Air Algerie Incurs USD130 Million Loss Due to COVID-19

An Air Algerie Boeing 737-8b6 plane is seen on the tarmac at the Lyon-Saint-Exupery airport in Colombier-Saugnieu near Lyon, France, March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Emmanuel Foudrot/Files
An Air Algerie Boeing 737-8b6 plane is seen on the tarmac at the Lyon-Saint-Exupery airport in Colombier-Saugnieu near Lyon, France, March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Emmanuel Foudrot/Files
TT
20

Air Algerie Incurs USD130 Million Loss Due to COVID-19

An Air Algerie Boeing 737-8b6 plane is seen on the tarmac at the Lyon-Saint-Exupery airport in Colombier-Saugnieu near Lyon, France, March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Emmanuel Foudrot/Files
An Air Algerie Boeing 737-8b6 plane is seen on the tarmac at the Lyon-Saint-Exupery airport in Colombier-Saugnieu near Lyon, France, March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Emmanuel Foudrot/Files

Algerian Finance Minister Ayman bin Abdul Rahman said that Air Algerie has incurred losses estimated at USD130 million due to the suspension of flights during the coronavirus pandemic.

During a meeting on evaluating the consequences of the pandemic and its impact on the economy, chaired by Algerian Prime Minister Abdulaziz Jarad, Bin Abdul Rahman said that maritime transport losses have exceeded USD700,000.

He further announced allocating more than USD500 million to fight the pandemic.

Jarad noted that the country was undergoing a tragic and unprecedented economic condition ensuing from the structural crisis by former governments, the collapse of oil price, and the impact of the novel coronavirus.

He affirmed that Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune was committed to backing the affected institutions, whether public or private. In addition, he noted that the precautionary measures have struck various economic sectors mainly commerce, hospitality, and construction.

Jarad called for an objective assessment of COVID-10 repercussions, noting that the economic and social revival would occur through establishing balanced institutions and achieving a purchasing power for households to support the economic dynamic.



Gold Falls to One-week Low as Dollar Firms after Tariff Deadline Extension

FILE PHOTO: An employee places ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom at the Novosibirsk precious metals refining and manufacturing plant in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: An employee places ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom at the Novosibirsk precious metals refining and manufacturing plant in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo
TT
20

Gold Falls to One-week Low as Dollar Firms after Tariff Deadline Extension

FILE PHOTO: An employee places ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom at the Novosibirsk precious metals refining and manufacturing plant in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: An employee places ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom at the Novosibirsk precious metals refining and manufacturing plant in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo

Gold prices retreated to a one-week low on Monday as the dollar firmed and traders digested US President Donald Trump's extension of his July 9 tariff deadline to August 1 and assertion that the US is close to several trade deals.

Spot gold was down 0.8% at $3,307.87 an ounce at 1302 GMT after hitting its lowest since June 30 at $3,296.09. US gold futures lost 0.7% to $3,318.

The stronger dollar, up 0.2% against a basket of other major currencies, makes dollar-priced gold more expensive for buyers with other currencies, Reuters reported.

"The market volumes remain quiet at this moment, and price action is probably still just reflecting the latest piece of economic data, but also starting to look forward to the potential for trade deals to be announced," said Daniel Ghali, commodity strategist at TD Securities.

Last week's stronger than expected US payroll data cemented expectations that the Federal Reserve is unlikely to cut interest rates as early as previously expected.

Minutes of the Fed's latest policy meeting and speeches by several Fed officials are due this week for further insights into the central bank's policy path.

Elsewhere, China's central bank added gold to its reserves in June for an eighth consecutive month, official data from the People's Bank of China (PBOC) showed on Monday.

"The PBoC in particular has been diversifying foreign exchange reserves substantially and an uptick in uncertainty and geopolitical risk may speed up the process," said Zain Vawda, analyst at MarketPulse by OANDA.

In other precious metals, spot silver fell 1.6% to $36.32 an ounce, platinum shed 2.9% to $1,350.97 and palladium lost 3% to $1,100.65.