CHICAGO, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Gold futures on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange fell on Wednesday as the U.S. dollar strengthened.

The most active gold contract for June delivery fell three U.S. dollars, or 0.16 percent, to close at 1,815.9 dollars per ounce.

Investors also reacted to hawkish remarks of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. Speaking at a Wall Street Journal event on Tuesday, Powell said the Federal Reserve would keep raising interest rates until there was "clear and convincing evidence" that inflation was coming down.

If necessary, the Fed wouldn't hesitate to push rates past "broadly understood levels of neutral" to bring down inflation, he added. The neutral rate is the level at which policy neither boosts nor slows economic growth.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday warned of a "challenging, and uncertain" global economic outlook, due to higher food and energy prices that can depress output, spending and raise inflation "all around the world."

Speaking at a news conference in Germany, Yellen said the United States "in many ways is best positioned," given its strong labor market and economy and its releases of strategic oil reserves to help domestic energy prices from skyrocketing higher.

Gold price is almost 5 percent lower so far in May, and 11.1 percent below its March 8 high of 2,040.1 dollars.

Silver for July delivery fell 20.6 cents, or 0.95 percent, to close at 21.544 dollars per ounce. Platinum for July delivery fell 19.00 dollars or 2.01 percent, to close at 924.40 dollars per ounce. Enditem

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