The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.US flat-rolled prices began to recover in August, as we expected. The monthly average of our daily HRC index hit $473 per ton ($521/tonne), which was $3/t above our forecast.The upward momentum has since continued and has done so more quickly than we expected - sentiment has turned around dramatically on fundamental developm...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Prices for hot-rolled coil have performed in line with our expectations over the past month, with US domestic HRC prices finding a floor in July in line with the forecast, before improving in August. US HRC prices averaged $473 per short ton in August, compared with our forecast price of $470 per ton.Our prediction that an i...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.US hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices performed in line with our expectations in August, with US domestic HRC prices finding a floor in July as forecast before they rose in August. US HRC prices averaged $522 per tonne in August, which compares with our forecast price of $518 per tonne. Based on an improving demand outlook and ris...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
European buyers of hot-rolled coil have become more cautious about further price increases, while steelmakers continued to push for higher prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Monday September 28.Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, at ?,?486.79 ($566.03) per tonne on Monday, down by ?,?1.23 per tonne from ?,?488.02 per tonne on September 25.T...Read More
Here are the key takeaways from Fastmarkets' International Aluminium Conference that took place on Monday September 21-Wednesday September 23. Low-carbon aluminium Low-carbon aluminium is a huge talking point in the market right now and the conference dedicated a day to sustainability. Sustainability directors from Rio Tinto, Norsk Hydro, UC Rusal and Alcoa participated in a panel discussion discu...Read More
The spread between copper scrap and refined copper is at its widest since December 2019 due to ample availability after shipping lines stopped handling scrap cargoes bound for China this month. Fastmarkets assessed the copper scrap No2 copper (birch/cliff) imported into China 94-96%, LME/Comex discount, cif China at 34-40 cents per lb on Monday September 28, compared with 32-36 cents per lb a...Read More
Commodity trader Trafigura has formed a new company to invest in solar power, wind power and power storage projects across the world, the Geneva-based group said on Monday September 28.The new company, Nala Renewables, has targeted the construction of a portfolio of renewable energy projects with cumulative capacity for 2GW, to be operating within the next five years, the company said.Nala Renewab...Read More
Brazilian trade chamber Camex confirmed this week that the country's self-imposed quota for duty-free imports of aluminium had been exhausted, but it was expected to resolve soon upon an additional volume of around 30,000 tonnes, Fastmarkets has learnt.According to Camex data, the volume for which import licenses had been issued reached the full-year 2020 limit of 150,000 tonnes on September 9. Ma...Read More
Canada-based base metals producer Lundin Mining has halted ore processing operations at its Chapada copper-gold mine in Midwestern Brazil after a power outage damaged mill motors, the company said on Sunday September 27. Interruption of power services to the mine occurred on Sunday. When power was restored, the protection system of Chapada's main electrical substation failed, according to the comp...Read More
Deliverable base metals stocks at Shanghai Futures Exchange-approved warehouses all plummeted in the week to Friday September 25, with lead falling the most before China's Golden Week holiday (October 1-8).Lead stocks fell the most in percentage terms, diving by 45.3% or 13,199 tonnes to 15,921 tonnes as of Friday September 25.Warehousing company Zhejiang Tianchuan in Zhejiang had the largest outf...Read More
Prices for domestic and imported merchant bar quality (MBQ) steel in the United States rose by $1.50 per hundredweight ($30 per short ton) in response to a round of price increases by domestic mills.Fastmarkets' monthly assessment for steel bar 2 x 2 x 1/4 -inch angle merchant products, fob mill US rose by 4.4% to $35.30 per cwt ($706 per ton) on Friday September 25 from $33.80 per cwt pre...Read More
Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States edged up slightly on Monday September 28 on growing concerns about tightening supply and the ability of mills and service centers to meet customers' needs in a timely manner. Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $30.02 per hundredweight ($600.40 per short ton) on September 28, up by 2 cents from $30 per cwt on Fri...Read More
Export prices for steel hot-rolled coil from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) declined over the week to Monday September 28 on a lack of liquidity in the market, sources said.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment of steel hot-rolled coil, export, fob Black Sea, CIS was $495-510 per tonne on Monday, down from $505-515 per tonne a week ago.All flat steel suppliers from Russia, including S...Read More
Domestic steel rebar prices in Russia's Central Federal District around Moscow were steady in the week to September 28, supported by seasonally good demand from the construction sector, sources told Fastmarkets on Monday.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, cpt Moscow, Russia held at 40,000-41,000 roubles ($512-524) per tonne on September 28, inclu...Read More
Brazilian iron ore miner Vale has suspended concentration activities at its Viga mine, in the Brazilian southeastern Minas Gerais state, due to a judicial ruling demanding it stops using a related tailings dam, the company said on Monday September 28. This temporary halt will cut 11,000 tonnes per day in iron ore fines output, Vale added. The company will continue with mining activities at Viga, i...Read More
Turkish steel mills skipped the first working day of the week, with no deep-sea bookings completed amid signs of a downward correction in the market, sources said on Monday September 28.There were talks of a cargo from the United States being sold to a steel mill in the Iskenderun region at $293 per tonne cfr for HMS 1&2 (80:20), $298 per tonne for shredded and $303 per tonne for bonus.Althou...Read More
Turkish domestic scrap prices were stable in the week to Monday September 28, with most mills keeping their buy prices unchanged, according to market sources.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel scrap, auto bundle scrap, domestic, delivered Turkey was 2,040-2,270 lira ($267-297) per tonne on Monday, unchanged week on week.Only two steel mills adjusted their buy prices to...Read More
Cleveland-Cliffs has reached a definitive agreement to buy ArcelorMittal USA and its subsidiaries for around $1.4 billion, which will make it the largest flat-rolled steel producer in the country, the company said on Monday September 28.The deal included the steel making operations of Indiana Harbor, Burns Harbor, Cleveland, Coatesville, Steelton, and Riverdale, as well as finished steel units Col...Read More