Export prices for Chinese steel cold-rolled coil and hot-dipped galvanized coil have moved slightly higher from those seen in late September, while trading liquidity remained quiet.Demand for Chinese CRC and HDG has been poor in the week to Tuesday October 12, with buyers shifting their attention to cheaper resources from other origins and overall demand weak due to Covid-19 pandemic situations ac...Read More
Activity in the European hot-rolled coil market remained subdued on Tuesday October 12, with sentiment still bearish, sources have told Fastmarkets.The majority of European buyers have sufficient stocks to last until the end of the year and have only been purchasing smaller lots to restock particular specifications of coil. Distributors, however, were expected to return to the market for orders in...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mixed at the 5pm close on Tuesday October 12 amid concerns over inflation, and rising energy costs and power outages in China.The three-month price of aluminium continued its upward momentum during Tuesday's trading, closing at $3,068 per tonne, up from $3,064 per tonne on Monday.The lightweight metal hit an intraday high of $3,114.50 per tonne...Read More
The export market for flat steel product from the Commonwealth of Independent States touched the bottom during the week to Monday October 11, sources said, while suppliers' mood has turned bullish.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel hot-rolled coil, export, fob Black Sea, CIS was $800-820 per tonne on Monday, unchanged week on week.Sales of both Ukraine and Russia-origin HRC were report...Read More
The publication of Fastmarkets' Southeast Asia copper premium was delayed on October 5 because of a reporter error.Fastmarkets' pricing database has since been updated.The MB-CU-0399 - Copper grade A cathode premium, cif Southeast Asia, $/tonne has now been updated.For more information or to provide feedback on the delayed publication of these prices, or if you would like to provide pric...Read More
Coking coal prices in both the cfr China and fob Australia markets held largely steady on Tuesday October 12, mainly due to a lack of buying activity, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $608.95 per tonne, up $0.83 per tonne Hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $558.30 per tonne, down $0.03 per tonne Premium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $406.30 p...Read More
Ecobat's Stolberg lead smelter will remain shut until spring 2022; regional tightness is pushing more consumers to look for spot units.The German lead plant, which declared force majeure due to floods in July, is still undergoing repair work, a company statement seen by Fastmarkets on Tuesday October 12 said. The smelter is in the process of procuring parts and equipment for the rebuild, the...Read More
Market participants were bullish on the Japanese scrap markets amid the surge in Japan's October Kanto Tetsugen auction price, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday October 12. Japan's Kanto Tetsugen auction closes $61 per tonne higher month on monthTaiwan returns from holidayPrices for imported material to China increase amid tight domestic supplyJapanJapan's October Kanto Tetsugen auction conclude...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Tuesday October 12 that are worth another look.A sharp rise in electricity prices has forced Spanish stainless long steel producer Sidenor Aceros Especiales to suspend production, Fastmarkets has heard.The London Metal Exchange has...Read More
Activity in the European hot-rolled coil market remained subdued on Tuesday October 12, with sentiment still bearish, sources have told Fastmarkets.The majority of European buyers have sufficient stocks to last until the end of the year and have only been purchasing smaller lots to restock particular specifications of coil. Distributors, however, were expected to return to the market for orders in...Read More
Interest in importing steel billet fell in China on Tuesday October 12 amid a fall in the country's domestic billet market on the same day, sources have told Fastmarkets.A sharp drop in ferrous futures markets in China on Tuesday due to market expectations of a rise in Chinese steel output over the short term was also accompanied by a weakening in physical markets.Local billet prices in Jiang...Read More
Base metal prices on the London Metal Exchange remained robust during morning trading on Tuesday October 12, while power supply concerns in China and the rest of the world persist.China will allow its floating electricity prices to rise further from October 15 to stabilize supply amid a shortage in the country, according to a notice released by the country's National Development & Reform Commissio...Read More
China's Zijin Mining Group is to buy Canada's Neo Lithium Corp for about C$960 million ($769 million), according to a company filing to the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) on Monday October 11.At about C$6.50 per share in cash, the offer price represents a premium of approximately 36% over Neo Lithium's 20-day volume-weighted average price as of October 8 on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) Ven...Read More
The two biggest ferro-alloys producers in Ukraine - Nikopol and Zaporozhye - are almost halving production of manganese alloys in October due to surging electricity prices, a source told Fastmarkets on Monday October 11.The Privat Group, which owns the facilities is shutting five of its 13 furnaces at Nikopol, cutting its monthly manganese alloys output to 35,000 tonnes, from 65,000 tonnes in Sept...Read More
Spot prices for hot-rolled coil in China fell sharply on Tuesday October 12 after futures prices tumbled on potential increases in supply.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 5,750-5,760 yuan ($891-892) per tonne, down by 110-130 yuan per tonne The most-traded HRC contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange shed more than 200 yuan per tonne, or 3.58%, on Tuesday, marking the biggest one-day loss sin...Read More
The export market for steel billet from the Commonwealth of Independent States improved on Tuesday October 12 on bullish sentiment among suppliers.Fastmarkets' calculation of its daily steel billet index, export, fob Black Sea, CIS, was up by $23 per tonne day on day to $625 per tonne on October 12.One supplier from Ukraine offered billet at prices no...Read More
The London Metal Exchange has registered the first sustainability disclosures on its new digital credentials register, LMEpassport, it announced on Tuesday October 12.LMEpassport is a platform register that enables a voluntary market-wide sustainable metals labelling program.Metals producers Anglo American Platinum, Antofagasta plc, Boliden, Companhia Brasileira de Alumnio (CBA), Freeport-McMoran,...Read More
Base metals prices on both the Shanghai Futures Exchange and London Metal Exchange were, for the most part, up across the board on the morning of Monday October 11, along with Asia-Pacific equities.Metals stronger despite strong US treasury yields Brent crude oil approaching $84 per barrelDisappointing US employment report may hold US Federal Reserve back and give inflation a freer hand Base metal...Read More
Power cuts remained a prominent factor in China through the third quarter of 2021 as the world's second-largest economy grappled with soaring coal prices and its own strict limits on energy consumption - put in place to help the country achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.An increasing number of factories - especially those in energy intensive industries - have suffered from curbs to their power usa...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices were down on Tuesday October 12 amid limited trading at Chinese ports, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $129.00 per tonne, down $6.03 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $130.17 per tonne, down $8.93 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $98.51 per tonne, down $7.08 per tonne65% Fe Brazil-origin fi...Read More