Palladium hits record highs, dollar off three-month lows

Palladium prices rose over 2% in American trade to record highs, while the dollar index climbed off October 16 lows, following earlier data from the US, while the US government shutdown is in its fourth week. 

As of 02:40 GMT, palladium rose 2.35% to $1,349.00 an ounce, while the dollar index added 0.09% to 96.03 off three-month lows. 

Earlier US data showed import prices fell 1.0%, compared to a 1.9% drop in November, while beating estimates of a 1.3% drop. 

Markets now await the Beige Book, which is released two weeks before the Federal Reserve's meeting and upon which, policymakers base their decisions and forecasts.