Commodity prices ended the week mostly lower, following US President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs announced on April 2, which fueled inflation and growth concerns. China‘s retaliation raised investor risk perception.
The US 10-year Treasury bond hit its lowest level since October at 3.9150%.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell said: “Higher tariffs would give rise to inflation in the coming quarters,” confirming market concerns.
Beijing imposed 34% tariffs in response to Trump’s actions and introduced restrictions on rare earth elements effective April 4, while adding 27 US firms to the export control or ban list. Trump said: “He would not back down from the reciprocal tariffs.”
Gold dropped more than 2% on Friday, erasing its weekly gain as trade war fears escalated. Analysts noted gold’s high liquidity made it a target for sell-offs, helping investors cover losses after sharp declines in stock markets.
Gold has risen 15.3% since January, supported by central bank purchases and geopolitical tensions, reinforcing its appeal as a safe-haven asset.
HSBC revised its gold forecast upward for 2025 and 2026 to $3,015 and $2,915 per ounce, from $2,687 and $2,615.
Silver dropped 13.4% per ounce last week, reflecting its strong link to industrial demand, which outweighed its safe-haven role.
Platinum fell 6.7% and palladium declined 5.9% per ounce over the same period.
Copper fell 14.1% per pound, the steepest weekly drop since Sept. 11, due to tariff impacts and China’s response.
Nickel slid 10.5%, zinc 6.8%, lead 5.5%, and aluminum 6.3% per pound last week.
In energy markets, Brent crude fell 9.2% to $63.85 per barrel. The drop followed Trump’s tariffs and OPEC+ signaling plans to gradually raise oil production, which triggered oversupply fears amid falling demand.
Goldman Sachs cut its 2025 Brent crude price forecast by 5.5% to $69 per barrel, while raising its 2026 forecast 6% to $62.
Natural gas dropped 6.1% per MMBtu during the week.
Soybeans declined 4.5% per bushel after China imposed 34% tariffs on all US products, including an extra 10% to 15% on agricultural goods. The move hurt US competitiveness, prompting Chinese buyers to shift toward Brazil for supply.
Corn rose 1.6% and wheat gained 0.3% per bushel last week. Analysts said US dominance in the global corn, wheat, and soybean markets is at its weakest point, with Ukraine increasingly filling the gap.
Sugar dipped 0.2% per pound on lower US demand tied to the new tariffs. Coffee fell 3.2%, and cotton dropped 5.3%.
Cocoa prices rose 5.7% per ton, driven by growing supply concerns.