Soft demand sent China's domestic rebar prices falling this week, with those in the eastern region being down by 60-80 yuan per tonne despite holding steady on Friday September 25. DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,600-3,640 yuan ($528-534) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Beijing) weekly assessment: 3,570-3,590 yuan per tonne, down by 50 yuan per tonne End users kept their rebar invent...Read More
The Turkish steel producers broke their two-weeks-long silence in the deep-sea scrap markets on Friday September 25, securing two cargo deals, while prices in the major markets were slightly down on limited demand.Turkish mills return to the market for two Baltic Sea cargoesUS East Coast quiet on Turkey's absenceVietnamese buyers book Japanese scrap on dipping offersTaiwanese import prices down on...Read More
Early during the week to Friday September 25, pig iron import deal prices in the United States overtook the market level in China, which had been driving the global market since March, but eased later in the assessment period. Fastmarkets' price assessment for pig iron, import, cfr Gulf of Mexico, US softened to $380-387 per tonne on Friday from $385-387 per tonne one week earlier. One spot b...Read More
A Turkish steel producer broke the silence in the deep-sea scrap market on Friday September 25 after two quiet weeks, securing deals for two cargoes, sources told Fastmarkets.A steel mill in northern Turkey booked a Baltic Sea cargo, comprising 12,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20), 10,000 tonnes of shredded, 1,000 tonnes of bonus and 1,000 tonnes of busheling at an average price of $299 per tonne...Read More
Export prices for Brazil-origin slab narrowed upward on Friday September 25 due to producers withdrawing low-priced offers and focusing on markets where demand is higher.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel slab, export, fob main port Brazil increased to $480-490 per tonne on September 25, from $450-490 per tonne a week before.Offers from slab producers were reported within the range of...Read More
Indian domestic prices for secondary steel billet have fallen by 600 rupees ($8) per tonne in the week to Friday September 25, with subdued demand resulting in fewer inquiries, in addition to a fall in the prices of raw materials such as direct-reduced iron (DRI).The price of steel billet, domestic, exw India, was assessed by Fastmarkets on September 25 to be down to 29,000-29,200 rupees ($393-395...Read More
Export prices for Brazil-origin slab narrowed upward on Friday September 25 due to producers withdrawing low-priced offers and focusing on markets where demand is higher.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel slab, export, fob main port Brazil increased to $480-490 per tonne on September 25, from $450-490 per tonne a week before.Offers from slab producers were reported within the range of...Read More
Prices for flat-rolled steel imported into South America took a downturn in the week to Friday September 25 with Chinese mills presenting lower offers amid residual negotiations for November shipments.The region's import market followed a broader downtrend reported for the Chinese domestic market in the past few weeks. That trend reversal was also supported by reduced liquidity, due to November-sh...Read More
London Metal Exchange three-month prices for all base metals remained under pressure on Friday September 25, with aluminium the only exception to the general downward trend.The LME three-month aluminium price rose 0.66%, and closed at $1,759.50 per tonne after seeing a turnover of 12,776 lots on Friday.Total LME aluminium stocks stand at 1,477,175 tonnes after registering an outflow of 5,050 tonne...Read More
Indian domestic prices for secondary steel billet have fallen by 600 rupees ($8) per tonne in the week to Friday September 25, with subdued demand resulting in fewer inquiries, in addition to a fall in the prices of raw materials such as direct-reduced iron (DRI).The price of steel billet, domestic, exw India, was assessed by Fastmarkets on September 25 to be down to 29,000-29,200 rupees ($393-395...Read More
London Metal Exchange three-month prices for all base metals remained under pressure on Friday September 25, with aluminium the only exception to the general downward trend.The LME three-month aluminium price rose 0.66%, and closed at $1,759.50 per tonne after seeing a turnover of 12,776 lots on Friday.Total LME aluminium stocks stand at 1,477,175 tonnes after registering an outflow of 5,050 tonne...Read More
Mid-grade fines prices made limited movements on limited trading activity but low-grade fines were heard to be popular with the mills again amid shrinking margins, trade sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $115.21 per tonne, up $0.54 per tonne.62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $115.74 per tonne, up $0.28 per tonne.58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao:...Read More
Seaborne premium hard coking coal prices were relatively steady on Friday September 25 with no transactions heard, however, market participants expect premium hard coking coal prices to increase gradually and higher hard coking coal and pulverized coal injection (PCI) prices in the cfr market.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $133.81 per tonne, down $0.05 per tonne Premium har...Read More
An overview of the minor metals markets and the reasons for any price moves.Read More
The Turkish steel producers broke their two-weeks-long silence in the deep-sea scrap markets on Friday September 25, securing two cargo deals, while prices in the major markets were slightly down on limited demand.Turkish mills return to the market for two Baltic Sea cargoesUS East Coast quiet on Turkey's absenceVietnamese buyers book Japanese scrap on dipping offersTaiwanese import prices down on...Read More
Aluminium billet premiums rose in most regions on Friday September 25, with demand strengthening while sectors continued their recovery from Covid-19-related disruptions earlier in the year. The premium in the United States was steady, with fundamentals remaining mostly unchanged.Premiums, demand recover in EuropeStrong demand for aluminium billets across Europe pushed premiums across the region t...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their latest price moves.Read More
Fastmarkets copper concentrate treatment charges/refining charges (TC/RC) index is largely unchanged from a week ago when it rebounded to a month-and-a-half high.Market sources still believe smelter purchases are in the high $40s per tonne/4 cents per lb to the low $50s per tonne/5 cents per lb, with less tendered tonnages available this week.The spot market is less vibrant with Japanese holidays....Read More
Serbia's RTB Bor copper smelter, owned by Chinese miner Zijin, has been suspended for a reconstruction project due to excessive sulfur dioxide emissions, according to local media reports. The suspension came after the Bor city government filed a criminal charge against the Chinese state-owned miner after registering SO2 levels that exceeded limits on three days in a row last week, Serbian Monitor...Read More
France-headquartered international banking group BNP Paribas has said it will end operations at its Geneva commodity trade financing desk just weeks after the closure of its Paris desk in August, according to a statement on Wednesday September 23. The move is part of the ongoing fallout after the bank racked up several large losses in its lending unit this year and is part of a wider move in the b...Read More