EUR/USD
1.14626
-0.002%
Gold
4032.03
-0.697%
Oil
79.499
-0.281%
USD/JPY
162.124
-0.038%
GBP/USD
1.35221
-0.120%
GBP/JPY
219.232
-0.147%
Real-time News
On July 16th, South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-gwan pointed out that artificial intelligence (AI), regional development, and the industrial ecosystem are key battlegrounds for the South Korean economy to escape the brink of "zero growth," emphasizing that business leaders must work together to address these challenges while expanding into global markets. He stated, "The era of relying on free trade and exports is fading; going it alone and survival of the fittest have become the norm." He added, "In such volatile times, if we do not remain highly vigilant, the rankings of companies, industries, and even the nation will change." Regarding AI, which he identified as a primary battleground, Kim Jung-gwan expressed caution about the current semiconductor boom and stressed the importance of preparedness. He noted, "Most companies outside the semiconductor market are struggling, but thanks to the chip industry, the whole society gives the illusion of prosperity."Futures Commentary by Everbright Futures: On July 15th, COMEX gold initially fell before rising, closing at $4066.9/ounce, a decrease of 0.07%. Domestic SHFE gold opened higher in the night session, then quickly weakened, recovering its losses to close at 887.42 yuan/gram, an increase of 0.03%. 1. On Wednesday, the US June PPI fell 0.3% month-on-month, the largest drop since April 2025, while the market had expected it to remain flat; Mays data was revised down from 1.1% to 0.6%. The June PPI rose 5.5% year-on-year, lower than Mays 6.0%. The unexpected decline in June producer prices further indicates that US inflationary pressures are gradually easing ahead of the recent escalation of conflict in the Middle East. Cooling expectations of a Fed rate hike provided some support for gold prices. However, reports indicate that Federal Reserve Chairman Warsh told US lawmakers that the Fed has not yet achieved its mandate to maintain price stability, but declined to reveal how or when it will address this issue, potentially weakening market expectations for a positive PPI. 2. Geopolitically, the US-Iran conflict continues to escalate, with no signs of de-escalation. According to Reuters, the US launched strikes on Iranian coastal defense facilities and missile bases on Wednesday after reimposing a naval blockade on Iranian ports; Iran, in turn, threatened to cut off energy exports from more regions and stated it was waging a "war for the survival of the nation" with the US. Amid this escalating situation, market risk appetite has further declined, and gold prices are likely to trend weakly with a period of recovery.July 16th – The China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) today released the "National Logistics Hub Innovation and Development Report (2026)". According to the report, the construction and operation of national logistics hubs have achieved significant results, with development moving towards innovation and excellence, demonstrating vigorous vitality. It is reported that in 2025, the average cargo throughput of national logistics hubs will increase by 5.5% year-on-year, a growth rate 2.3 percentage points higher than the national average freight volume. Infrastructure shortcomings are being rapidly addressed, with nearly 80% of hubs having railway stations or dedicated lines. The railway access ratio for land port-type and port-type hubs has reached 97.2% and 89.7%, respectively. The hubs resource aggregation capacity continues to strengthen, occupying a dominant position in the national logistics network. 71.3% of hubs have launched railway freight trains; the number of hub freight trains has increased by 7.4% year-on-year. Port-type hubs have launched over 2,700 freight routes. To date, my country has released seven batches of 181 national logistics hubs, accounting for approximately 79% of the total planned layout.July 16th - Capital Economics economist Gareth Leather stated that the Bank of Korea may further raise interest rates after Thursdays hike. He pointed out that in addition to the recent sharp rise in overall consumer inflation, what worries the Bank of Korea more is that South Koreas core inflation has risen from 2.0% at the beginning of 2026 to 2.5%. The financial stability risks posed by rising housing prices are another reason for the Bank of Korea to maintain higher interest rates. Furthermore, South Koreas export performance is strong, and the economy has the capacity to withstand higher interest rates.Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama: The specific monetary policy measures will be determined by the Bank of Japan.
