Wall Street is taking a pause on Thursday as U.S. stocks and even the price of gold make only modest moves near their record highs.

The price of silver reached more than $50 an ounce Thursday for the first time since 1993 in the wake of sister safe-haven gold soaring to record highs.

The European Commission said on Thursday it was "concerned" by China's announcement of new controls on the export of rare-earth technologies and items.

"The commission expects China to act as a reliable partner and to ensure stable, predictable access to critical raw materials," EU trade spokesman Olof Gill told reporters.

The European Union's executive arm on Wednesday unveiled detailed proposals to protect farmers from being undercut by imports from South America as it seeks to build support for its deal with the Mercosur trade alliance.

Tesla rolled out new, cheaper versions of two of its electric car models on Tuesday in hopes the offerings will help revive flagging sales but investors dumped its stock anyway.

The new Model Y, costing just under $40,000 with a stripped-down interior, comes in a brutal year for Tesla as it tries to attract more customers despite an aging lineup, stiff competition from foreign EV makers and anti-Elon Musk boycotts targeting the company.

Most U.S. stocks are ticking higher on Wednesday, a day after breaking their seven-day winning streak, while the price of gold is pushing further past $4,000 per ounce.

The global economy is faring better than expected, propped up by a resilient United States, the IMF chief said Wednesday, ahead of next week's gathering of finance ministers and central bank governors in Washington.

The world economy is doing "better than feared, but worse than we need," International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told reporters in Washington, according to prepared remarks, adding the Fund now expects global growth to slow "only slightly this year and next."

Iran does not plan to immediately resume talks with European nations on its nuclear program after they reimposed sanctions, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday.

"We have no plans for negotiations at this stage," spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said, adding that Iran was examining the "consequences and implications" of the restart of sanctions initiated by France, Britain, and Germany.

The Paris stock market slipped Monday as Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu resigned after a month in the job, plunging the country into further political turmoil.

The CAC 40 index of blue-chip stocks was down more than two percent at around 0800 GMT.

The EU will seek to widen and significantly increase tariffs on foreign steel, the bloc's industry chief Stephane Sejourne told the sector on Wednesday.

Brussels will unveil new measures on Tuesday to protect the steel sector that will replace the current "safeguard clause" expiring next year, Sejourne said during a meeting in Brussels, participants told AFP.