Voicing hopes that Beijing and the United States could avoid a trade war, Premier Li Keqiang told the close of the annual parliament session that China would open its economy further, so that foreign and Chinese firms can compete on an equal footing. SEE MORE A weaker greenback makes imports of dollar-denominated crude cheaper for countries using other currencies at home, potentially spurring demand. SEE MORE The U.S. Treasury has been stealthily weakening the dollar. It isn’t clear if it is doing so consciously, but since a weaker dollar suits Treasury leadership, there probably isn’t too much concern. SEE MORE The base metals traded on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were broadly lower during Asian morning trading on Friday March 16. Zinc and sister metal lead bucked the general weakness, however, albeit with marginal gains. SEE MORE