Gold slips after Donald Trump’s latest tariff threats

Gold prices fell nearly 1% on Friday, as investors locked in profit after US President Donald Trump’s fresh salvo in the year-long trade spat with China increased demand for the safe-haven metal in the previous session.

Spot gold was down 0.9% at $1,432.28/oz as of 4.15am GMT, after hitting a two-week high of $1,446.10/oz earlier in the session.

The metal has risen about 0.9% so far this week and is headed for a third weekly gain in four.

US gold futures rose 0.8% to $1,444.50/oz.

“At this situation, what we are looking at is a correction,” said Ilya Spivak, a senior currency strategist with DailyFx.

The metal jumped more than 2% on Thursday after Trump said he would impose an additional 10% tariff on $300bn worth of Chinese imports from September, intensifying the bruising trade war between the world’s two top economies that has roiled financial markets globally.

Trump also said if trade negotiations fail to progress he could raise tariffs further – even beyond the 25% levy he has already imposed on $250bn of imports from China.

“Any escalation in Sino-US trade tensions will likely trap the Federal Reserve on a dovish slope – reigniting market-implied rate cut pricing,” OCBC analysts said in a note.

The October Fed funds rate futures have jumped to now fully price in a rate cut in September, compared with only about 60% before the tariff announcement. Another 25 basis point move is priced in by December.

Lower US interest rates put pressure on the dollar and bond yields, increasing the appeal of non-yielding bullion.

The dollar index was up 0.1% on Friday after posting its biggest daily decline in two weeks in the previous session.

Market participants are now awaiting the release of US non-farm payrolls data due later in the day.

Meanwhile, holdings of SPDR Gold Trust, the world’s largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, rose 0.53% to 827.82 tons on Thursday from Wednesday.

Spot gold may retest a resistance at $1,449/oz, a break above which could lead to a gain into the range of $1,461-$1,474, said Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao.

Elsewhere, palladium climbed 1% to $1,438.53/oz after falling to a seven-week low in the previous session, and was on track for its worst week in three months.

Platinum was up 0.5% at $852.31/oz, while silver fell 1% to $16.17/oz.

Both silver and platinum were headed for their first weekly decline in four.

Reuters