The government of Mali has temporarily halted operations at Barrick Gold’s Loulo‑Gounkoto complex ahead of a hearing on June 12, while Barrick pursues international arbitration.
Market implications:
- A prolonged shutdown could reduce supply and tighten the global gold market—bullish in the near term.
- Country-risk hedging becomes increasingly relevant; investors may rotate towards politically safer miners.
Watch closely:
- June 12 hearing verdict, production outage updates, and key mine supply metrics.
