Make no mistake: we are in a trade war with the United States. The trade rhetoric that began in earnest at the beginning of the year has turned into a tit-for-tat tariff battle.Dominating the trade headlines are the steel and aluminum industries. Unfortunately, Canada's steel companies have been caught in the middle and their share prices have tumbled. Although there are some real concerns, not a...Read More

With so many cryptocurrencies going to zero over the past few weeks, investors are finally witnessing the proverbial chickens "coming home to roost." What started as an astonishing new and revolutionary way of transferring value from one person (or business) to the next has become nothing more than a fad that has, at least for the time, being run its course. The last straw will come once the most...Read More

Amid the news that China will be applying tariffs on American soybeans as of July 6, stocks in that commodity appear set to rise in other international markets. Other members of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement as well as Brazil, are obvious alternative markets that could benefit. However, Canadian investors should consider our own home-grown soybean supplier, SunOpta Inc. (TSX:SOY), as a stock t...Read More

A new basic energy plan that sets goals for Japan's energy mix to 2030 and presents scenarios to 2050 was today approved by the Cabinet. Under the plan, nuclear will remain a key energy source, accounting for 20-22% of the country's electricity generation up to 2030.The Japanese government revises its energy plan about every three years. The plan is formulated based on the Basic Energy Policy Law...Read More

Magnox Limited - operator of former Magnox nuclear power plant sites in the UK - will become a subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) from September 2019. Last year, NDA decided to terminate its contract with Magnox Ltd for managing the sites.Trawsfynydd, one of the sites managed by Magnox Ltd (Image: Magnox Ltd)Magnox, owned by Cavendish Fluor Partnership (CFP), is the manageme...Read More

Zinc prices on the London Metal Exchange struggled at the close of trading on Tuesday July 3, falling 1.1% over the afternoon and dipping below $2,800 per tonne for the first time since August 2017 amid broadly bearish trading conditions. "The base metals complex this morning remains uninspiring, with most metal prices struggling to attract dip-buying interest. The LME zinc price is still trading...Read More

Comex copper prices were slightly lower on Tuesday July 3 morning in the US, with trade shallow ahead of the Fourth of July holliday.Copper for September settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange inched down 0.10 cents or 0.1% to $2.9430 per lb. The contract now sits at its lowest point since August 2017.Base metals have...Read More

Base metals on the London Metal Exchange edged higher during morning trading on Tuesday July 3, supported by a downtick in the dollar index while turbulent trade relations between the United States and major economies continue to destabilize commodities. "London has seen a re-emergence of the systematic sell programs after the poor closes last night, where most [base metals] settled on the session...Read More

Bob Moriarty ArchivesJul 3, 2018I’ve been working on a new book about investing in junior resource stocks for quite a while now. I haven’t actually written anything but I have been aggressively thinking about actually writing. Someday.When I do a book, I’m like a cow chewing a cud. I munch and munch and eventually I sit down and start typing. I’ve pretty much got the book w...Read More

Beginning in early Spring,gold and silver faced two serious headwinds: Seasonality - that is, the annual decline in bullion demand from China and India once wedding season ends - and the internal structure of the futures markets, where the big players in gold had lined up in ways that historically point towards weak prices for a while. Both of these negatives are still in place (hence the smack-do...Read More

Norwegian ferro-silicon producer Finnfjord Smelteverk will cut about 3,500 tonnes of production between July and August of this year because of planned maintenance to one of its furnaces, according to an industry source. The company, which has its plant in the north of the country, operates three furnaces, one with capacity for 20,000 tonnes per year and two with capacities for 40,000 tpy. Mainten...Read More

Following extensive market engagement, Metal Bulletin has decided to extend the consultation period for the proposed launch of a battery-grade lithium ex-works China index to provide additional time for market participants to submit feedback. Metal Bulletin is committed to providing transparent pricing for the lithium sector and is therefore extending the timeframe to collect further feedback on t...Read More

Stewart Thomsonemail: stewart@gracelandupdates.comemail: stewart@gracelandjuniors.comemail:stewart@gutrader.comJul 3, 2018 Charts don't make fundamentals, but fundamentals do make charts.That's because market fundamentals create liquidity flows.Those liquidity flows create technical action on the charts.Please click here now.Double-click to enlarge this important daily gold chart.When market techn...Read More

Even when gold ran to $1,370 in early April, gold mining stocks were trading like garbage. Many of us were baffled at what was going on. Aren't the mining stocks supposed to lead the metals? Well, yes they are and they still do! Apparently the gold/silver shares were trading poorly because they were forecasting a weaker gold/silver price...what a concept!What has definitely been missing with these...Read More

Domestic Chinese ferro-chrome prices have risen in line with July tender prices from leading stainless steel mills. Spot domestic ferro-chrome prices rise in China Chrome ore, charge chrome import prices slideJapanese alloy prices edge upFerro-chrome prices rise in Europe Alloy markets flat in South Korea, United StatesChinese spot domestic ferro-chrome prices rose 4% in the week to Friday June 29...Read More

Vanadium prices resumed their rally in earnest last week after buyers paid higher prices to secure scarce units, with no signs of change to the persistent tight supply situation. Chinese export prices jump with spot units in limited supply amid persistent foreign inquiries European ferro-vanadium prices surge in the second half of the week after sellers hold firm with their offers Thin spot supply...Read More

Beginning in early Spring,gold and silver faced two serious headwinds: Seasonality - that is, the annual decline in bullion demand from China and India once wedding season ends - and the internal structure of the futures markets, where the big players in gold had lined up in ways that historically point towards weak prices for a while. Both of these negatives are still in place (hence the smack-do...Read More

Stop buying Iranian oil or face the music.That's the message the U.S. government shared with the world last week, giving importers until November 4 to cut their consumption of Iran's crude to zero-or expect sanctions. The threat comes a month after President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Obama-era nuclear deal.West Texas Intermediate (WTI) responded by adding more than $6 to the price o...Read More

CloseGain/LossGold $1240.20-$12.30Silver$15.85-$0.24XAU81.11-0.60%HUI173.49-0.59%GDM615.97-0.77%JSE Gold1060.20+0.44USD94.99+0.42Euro116.22-0.57Yen90.27-0.10Oil$73.94-$0.2110-Year2.864%+0.009T-Bond144.75-0.25Dow24307.18+0.15%Nasdaq7567.69+0.76%S&P2726.71+0.31% The Metals: Gold fell throughout most of trade in New York and ended near its last-minute low of $1239.70 with a loss of 0.98%. Sil...Read More

As the Reset Begins, Get Goldby James Rickards for Agora Financial's Gold SpeculatorThis may be the most important commentary I've ever written. Here's why.For years, financial analysts have discussed what's called the Global Monetary Reset, or GMR. Expectations of a GMR stem from the fact that monetary policies around the world are unstable and unsustainable.Aftermath: Seven Secrets of Wealth P...Read More