This Morning in Metals: Iron Ore Prices Continue to Slide
This morning in metals news, iron ore prices this week have plunged, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its short-term energy outlook and China could weaken its currency further.
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Iron Ore Prices Plunge
After reaching five-year highs earlier this year, aided by supply-side disruptions in Brazil and Australia, the iron ore price has plunged this week.
The iron ore price reached around $120 per ton earlier this year, but has fallen to the $80s this week. According to Bloomberg, iron ore on the Singapore Exchange for September fell as much as 7% to $86.68 per ton, while Dalian Commodity Exchange futures fell as much as 5.1%.
EIA Releases Short-Term Energy Outlook
The EIA released its short-term energy outlook this week, predicting average monthly gasoline prices in the U.S. peaked in May at $2.86 per gallon.
The EIA estimated U.S. crude oil production in July reached 11.7 million b/d, down 0.3 million b/d from June.
Meanwhile, Brent crude spot prices averaged $64 per barrel in July, flat compared with June but down $10 per barrel from July 2019.
China Could Devalue Currency Further
Recently, the U.S. Treasury Department officially designated China a currency manipulator after China devalued its currency to levels not seen since the financial crisis.
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According to The New York Times, China could devalue its currency further. Per the report, on Thursday China’s central bank set the midpoint of the renminbi’s daily trading range above 7 to the U.S. dollar for the first time in over a decade.
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