appointed by former President Joe Biden, of faking the jobs numbers. There is no evidence to back Trump's claims of data manipulation by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the statistical agency that compiles the closely watched employment report as well as consumer and producer price data. A representative for the BLS did not respond to a request for comment. Friday began with BLS reporting the U.S. economy created only 73,000 jobs in July, but more stunning were net downward revisions showing 258,000 fewer jobs had been created in May and June than previously reported. "We need accurate Jobs Numbers. I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY. She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Opening of Woodlands Health has eased load on KTPH, sets standard for future hospitals: Ong Ye Kung Singapore New vehicular bridge connecting Punggol Central and Seletar Link to open on Aug 3 Singapore New S'pore jobs portal launched for North West District residents looking for work near home Singapore HSA investigating teen allegedly vaping on MRT train Asia KTM plans new passenger rail service in Johor Bahru to manage higher footfall expected from RTS Singapore Tengah facility with over 40 animal shelters, businesses hit by ticks Business Property 'decoupling' illegal if done solely to avoid taxes: High Court Singapore 60 years of building Singapore DATA CONCERNS A Trump administration official who requested anonymity said that while all economic data is noisy, the White House has been dissatisfied with how large the revisions have been in the recent data and issues with lower survey responses. The problem started during COVID and has not been addressed in the years since. "There are these underlying problems that have been festering here for years now that have not been rectified," the person said. "The markets and companies and the government need accurate data, and like, we just weren't getting that," the official said. The BLS has already reduced the sample collection for consumer price data as well as the producer price report, citing resource constraints. The government surveys about 121,000 businesses and government agencies, representing approximately 631,000 individual worksites for the employment report. The response rate has declined from 80.3% in October 2020 to about 67.1% in July, BLS data shows. A Reuters poll last month found 89 of 100 top policy experts had at least some worries about the quality of U.S. economic data, with most also concerned that authorities are not addressing the issue urgently enough. In addition to the concerns over job market data, headcount reductions at BLS have resulted in it scaling back the scope of data collection for the Consumer Price Index, one of the most important gauges of U.S. inflation, watched by investors and policymakers worldwide. Trump's move fed into concerns that politics may influence data collection and publication. "Politicizing economic statistics is a self-defeating act," said Michael Madowitz, principal economist at the Roosevelt Institute's Roosevelt Forward. "Credibility is far easier to lose than rebuild, and the credibility of America's economic data is the foundation on which we've built the strongest economy in the world. Blinding the public about the state of the economy has a long track record, and it never ends well." FED CHANGE SOONER THAN EXPECTED Meanwhile, Kugler's surprise decision to leave the Fed at the end of next week presents Trump an earlier-than-expected opportunity to install a potential successor to Fed Chair Jerome Powell on the central bank's Board of Governors. Trump has threatened to fire Powell repeatedly because the Fed chief has overseen a policymaking body that has not cut interest rates as Trump has demanded. Powell's term expires next May, although he could remain on the Fed board until January 31, 2028, if he chooses. Trump will now get to select a Fed governor to replace Kugler and finish out her term, which expires on January 31, 2026. A governor filling an unexpired term may then be reappointed to a full 14-year term. Some speculation has centered on the idea Trump might pick a potential future chair to fill that slot as a holding place. Leading candidates for the next Fed chair include Trump economic adviser Kevin Hassett, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh and Fed Governor Chris Waller, a Trump appointee who this week dissented with the central bank's decision to keep rates on hold, saying he preferred to start lowering them now. Trump, as he was leaving the White House to spend the weekend at his Bedminster, New Jersey, estate, said he was happy to have the open slot to fill. "I would not read any political motivation into what [Kugler is] doing, although the consequence of what she's doing is she's calling Trump's bluff," said Derek Tang, an analyst at LH Meyer, a research firm. "She's putting the ball in his court and saying, look, you're putting so much pressure on the Fed, and you want some control over nominees, well, here's a slot." REUTERS