Copper, Gold, and Silver Markets Shaped By Fundamentals

Together, these markets highlight the diverse forces shaping industrial inputs and safe-haven assets.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RFD-TV) — Key industrial and precious metals are being driven by structural factors that extend beyond daily trading shifts, according to ADM Investor Services.

Copper remains closely tied to China’s economic trajectory. While factory surveys indicate modest improvements in production and export orders, deflationary pressures and reduced demand ahead of national holidays underscore the ongoing fragility. Import premiums have softened, suggesting caution among buyers, though long-term demand remains underpinned by China’s role in manufacturing and renewable infrastructure.

Gold remains influenced by political and economic risks. Profit-taking weighed on prices recently, but safe-haven demand is reinforced by fiscal uncertainty in Washington, where budget gridlock raises the risk of a government shutdown. Global geopolitical tensions also support gold’s role as a hedge, with investors seeking stability against inflation and conflict-driven volatility.

Silver fundamentals remain strong despite price pullbacks. The Silver Institute projects a fifth consecutive annual supply deficit in 2025, with global output expected to fall short of demand by 100 million ounces. Industrial consumption tied to solar expansion and renewable energy technology is helping to sustain silver demand, particularly with China’s solar exports rising sharply.

Farm-Level Takeaway: Copper reflects China’s manufacturing health, gold tracks political and global risk, and silver is buoyed by renewable energy demand amid supply shortfalls. Together, these markets highlight the diverse forces shaping industrial inputs and safe-haven assets.
Related Stories
Tight cattle supplies continue to drive lower beef output despite heavier weights.
Kip Eideberg with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers details its campaign spotlighting the people who build equipment vital to farming and food manufacturing.
Cargill’s commitment to keep plants open helps preserve competition as Tyson removes capacity amid historically tight cattle supplies.
Tyson’s capacity cuts weaken local basis, tighten kill space, and heighten dependence on imports, signaling more volatility for producers.
Tyson’s Nebraska plant closure and falling Cattle on Feed numbers send cattle markets tumbling. Analysts warn of tighter supplies, weak margins, and rising global competition.
Higher rail tariffs and tighter Canadian supplies will keep oat transportation costs firm into 2026.
Lower U.S. and Mexican production means tighter sugar supplies and greater reliance on imports headed into 2026.
Tyson’s closure reflects deep supply shortages in the U.S. cattle industry, tightening packing capacity, weakening competition, and signaling more volatility ahead for cow-calf producers and feedyards.
Dr. Deb Vnoverbeke, UNL’s Head of Animal Science, joins us with more about the university’s experiential learning programs designed to prepare veterinary students for the future of agriculture.

Tony St. James joined the RFD-TV talent team in August 2024, bringing a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to RFD-TV and Rural Radio Channel 147 Sirius XM. In addition to his role as Market Specialist (collaborating with Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady to provide radio and TV audiences with the latest updates on ag commodity markets), he hosts “Rural America Live” and serves as talent for trade shows.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

With the U.S.–Vietnam agreement nearing signature, U.S. cotton, corn, and soybean exporters could lock in new demand lanes just as global supply shifts.
Enforceable origin labels could create clearer premiums for U.S. cattle and address concerns some producers have had with competition from foreign imported beef.
A court decision that overturns Enlist labels would remove two major herbicides from use and reshape EPA’s future mitigation policies for other pesticides.
Rural businesses report softer sales, tougher hiring, and restrained investment — a backdrop that can pinch farm support capacity even if posted prices cool.
Friday’s release will be the first WASDE report in about two months, and early estimates indicate a corn surplus is still on the way.
Tyson expects another year of beef-segment losses due to tight cattle supplies, even as chicken, pork, and prepared foods strengthen overall margins.