Iraq Economic News and Points To Ponder Wednesday Morning 1-14-26

Gold Rises 1% And Silver Surpasses $90 An Ounce

Money and Business     Economy News - Gold prices rose to new record highs on Wednesday, while silver jumped to an all-time high above $90 an ounce, supported by weaker-than-expected US inflation readings that boosted bets on interest rate cuts.  Gold rose 1.02% in spot trading to reach $4,634.40 an ounce.

 US gold futures for February delivery also rose 0.9% to $4,643.80.  The data showed that the US consumer price index rose 0.2% month-on-month and 2.6% year-on-year in December, driven by higher rent and food costs.

This increase came as the impact of some distortions related to the government shutdown, which had put pressure on inflation in November, eased, but it remained below analysts' expectations of a rise of 0.3% monthly and 2.7% annually.

US President Donald Trump welcomed the inflation figures, renewing his pressure on Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to cut interest rates.

Investors and major brokerage firms, including Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, expect two interest rate cuts of 25 basis points each this year, with the first possible cut in June.

On the geopolitical front, Trump on Tuesday called on Iranians to continue the protests, saying that “help is on the way,” amid the largest wave of protests in Iran in years.

As for other precious metals, silver surged in spot trading, surpassing $90 an ounce for the first time ever. Platinum climbed 3.5% to $2,405.30, its highest level in a week, after hitting a record high of $2,478.50 on December 29. Palladium rose 1.8% to $1,873.   https://economy-news.net/content.php?id=64561

Iraq Is The Largest Importer Of Iranian Goods, With A Value Of $10 Billion.

Money and Business   Economy News – Baghdad  Middle East News reported on Wednesday that Iraq tops the list of countries importing Iranian goods, with purchases amounting to about $10 billion between April 2024 and January 2025, followed by the UAE with about $6 billion, and then Turkey with $5.5 billion.

According to official data from the Iranian Customs Administration, the volume of non-oil trade between Iran and its fifteen neighboring countries reached $13.42 billion during the period from March 20 to June 21 of last year, with the exchange of about 23 million tons of goods.

In terms of exports, Iraq remained the primary destination for Iranian goods, with a value of $1.9 billion, followed by the UAE at $1.6 billion, then Turkey at $940 million, Afghanistan at $510 million, and Oman at $437 million. Imports from neighboring countries reached $6.8 billion, with the UAE topping the list of countries supplying Iran with over $3.9 billion, followed by Turkey at $1.98 billion, then Russia at $353 million, and Oman at $223 million.

According to the same data, the volume of non-oil trade between Iran and neighboring countries continued to rise, recording an increase of 21% year-on-year until March 19, 2025, reaching $74.32 billion, with exports rising to $36.01 billion compared to imports of $38.31 billion.

Despite concerns expressed by Iraq, the UAE, and Oman regarding the impact of the US tariffs, the decision has not yet included clear details on the implementation mechanism or any potential exemptions. In this context, the UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, Thani Al Zeyoudi, stated that his country is monitoring the situation to determine the extent of the decision's impact on food imports.

Turkey is also facing a state of confusion as its trade with the United States expands from $30 billion to $100 billion, but it knows how to deal with such situations without a direct clash with Washington, according to analyst Taha Aydinoglu.

In contrast, China, the largest buyer of Iranian oil, continues to protect its interests and oppose any unilateral sanctions, while European economies such as Germany and Switzerland, along with India and Uzbekistan, also appear to be exposed to the impact of this tariff, reflecting the widening commercial reach of Iran across different continents.

In recent days, the United States announced that any country that conducts trade with Iran will face a 25% tariff on its trade with the United States, a move that could include Iraq, which is among the Arab countries most closely linked to trade with Tehran.

The US decision comes at a time when Iran is witnessing its largest anti-government protests in years, within the context of a series of sanctions imposed by Washington on Tehran for years.  https://economy-news.net/content.php?id=64562

Oil Prices Jump, With Brent Rising Above $65 Per Barrel

INA-Baghdad   Oil prices rose in global markets on Tuesday, with Brent crude trading above $65 a barrel, while US crude also posted gains.   Data from the global oil market, reviewed by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), showed that Brent crude futures rose by 1.70% to reach $65.08 a barrel.  The data also indicated that West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures climbed by 2.65% to reach $60.60 a barrel.  https://ina.iq/en/economy/44793-oil-jumps-above-65-per-barrel.html

CBI Foreign Currency Reserves Decline

2026-01-14 06:03   Shafaq News– Baghdad   Iraq’s foreign currency reserves declined by the end of October 2025, according to figures released by the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) on Wednesday.

Official data showed the reserves stood at 126.857 trillion Iraqi dinars ($97.582B) as of October 31, easing from 127.601 trillion dinars ($98.155B) at the end of September.

Despite the monthly decline, the data showed an increase compared with August, when reserves totaled 123.033 trillion dinars ($94.641B).

The figures also pointed to a broader downward trajectory from the same period in 2024, when reserves stood at 130.347 trillion dinars ($100.267B), as well as from 2023, when they reached 145.257 trillion dinars ($111.736B).

https://www.shafaq.com/en/Economy/CBI-foreign-currency-reserves-decline-8   

Dollar Rises In Baghdad, Erbil Markets

2026-01-14 03:47   Shafaq News– Baghdad/ Erbil   The US dollar rose at the opening of Wednesday trading against the Iraqi dinar in Baghdad and Erbil markets.

According to a Shafaq News correspondent, the dollar climbed at Baghdad’s Al-Kifah and Al-Harithiya central exchanges to 147,500 dinars per $100, up from 146,400 dinars recorded on Tuesday.

Exchange shops in the capital also reported higher rates, with the selling price reaching 148,000 dinars per $100 and the buying price standing at 147,000 dinars.   In Erbil, the dollar followed the same upward trend, selling at 147,550 dinars per $100 and buying at 147,450 dinars.  https://www.shafaq.com/en/Economy/Dollar-rises-in-Baghdad-Erbil-markets

Precious Metals Surge To Historic Milestone

2026-01-14 Shafaq News  Gold climbed on Wednesday to again hit a record, while silver surpassed the never-before-seen $90 mark, as softer-than-expected U.S. inflation readings cemented bets on interest rate cuts amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.

Spot gold rose 1% to $4,633.40 per ounce as of 0525 GMT, after hitting a record high of $4,639.42 earlier in the session. U.S. gold futures for February delivery rose 0.8% to $4,640.90.

Spot silver jumped 4.2% to $90.59 per ounce after breaching $90 for the first time, having shot up nearly 27% already this year.

"U.S. CPI figures showed that inflation remained relatively contained at 2.6% (year-on-year), and risk assets may be hoping for a similarly benign PPI reading to keep expectations alive for further monetary policy easing," said Tim Waterer, KCM Trade's chief market analyst.

The U.S. core Consumer Price Index rose 0.2% month-on-month and 2.6% year-on-year in December, falling short of analysts' ⁠expectations of a 0.3% and 2.7% increase, respectively. U.S. core Producer Price Index data for December is due later in the day.

U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed the inflation figures, reiterating his push for the U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to cut interest rates "meaningfully."

Global central bank chiefs and top Wall Street bank CEOs lined up in support of Powell on Tuesday after news of the Trump administration's decision to investigate him drew condemnation from former Fed chiefs as well.

Analysts say worries ⁠around Fed independence and ⁠trust in U.S. assets added to safe-haven demand for the yellow metal.   Investors expect two 25-basis-point rate cuts this year, with the earliest in June.

Non-yielding assets tend to do well in a low-interest-rate environment and during geopolitical or economic uncertainty.

ANZ expects gold to trade above $5,000/oz in the first half of 2026, the bank said in a note on Wednesday.

For silver, the next big figure was the $100 mark and high two-digit percentage gains for the metal seem likely this year, said GoldSilver Central managing director Brian Lan. 

Elsewhere, spot platinum climbed 4% to $2,415.95 per ounce, a one-week high. It hit a record $2,478.50/oz on December 29.  Palladium was up 3.3% at $1,899.44 per ounce.  https://www.shafaq.com/en/Economy/Precious-metals-surge-to-historic-milestone