Diversified miner BHP and United States copper cable and wire manufacturer Southwire have completed their first carbon-neutral copper transaction involving delivery from BHP's mines in Chile to Southwire's processing activities in the US state of Georgia, the miner said.The pilot involved tracing BHP copper cathode and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through Southwire's rod production op...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday October 7 that are worth another look.Steel producer Feralpi Group is to invest ?,?100 million ($115 million) in renewable power at its Italian sites, it announced on Thursday October 7.Vale has resumed activities at its On??a...Read More
The Brazilian automotive association, Anfavea, has cut its forecast for production and sales in 2021, due to a shortage of semiconductors and logistics issues.Vehicle production is now expected to reach between 2.13-2.22 million units this year, an increase of 6-10% from the 2.01 million units produced in 2020, the association said on Wednesday October 6.The new forecast is 10-13% lower than the a...Read More
Shipping companies importing steel to Brazil are facing long lines at S??o Francisco do Sul port in the southern state of Santa Catarina due to congestion, mainly at warehouses.Ships are being diverted from S??o Francisco do Sul port, which is the main steel importing hub in Brazil, because of unloading lines.The main reason is the unusually high amount of steel products in storage, and a low with...Read More
Southern Europe's domestic prices for steel wire rod slid further, pressured by weak demand, although the downward trend is expected to stop due to increased production costs, Fastmarkets heard on Wednesday October 6.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh quality) domestic, delivered southern Europe was at ?,?750-780 ($867-902) per tonne on Wednesday, down by ?,?10-20 per to...Read More
Most base metals on the London Metal Exchange opened higher on Thursday October 7 amid thin trading on the last day of a week-long holiday in China. "Despite some macro headwinds over China's property debt, the semiconductor shortage, global inflation, shipping delays and high shipping costs, metals remain quite buoyant overall," Will Adams, Fastmarkets' head of base metals and battery research, s...Read More
Southern Europe's domestic prices for steel wire rod slid further, pressured by weak demand, although the downward trend is expected to stop due to increased production costs, Fastmarkets heard on Wednesday October 6.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh quality) domestic, delivered southern Europe was at ?,?750-780 ($867-902) per tonne on Wednesday, down by ?,?10-20 per to...Read More
Slovak ferro-alloys producer OFZ Slovakia has cut more than half of its ferro-alloy production with immediate effect due to energy prices that have surged more than six-fold recently, an industry source told Fastmarkets.The company, which produces ferro-silicon and manganese alloys, has shut four out of its seven operating furnaces, including two ferro-silicon furnaces, a silico-manganese furnace...Read More
Trading activity in the European hot-rolled coil market remained limited on Thursday October 7, but buyers are expected to resume purchasing activity later this month, sources told Fastmarkets.Although most European buyers have sufficient flat-steel stocks to last until the end of the year, they will need to negotiate deals for first-quarter delivery coil no later than November, market participant...Read More
The Cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets assessed Cobalt standard grade,...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday October 7 that are worth another look.Steel producer Feralpi Group is to invest ?,?100 million ($115 million) in renewable power at its Italian sites, it announced on Thursday October 7.Vale has resumed activities at its On??a...Read More
Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States rose for the first time this month, while some buyers said that they were delaying purchases because they expect material will be cheaper in the coming weeks.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $97.94 per hundredweight ($1,958.80 per short ton) on Thursday October 7, up by 0.64% from $97.32 per cwt on Wednesday O...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday October 7 that are worth another look.Steel producer Feralpi Group is to invest ?,?100 million ($115 million) in renewable power at its Italian sites, it announced on Thursday October 7.Vale has resumed activities at its On??a...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were up across the board on the morning of Thursday October 7, which was in line with the stronger tone in Asia-Pacific equities and the pullback in oil prices.Brent crude oil price pulls back to $81 per barrel from Wednesday's high at $83.48 per barrel.Russia offers to increase natural gas supply to Europe.Base metalsAll of the LME base metals showe...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key North American steel forecast highlights:US prices for hot-rolled coil moved in line with our forecasts in August, averaging $1,910 per ton, within 1% accuracy of our forecast of $1,925 per ton. The market has achieved much-needed stability in recent weeks, with prices fluctuating in the range of $1,900-1,94...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices in the fob market on Thursday October 7 were largely flat amid limited trading activity in the market, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $603.28 per tonne, unchangedHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $565.14 per tonne, unchangedPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $404.05 per tonne, down by $0.48 per tonne ...Read More
Iron ore trading liquidity was still limited on Thursday October 7, mainly due to China's Golden Week holiday, but improving supplies from Brazil were helping to stabilize prices, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $117.02 per tonne, up $0.31 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $119.87 per tonne, up $0.24 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade pr...Read More
The Brazilian automotive association, Anfavea, has cut its forecast for production and sales in 2021, due to a shortage of semiconductors and logistics issues.Vehicle production is now expected to reach between 2.13-2.22 million units this year, an increase of 6-10% from the 2.01 million units produced in 2020, the association said on Wednesday October 6.The new forecast is 10-13% lower than the a...Read More
Eight of the nine Category 1 members of the London Metal Exchange have indicated their support for continuing to trade official lunchtime prices in the open-outcry ring.Does this mean that one company does not support ring trading? And could one of the exchange's members be preparing to leave the trading floor?The exchange revealed on Monday August 9 that it had majority support for the ring, in a...Read More
Local reinforcing bar and imported billet prices in Egypt were stable in the week to Thursday October 7, while demand from the private sector was still weak, sources told Fastmarkets."Government funded projects continue, but private sector demand remains slow," one trader told Fastmarkets.Some market participants expect prices to decrease due to weak demand, except for government projects, while s...Read More