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 takeaways from the latest edition of the Steel Raw Materials Market Tracker are ready to view.Iron ore prices remained relatively stable last week, signalling an end to the price spike. And for the first time since March, at the time of the Covid-19 lock-down in Hubei, we have seen a consistent downturn in utilization rates in China. Blast furnace utilization rates dropped for a fifth consecut...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 latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view. A look at stainless steel price movements through August reveals the ongoing battle being faced by stainless steelmakers in Europe and the United States while they try to pass on rising costs to consumers. In these regions, prices on most grades of stainless steel are little changed from July, rising by around 2% at most -...Read More
The latest forecast from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.As we enter the summer season across the northern hemisphere, almost half a year has passed since the Covid-19 pandemic began to seriously affect Europe and the United States.One would not really be able to tell that such a dramatic event had occurred by looking at stainless steel prices, however, because they are more or less...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices are relatively stable this month, showing little change since our previous tracker. Such stability masks growing issues for stainless steelmakers, however, who are increasingly unable to pass on rising costs to consumers and are, thus, facing cuts to their margins.In general, this is due to an excess of...Read More
The three-month price of zinc on the London Metal Exchange rallied at the close of trading on Friday October 9, with a steady decline in the US dollar index supporting a flurry of Asian buying, while a similar upsurge in aluminium saw the metal close at its highest price since July 2019.Nickel's outright price closed at $15,221 per tonne in the afternoon, climbing from an intraday low of $14,665 p...Read More
Fastmarkets' copper concentrate treatment and refining charge (TC/RC) index edged up on Friday October 9 amid thin trading observed during China's Golden Week holiday that ended on Thursday.Fastmarkets' copper concentrates TC index, cif Asia Pacific was at $45.60 per tonne/4.56 cents per lb on Friday, up from $45 per tonne 4.5 cents per lb on October 2.Parcels of concentrates...Read More
Production at Hydro's Alunorte alumina refinery in Brazil will ramp back up now that maintenance at the Paragominas bauxite mine has finished, the producer said on Friday October 9. "On October 8, Hydro resumed operation of the pipeline transporting bauxite from Hydro Paragominas bauxite mine to the Hydro Alunorte alumina refinery in Brazil," Hydro said. Production at Paragominas bauxite mine has...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their latest price moves.Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Europe and the United States for the week ending Friday October 9, with China quiet due to the week-long Golden Week holiday. Europe The European market was steady over the week, consolidating gains from the week prior when prices tipped ?,?1,000 per tonne, a high last seen...Read More
Fastmarkets' copper concentrate treatment and refining charge (TC/RC) index edged up on Friday October 9 amid thin trading observed during China's Golden Week holiday that ended on Thursday.Fastmarkets' copper concentrates TC index, cif Asia Pacific was at $45.60 per tonne/4.56 cents per lb on Friday, up from $45 per tonne 4.5 cents per lb on October 2.Parcels of concentrates...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Europe, Asia and the United States for the week ending Friday October 9.China Seaborne manganese ore indices for both grades fell amid weakening market sentiment in response to falling futures alloy prices prior to the Golden Week holiday (October 1-8) and rising stocks. Reported sales of higher grade ore, however, showed some producers had successfully mainta...Read More
An overview of the minor metals markets and the reasons for any price moves.Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their latest price moves.Read More
Scrap prices across the global markets moved down in the week ended Friday October 9, largely due to Turkey's return to the market, although making purchases at lower prices than previously.Turkish steel mills purchase cargoes at lower pricesUS export market follows Turkish leadVietnam reports thin tradingTaiwanese scrap import market dips ahead of holidayIndian material booked at lower prices.Tur...Read More
Prices in the market for inter-merchant light iron scrap in the UK softened over the week to Friday October 9 after a steady run since September 11, industry sources have told Fastmarkets.Weaker conditions in the European steel scrap export markets to Turkey and the Indian subcontinent have pulled British domestic offer prices downward, they said.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel scra...Read More
Turkish steel mills continued their deep-sea scrap purchases at the end of the week after securing lower prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday October 9.A steel mill in the Marmara region booked a cargo from the United States, comprising 38,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $283 per tonne and 2,000 tonnes of plate and structural (P&S) at $293 per tonne cfr.Thursday's deals for HMS 1...Read More