An agreement between the United States and China to roll back existing tariffs as part of a “phase one” trade deal faces fierce internal opposition in the White House and from outside advisers, multiple sources familiar with the talks said.
USA
Fed says Minutes to be Released on Time as Offices Close
The U.S. Federal Reserve said minutes of its January policy meeting would be released on Wednesday as scheduled though its offices in Washington would be closed due to bad weather.
China-U.S. Trade Talks ‘Making a Final Sprint’: State Media
Chinese state media on Saturday expressed cautious optimism over trade talks between the United States and China, a day after President Xi Jinping said a week of discussions had produced “step-by-step” progress.
Fed’s Kashkari says Powell is ‘coming around’ to his Dovish view
Gold Silver Reports (GSR) — Fed’s Kashkari: Rate hike pause keeps U.S. growth on track — The Federal Reserve’s decision to stop raising interest rates puts a “fundamentally healthy” U.S. economy on track to further growth, Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Neel Kashkari suggested on Sunday.
Trump to focus on border ‘Crisis,’ seek support for wall in TV address
Gold Silver Reports (GSR) – Trump’s prime-time address, scheduled for 9 p.m. (0200 GMT Wednesday) will be his latest attempt to persuade Congress to fund construction of a huge barrier along the 2,000-mile (3,200-km) border.
China Poised to Buy More U.S. Soybeans
China bought U.S. soybeans for the first time in six months after U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met on Dec. 1 and set a 90-day negotiating window to resolve their trade differences.
U.S. Federal Reserve is Expected to Raise Interest Rates, But may cut the number of hikes in 2019
The central bank is due to announce its decision at 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT) after its final two-day policy meeting of the year. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell is scheduled to hold a press conference half an hour later.
Fed to Slow 2019 Rate Hikes As Downside Risks Mount, Poll Shows – GSR
They expect the Fed will raise rates by a quarter percentage point at its Dec. 18-19 meeting while dialing back the number of moves next year to two, in March and September, from the three hikes economists saw in September. Median responses in the Dec. 7-11 poll also anticipate one additional hike in mid-2020 when the rate would peak in this tightening cycle at a target range of 3 per cent to 3.25 per cent.
Gold Production to Grow in the Next Four Years: Forecast
Gold Silver Reports (GSR) – “We forecast global gold production to increase from 104moz in 2018 to 115moz by 2022, averaging 2.6% annual growth,” the document reads.”We expect gold prices to continue to head higher, averaging USD1,275/oz in 2018 and USD1,400/oz by 2022,” it adds.
U.S. Plans More China Tariffs If Trump-Xi Meeting Fails, Sources Say
The United States is preparing to announce tariffs on all remaining Chinese imports by early December if talks next month between presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping fail to ease the trade war.