India's July trade deficit widened to $31.98bn as gold-driven imports outpaced a nearly 10% rise in exports. South Africa's gold output surged even as broader mining stayed weak, and Brazil's retail sales beat forecasts, cooling the case for near-term rate cuts.
Stats SA's June mining release showed a 4.0% year-over-year drop and a 2.7% quarterly decline in Q2, underscoring persistent sector weakness even after gold output swung back to growth. Source
