The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.US ERW OCTG edges higher, seamless could followRising substrate costs helped support US ERW OCTG prices this month, especially at the upper end of the range of offers. Seamless OCTG and linepipe prices, meanwhile, held firm compared with September prices. The fundamentals remain weak, with rig counts going up...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key North American steel forecast highlights:US domestic prices for hot-rolled coil (HRC) moved sharply higher in September, in line with our expectations, but the magnitude of the rise exceeded our predictions. Domestic HRC prices averaged $566 per ton in September, exceeding our $540 per ton forecast price.A c...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Although we correctly forecast a significant rise in hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices in the United States in September 2020, our price forecast proved too conservative.An impressive V-shaped recovery in key economic fundamentals critical to steel consumption is driving stronger demand for steel at the start of the fourth quarte...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Prices for most ferro-alloys maintained their upward momentum into October, solidifying previous gains and reflecting the improved demand from steelmakers, the rebuilding of depleted inventories, and the supply-side concerns following both planned and unplanned outages. Gains were noted for ferro-silicon, silicon metal, mang...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key ferro-alloys forecast highlights:Prices across most ore and alloy markets trended higher in September, buoyed by improving demand from steelmakers with the end of the summer holiday season in Europe and the United States, as well as maintained demand from Chinese steel mills. Tightening of alloy inventories...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Iron ore remains the most bullish commodity of the year, with prices fuelled by Chinese demand and supply disruptions in Brazil, along with bullish sentiment. But prices are expected to come down because Brazilian exports have begun to recover, and have reached their highest level since the Brumadinho dam disaster in 2019. W...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.In the iron ore market, supply issues including heavy rains at the start of the year, followed by staffing problems during the Covid-19 pandemic, have affected exports from Brazil. This has helped Australia gain a larger market share, but since June, Brazilian export volumes have returned to levels last seen before the...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Chinese blast furnace (BF) utilization rates have stagnated and iron ore port stock volumes are rising, reaching their highest levels since March, which suggests that iron ore supply is becoming excessive while demand is not growing. Unsurprisingly, prices dropped last week and we expect the trend to continue. The market has...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.We do not consider the average iron ore fines price for September so far above $125 per tonne cfr Qingdao to be sustainable. The bullishness is not likely to last in the long term as we expect Chinese demand growth to slow down. A key factor boosting Chinese steel demand so far has been the stimulus policies from the authori...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Having found it easier to increase prices than their counterparts in Europe and the United States during the past few months, Asian stainless steelmakers now face a number of concerns.In the short term, Asian prices have moved down in recent weeks while those in Europe and the US are on the up. This is mostly a reflection of...Read More
The European ferro-molybdenum price climbed by 2.9% in the midweek assessment on tightening prompt inventories and increased end-user demand, while oxide prices lagged behind. Fastmarkets' price assessment for ferro-molybdenum, basis 65%, in-whs Rotterdam climbed to $21.80-22.40 per kg on Wednesday October 28, up from the previous week's assessment of $21.25-21.70 per kg. "Inquiries from end...Read More
Before the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, 2020 was expected to be an important year for the rollout of 5G telecommunications networks, with more operator launches globally and declining prices for smartphones and other 5G-enabled devices.While the rollout has been disrupted in the short term, the increase in remote working that has resulted from lockdown measures has underscored the...Read More
Lundin Mining is on track for an early 2021 restart of expansion works at its Neves Corvo zinc mine in Portugal.The expansion plans, which were halted earlier this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic are expected to boost zinc concentrate capacity by 80,000 tonnes per year. The company said preparation work for the restart of both the surface and underground construction sites ha...Read More
First Quantum Minerals has increased its 2020 group copper production guidance to 750,000-785,000 tonnes, citing the resumption of normal operations at its Cobre Panama project and new production records at almost all of its sites. In July, the Vancouver, Canada-headquartered company said it was expecting 2020 group copper production of 725,000-770,000 tonnes. Company chairman and chief executive...Read More
Roberto Ecclefield has joined trading house Industrial Minerals and is setting up a Latin America business for the firm, Fastmarkets understands. Ecclefield was formerly the chief commercial officer at Chilean state miner Codelco, which...Read More
En+ Group, the majority owner of aluminium producer UC Rusal, has urged the European Commission to remove any tariffs on low-carbon aluminium to spur the 'green' economy. In a statement released on Thursday October 29, En+ said applying a "one size fits all" Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), as currently suggested, could be counterproductive. The theme of low-carbon aluminium and sustaina...Read More
The London Metal Exchange three-month nickel price was the under performer during morning trading on Thursday October 29, with its price action largely subdued against a continued upsurge in the US dollar index, while a fresh cancelation of some 18,525 tonnes kept the LME lead price elevated.LME nickel's outright price was recently trading at $15,515 per tonne on Thursday morning, falling by some...Read More
US hot-rolled coil prices have popped back above $34 per hundredweight ($680 per short ton), while mills - which have few spot tons to spare for the balance of the year - increasingly hold out for $35 per cwt or more on the supply they have left, market participants said.Fastmarkets daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $34.16 per cwt ($683.20 per ton) on Thursday O...Read More
Prices for imported flat steel products moved sideways or slightly higher in the United States due to the spread between domestic and overseas metal making shipments from abroad competitive on a limited basis, market participants said."The buyers are checking the import prices right now, but they cannot find enough gap to convince them to buy imports now," a Gulf Coast trader said. "But if the US...Read More
Italian trade unions Uilm and Fiom-Cgil have called for steelworkers at ArcelorMittal Italia to go on strike on November 5 because they have not been given any clear idea of the future for the Taranto steel mill, the unions said on Thursday October 29."There are still 35 days left before the deadline [for renewal of the lease of the mill expires on November 30, 2020], at which time AM InvestCo wil...Read More