Chrome market participants have been surprised by the South African government's proposal to introduce an export tax on chrome ore to support its chrome sector but sought further detail about what it involves and when it would be carried through.The proposed export tax on South African chrome ore is designed to support domestic ferro-chrome production and its chrome value chain, the South African...Read More
US copper producer Freeport-McMoRan said its Cerro Verde copper mine in Peru is operating at around 90% of its 2019 annual average while it works to restore operations following restrictions imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The mine, in which Freeport owns a 53.56% stake, saw operating rates average 351,000 tonnes per day of ore during the third quarter, the company said. Consolidated sales i...Read More
Fastmarkets will launch two new European high-carbon ferro-chrome price assessments on Tuesday October 27 this year, which will run alongside the existing price assessment until the end of 2021.After a consultation period, Fastmarkets has concluded that it will launch price assessments for ferro-chrome, high carbon, 6-8.5% C, basis 60-64.9% Cr, max 3% Si, cif Europe, $ per lb Cr, and ferro-chrome,...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
Turkish steel mills have returned to the deep-sea scrap markets, booking several cargoes at higher prices than previously, market sources said on Thursday October 22.On Wednesday, sources speculated on the direction prices could move after three days with no bookings. But that was before the latest transactions came to light late in the day, after Fastmarkets' index calculation had closed.A steel...Read More
Prices for containers of steel scrap imported into Bangladesh have risen over the past seven days, supported by higher freight costs, market participants told Fastmarkets on Thursday October 22.Rising demand for grain transportation has driven up container freight costs into Bangladesh, sources said, together with solid gains seen this week in the markets for both Japan export scrap and Taiwan imp...Read More
Freeport-McMoRan has proposed expanding its existing copper smelter at Gresik in Indonesia by 30% and adding a precious metals refinery in place of constructing an entirely new smelter nearby. The chief executive officer of the US copper producer said this option was attractive to the government of Indonesia as an alternative to undertaking a major construction project during the Covid-19 pandemic...Read More
US copper producer Freeport-McMoRan said its Cerro Verde copper mine in Peru is operating at around 90% of its 2019 annual average while it works to restore operations following restrictions imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The mine, in which Freeport owns a 53.56% stake, saw operating rates average 351,000 tonnes per day of ore during the third quarter, the company said. Consolidated sales i...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were weaker this morning, Thursday October 22, this after a day of general strength on Wednesday that saw copper prices climb, intraday, back above $7,000 per tonne. Concerns that an additional stimulus package in the United States may struggle to get agreed before the presidential election has weighed on sentiment. Forecasts from the International L...Read More
Multiple battery chemistry offerings will continue to co-exist in the marketplace, according to Ernie Ortiz, president and managing director at Lithium Royalty Corporation."The future will be balanced and diversified across battery chemistry. [Original equipment manufacturers] acknowledge that battery chemistry is not a one-size-fits-all approach," Ortiz said during the Focus Day on electric vehic...Read More
Strong stimulus programs and an introduction of fines on CO2 emissions have helped Europe to lead the way this year on electric vehicle (EV) sales, according to Ernie Ortiz, president and managing director at Lithium Royalty Corporation."Sales are strong enough that Europe can even take the crown for the largest EV market this year," Ortiz said during the Focus Day on electric vehicles at the Lond...Read More
The London Metal Exchange will launch a lithium contract based on the monthly average of Fastmarkets' price assessment for lithium hydroxide monohydrate, it said during an online briefing on Thursday October 22 as part of the annual LME Week event.The contract will use the assessment for lithium hydroxide monohydrate, min 56.5% LiOH.H2O, battery grade, spot price, cif China, Japan & Korea. It is p...Read More
US hot-rolled coil prices continue their upward march as sources increasingly debate not whether the trend is sustainable into 2021 but for how long into next year current price levels might hold.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $33.66 per hundredweight ($673.20 per ton) on Thursday October 22, up by 0.3% from $33.57 per cwt on October 21 and 2.9% from...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-dipped galvanized coil (HDG) steel in Northern Europe increased in the week to Wednesday October 21, supported by reduced availability of the material in the spot market, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel HDG, domestic, exw Northern Europe was ?,?595-615 ($702-726) per tonne ex-works on October 21, up by ?,?5-15 per tonne from ?,?590-60...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in Northern Europe were unchanged day on day on Thursday October 22, but steelmakers were expected to announce a price increase, market sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, at ?,?497.50 ($589.78) per tonne on Thursday, flat from the day before.The index was up by ?,?1.87 per tonne w...Read More
Reinforcing bar prices in the United States were stable week on week on mostly flat domestic ferrous scrap prices and a partially successful mill price hike, market participants said.Those factors appear to have offset - at least for now - concerns about construction demand and outright pessimism about infrastructure spending heading into 2021, some sources said.Fastmarkets ass...Read More
Turkish export rebar and wire rod prices strengthened in the week to Thursday October 22 amid limited material supply and higher scrap costs, sources have told Fastmarkets."Mills sold quite a lot of rebar for export in earlier weeks so, when you ask, the earliest date they give you [for delivery] is January," one source said.A 50,000-tonne rebar cargo scheduled for shipment in January was reported...Read More
Demand for rebar and billet in Egypt failed to improve in the week to Thursday, October 22, despite the authorities reducing safeguard duties on the products, sources told Fastmarkets.Steel billet and rebar prices in Egypt were unchanged as a result, they added. The duty for imported billet was cut to 13% for the cif market last week, with a $60-per-tonne minimum, compared with ...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday October 22 that are worth another look....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