A summary of global mining company Rio Tinto's third-quarter production results.In brief: Aluminium production was 3% lower than in the third quarter of 2020 due to strike action at the Kitimat smelter. On October 2, Rio Tinto reached a new Collective Labor Agreement for its British Columbia operations, which includes the Kitimat smelter and the Kemano hydropower facility. The smelter will steadil...Read More
Market participants in the bauxite industry in China, both metallurgical and non-metallurgical grades, have downplayed the effect of heavy rainfall in Shanxi earlier this month despite a temporary closure of alumina operation lines. But sources expressed concerns over operations in the coming winter because of the traditional environmental regulations and energy shortages.Heavy downpours started i...Read More
Slab export prices from Brazil declined in the week to Friday October 15, with offers and bids consolidating at lower levels, but market participants expected prices to have reached a bottom with no further room to drop.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel slab export, fob main port Brazil was at $740-760 per tonne on Friday, down by $20 from $760-780 per tonne on October 8.Demand remain...Read More
The three-month zinc price on the London Metal Exchange reached a 14-year high of $3,750 per tonne on Friday October 15, with prices and premiums spiking amid concerns over supply in Europe and the United States.Friday's price represents its highest level since 2007 and a 16.4% increase from the start of the week, with the contract closing at $3,222 per tonne on Monday. "The threat of further prod...Read More
The price of stainless steel in Europe was stable this week but mills were expected to try to push through increases because of higher energy costs, despite the fact that demand has slowed in recent weeks, Fastmarkets heard on Friday October 15.An Italian mill was said to be hoping to implement a ?,?20 ($23) per tonne energy surcharge in order to recoup some of its expenditure on rising energy cos...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday October 14 that are worth another look.Rio Tinto will test the use of biomass in place of coking coal in the steelmaking process in a small-scale pilot plant, in an attempt to cut the industry's carbon emissions through the use of...Read More
Chile will allow companies to bid for licenses for the extraction of 400,000 tonnes of lithium, the country's mining ministry said on Thursday October 14.Prospective bidders have until December 21 to submit their proposals to extract the critical battery mineral.The tender opened on Thursday to both national and international bidding. It will "tender and award Special Operation Contracts (CEOL) by...Read More
Regulation has been an important driver for the push toward clean energy technologies but industry has accelerated this mindset, the chief executive officer of Nth Cycle said.According to Megan O'Connor, the past several administrations in the United States have prioritized establishing a domestic supply of critical minerals used to power the energy transition. "Whether rare earths for critical de...Read More
Regulation has been an important driver for the push toward clean energy technologies but industry has accelerated this mindset, the chief executive officer of Nth Cycle said.According to Megan O'Connor, the past several administrations in the United States have prioritized establishing a domestic supply of critical minerals used to power the energy transition. "Whether rare earths for critical de...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were up at the 5pm close of trading on Thursday October 14 on a weaker US Dollar Index, and continuing power supply issues that were squeezing metal supply."Chinese factory-gate pricing in September may have grown at its fastest pace in 26 years, adding to the 'stagflation' growth threats moving down the line. But in the here and now, power and suppl...Read More
Brazil-based multi-metal producer Nexa Resources has received an operating license for its Aripuan?? zinc-lead-copper project in Brazil, with commercial output scheduled to start next year, the company said on Wednesday October 13.According to Nexa, the license was granted by the Mato Grosso state environmental secretariat, Sema, on October 7. Mato Grosso is a state in the Brazilian midwestern reg...Read More
Regulation has been an important driver for the push toward clean energy technologies but industry has accelerated this mindset, the chief executive officer of Nth Cycle said.According to Megan O'Connor, the past several administrations in the United States have prioritized establishing a domestic supply of critical minerals used to power the energy transition. "Whether rare earths for critical de...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday October 14 that are worth another look.Rio Tinto will test the use of biomass in place of coking coal in the steelmaking process in a small-scale pilot plant, in an attempt to cut the industry's carbon emissions through the use of...Read More
Turkish steel mills are continuing to book deep-sea scrap at higher prices, market participants told Fastmarkets on Thursday October 14.A steel mill in the Iskenderun region booked a US cargo at $486 per tonne cfr on an HMS 1&2 (80:20) basis. However, the cargo composition was not clear at the time of publication.The previous deep-sea transactions, on Wednesday October 13, were concluded at $480 p...Read More
Indian hot-rolled coil export prices have increased by about $15-25 per tonne in the week to Thursday October 14 because of strong domestic demand, Fastmarkets has heard.Mills this week have concluded HRC export bookings at prices in the range of $860-870 per tonne fob, mainly to destinations in the Middle East. This was about $15-25 per tonne higher compared with previous bookings in the range of...Read More
There was a mixed outcome in settlement negotiations for domestic steel scrap deliveries to UK steelmakers in October, with suppliers resisting downward pressure from consumers because of firm export markets, trade sources said on Thursday October 14.Scrap suppliers won increases across the board for low residual and clean grades of scrap, with rollovers agreed in contracts for other grades assess...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday October 14 that are worth another look.Rio Tinto will test the use of biomass in place of coking coal in the steelmaking process in a small-scale pilot plant, in an attempt to cut the industry's carbon emissions through the use of...Read More
Brazil-based multi-metal producer Nexa Resources has received an operating license for its Aripuan?? zinc-lead-copper project in Brazil, with commercial output scheduled to start next year, the company said on Wednesday October 13.According to Nexa, the license was granted by the Mato Grosso state environmental secretariat, Sema, on October 7. Mato Grosso is a state in the Brazilian midwestern reg...Read More
Chinese battery materials producer GEM has signed a memorandum of understanding with EcoPro BM, a subsidiary of South Korean battery cathode materials producer EcoPro, for the supply of battery raw materials over 2024-2026.Under the agreement, GEM will provide EcoPro BM with a total of 650,000 tonnes of high-nickel content nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) and nickel-cobalt-aluminium (NCA) ternary pre...Read More
The EU and its member states must do more to assist domestic metals producers after the European Commission this week issued its "toolbox" to tackle a surge in energy prices that was forecast to last through the coming winter, according to regional non-ferrous metals industry body Eurometaux.The EC on Wednesday October 13 proposed short-term national measures that would include state aid for compa...Read More