A summary of BHP's operational review for iron ore and metallurgical coal for the quarter ended September 30, 2021, as released on Tuesday October 19.In brief Total production of iron ore for the three months ended September 30 was 63.3 million tonnes (70.6 million tonnes on 100 % basis), down by 4% year on year.Iron ore production was down by 3% quarter on quarter over July-September. The dip in...Read More
Nickel premiums were stable globally on Tuesday October 19, supported by tight inventories.Strong fundamentals continue to keep US premiums firm.Supply remains supportive of Asia premiums, but there is low liquidity with the arbitrage window closed.Europe premium is flat with liquidity still low post-LME Week.US premiums braced against headwinds, tailwindsNickel premiums were unchanged in the Unit...Read More
An overview of the consumer electronics markets and their latest price moves.Janie Davies in...Read More
An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price moves.Janie Davies, Alex Cook...Read More
A summary of Brazilian miner Vale's base metals production results for the third quarter of 2021, as stated in its production report published on Tuesday October 19. Vale's nickel production declined in the third quarter from the prior quarter due to a labor disruption at its Sudbury mine in Canada, which halted operations for 70 days, of which 40 days were in third quarter, with an impact of 11,0...Read More
Wire rod prices in the United States rose by $40 per short ton ($2.00 per cwt) in October, to hit record highs for domestic and imported low-carbon wire rod, high-carbon wire rod and cold-heading quality wire rod.Fastmarkets' monthly assessment for steel wire rod (low carbon) industrial quality, fob mill US was $59.50-62.50 per hundredweight ($1,190-1.250 per short ton) on Tuesday October 19, up 3...Read More
Turkish steelmakers continued to pay higher prices for deep-sea ferrous scrap cargoes scheduled for shipment in December, market sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday October 20.A steel mill in the Iskenderun region booked a Baltic Sea cargo, comprising 32,000 tonnes of an 80:20 mix of No1 and No2 heavy melting scrap at $502 per tonne and 3,000 tonnes of bonus-grade scrap at $522 per tonne cfr.Pre...Read More
Tight ferrous scrap supply in the United States export market is fueling expectations that prices for all grades could jump by as much as $40 per gross ton in November's trade, with domestic prices expected to mimic the recent surge in their exported counterparts."We're on the first stage of the rocket, and we're going to see a $100-per-ton increase by the year end. I think minimum $40 per ton nex...Read More
Workers at steelmaker ArcelorMittal's plant in Ghent, Belgium, might go on strike from Thursday next week in a dispute over salaries, Fastmarkets heard on Wednesday October 20.The Ghent employees have rejected a new salary agreement offered by the company, Fastmarkets heard, but no details were revealed.Several sources familiar with the matter said that the steelworkers have filed notice...Read More
Russian steel mills increased their prices for November deliveries of hot-rolled (HR) and cold-rolled (CR) steel sheet in the country's Central District around Moscow on Monday October 18, despite buying interest being cooler with the end of the construction season, Fastmarkets has heard.The good demand and active purchasing by stockists at the end of September, for October deliveries, were now sl...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday October 20 that are worth another look.Workers at steelmaker ArcelorMittal's plant in Ghent, Belgium, might go on strike from Thursday next week in a dispute over salaries, Fastmarkets heard on October 20.Trafigura has been drawing...Read More
Japanese local and export buyers have been locked in a fight for steel scrap in the week to Wednesday October 20, pushing up prices across the board, sources told Fastmarkets.Major electric arc furnace (EAF) mill Tokyo Steel on Wednesday announced it would raise its scrap buy prices by ?500-1,000 ($4.38-8.75) per tonne at some of its works starting Thursday October 21. This marks the second price...Read More
The 300-series stainless steel scrap prices in the United States continued to rise this week on the heels of the London Metal Exchange cash nickel price climbing well over the $9-per-lb mark.The big question, according to many processors and dealers, is: "Just where is this market really going?"While volatility in the nickel contract has been the main driver of recent scrap price moves, scarcity o...Read More
Steel rebar producers in Egypt increased their prices by around E ?400-600 ($25-38) per tonne with effect from Wednesday October 20, Fastmarkets has heard.The country's biggest producer, Ezz Steel, was now offering rebar at E ?15,000 ($952) per tonne ex-works including 14% VAT, rising from the previous E ?14,600 per tonne. The price was previously unchanged since May 17.Rebar producers in Egypt...Read More
Steel rebar producers in Egypt increased their prices by around E ?400-600 ($25-38) per tonne with effect from Wednesday October 20, Fastmarkets has heard.The country's biggest producer, Ezz Steel, was now offering rebar at E ?15,000 ($952) per tonne ex-works including 14% VAT, rising from the previous E ?14,600 per tonne. The price was previously unchanged since May 17.Rebar producers in Egypt...Read More
Japanese local and export buyers have been locked in a fight for steel scrap in the week to Wednesday October 20, pushing up prices across the board, sources told Fastmarkets.Major electric arc furnace (EAF) mill Tokyo Steel on Wednesday announced it would raise its scrap buy prices by ?500-1,000 ($4.38-8.75) per tonne at some of its works starting Thursday October 21. This marks the second price...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday October 20 that are worth another look.Workers at steelmaker ArcelorMittal's plant in Ghent, Belgium, might go on strike from Thursday next week in a dispute over salaries, Fastmarkets heard on October 20.Trafigura has been drawing...Read More
The three-month copper contract is trading near record highs on the London Metal Exchange, cash prices are rising even faster, and inventories are descending toward zero. Try running a hedge book in those conditions.It's been a very real quandary facing the physical trade and industry, which awoke on Tuesday October 19 to find copper's cash to November spread had flared to a backwardation of more...Read More
Suppliers in China's domestic spot ferro-chrome market lowered their offer prices during the week to Tuesday October 19, while trading remained light due to very limited supply, Fastmarkets heard.Fastmarkets' assessment of ferro-chrome, spot, 6-8% C, basis 50% Cr, ddp China fell by 4.8% to 10,700-11,300 yuan ($1,673-1,767) per tonne on Tuesday, from 11,100-12,000 yuan per tonne one week earlier.Th...Read More
Domestic and imported steel reinforcing bar prices in the United States were sideways on Wednesday October 20, but sources noted growing uncertainty around what the rest of the quarter may look like.Fastmarkets' assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), fob mill US was $49.25 per hundredweight ($985 per short ton) on October 20, unchanged since August 11 at its highest since late 2008. Notably...Read More