Publications /
Policy Brief

Back
Download PDF
French Version
From a Bleak Global Outlook to Speculative Strategies: Understanding the Downturn in Metal Prices
Authors
Yves Jégourel
November 26, 2018
Related topics: 

Prices of nearly all industrial and precious metals have been on a downward trend for several months.A tightening US monetary policy and the subsequent dollar appreciation partly explain this trajectory, but it is above all the mounting global macroeconomic gloom that has depressed markets.Escalating trade tensions between the United States and China, among other countries, are not likely to be conducive to global growth and in that respect, to the demand for metals. However, not everything can be justified by market fundamentals.Speculative dynamics are clearly at work and also account for the scale of this decline.

RELATED CONTENT

  • The US-China Trade War Is Accelerating China’s Rebalancing
    Authors
    Otaviano Canuto
    November 8, 2019
    The Trump government has been imposing restrictions on access to technologies by Chinese telecommunications firms. Why and what are the consequences? The Federal Communications Commission is about to ban carriers from using government funds to buy equipment from Huawei and ZTE. Other government agencies are expected to take similar measures. This is just the latest episode of a gradual squeeze that the Trump government has been giving over China's telecommunications giant Huawei, ...
  • The Atlantic Dialogues conference 2019 – Coming soon !
    November 7, 2019
    The 8th edition of the Atlantic Dialogues conference is on its way ! From 12 to 14 December 2019, Marrakesh will host leaders from the Atlantic Bassin to connect, debate and inspire on building new mental maps around the Southern Atlantic, on sharing ideas and on boosting the Atlantic r...
  • Download PDF
    Morocco’s excessive geographic export concentration
    Authors
    Uri Dadush
    Hamza Saoudi
    November 5, 2019
    In this brief, we review the evidence on Morocco’s export concentration, discuss its causes, and then draw some policy implications. The main message is that Morocco needs to raise its game in some less familiar markets and move outside its comfort zone. This implies not only investments by private firms, greater efforts on export promotion by the government and professional associations, but also deeper changes within Morocco, including in its educational system. Over the past two ...
  • Download PDF
    State Failure and Rebel Governance in Africa
    Authors
    Hisham Aidi
    November 5, 2019
    Since 2013, armed conflict has raged in the Central African Republic, between the largely Muslim Seleka rebels and the predominantly Christian militias (known as the anti-Balaka). Rebel groups are controlling broad swathes of the country, exploiting mineral wealth, and levying taxes on cattle migration. Non-state actors such as the Popular Front for the Governance of the Central African Republic (FPRC), which claims to “govern” the country’s northeast, have severely tested the autho ...
  • Notes sur les jeunesses africaines
    Authors
    Abdallah Saaf
    November 4, 2019
    Sans accorder une importance excessive aux limites démarquant les différentes tranches d’âge, les jeunes se définissent, pour l’essentiel, comme ceux dont l’âge se situe entre 18 et 35 ans, en intégrant les au-delà des 35 ans les « jeunes vieux » (ceux qui restent jeunes d’esprit, d’agir, et de manière d’être) et de « vieux jeunes » (ceux qui vieillissent très tôt dans leur mode d’être, de penser et de faire). Ainsi, il n’existe pas une seule jeunesse africaine mais des jeunesses a ...