The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Fastmarkets analysts were invited to present our outlook for the coking coal market at Coaltrans Asia, held online on November 23-25. One of the key topics at the event was the trade tensions between China and Australia, which overtook Mongolia to become the largest coking coal exporter to China this year...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Iron ore remains the most bullish commodity of the year, with prices fuelled by Chinese demand and supply disruptions in Brazil, along with bullish sentiment. But prices are expected to come down because Brazilian exports have begun to recover, and have reached their highest level since the Brumadinho dam disaster in 2019. W...Read More
Seaborne cfr prices improved on Tuesday September 28 due to tight seaborne coking coal supply in the cfr spot market and active trading in China's ports, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $597.06 per tonne, up $2.50 per tonneHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $538.65 per tonne, up $8.83 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $405.14 per tonne, d...Read More
Further reductions in Chinese steel mill operations due to ongoing power shortages are likely to hamper demand for imported semi-finished steel and steel scrap in the country, sources told Fastmarkets this week.Draconian restrictions on power supplies in China have led to a raft of electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmakers and re-rollers in key provinces such as Jiangsu, Yunnan and Zhejiang to either...Read More
Poor sentiment persisted in the European hot-rolled coil market on Tuesday September 28 due to reduced demand from automakers, sufficient distributor stocks and high import volumes in ports, sources told Fastmarkets.Spot buyers have been refraining from making new deals; they anticipate that domestic prices will continue to decrease. Buyer stocks remain sufficient, allowing them to pause purchases...Read More
Base metals prices were mainly lower across both the London Metal Exchange and the Shanghai Futures Exchange on Tuesday September 28, the exception was LME copper. Oil prices extend gains; spot Brent crude approaching $80 per barrel. US 10-year treasuries yields push through 1.5%.Base metalsThe three-month copper price on the LME was up by 0.3% at $9,376.50 per tonne and seemed buoyant this morni...Read More
Aluminium and tin had risen the most on the London Metal Exchange by the close on Tuesday September 28, while nickel and copper were both under pressure.Aluminium's three-month price closed at $2,945 per tonne on Tuesday, up from its close on Monday of $2,883.50 per tonne, which was the lowest since September 21. The metal stayed above the 20-day moving average of $2,847 per tonne, a key tech...Read More
Automotive manufacturer Ford Motor Co plans to spend $11.4 billion on new production sites in the United States for electric vehicles (EVs) and their batteries as part of its push to bring zero-emission auto production to the country.One site will be in Stanton, Tennessee, where the company will build electric versions of its F-Series pickup truck as well as advanced batteries. To be known as Blue...Read More
Aluminium and tin had risen the most on the London Metal Exchange by the close on Tuesday September 28, while nickel and copper were both under pressure.Aluminium's three-month price closed at $2,945 per tonne on Tuesday, up from its close on Monday of $2,883.50 per tonne, which was the lowest since September 21. The metal stayed above the 20-day moving average of $2,847 per tonne, a key tech...Read More
Approximately 20 workers remained trapped the morning of Tuesday September 28 in Vale's Totten nickel mine in Sudbury, due to a blocked shaft and damaged passenger lift.An estimated 19 workers who were also trapped in the facility were rescued earlier Tuesday morning, the Brazilian company said. Workers were trapped in the mine after a scoop bucket became detached and blocked the mine shaft. It d...Read More
European steel companies must scale up their decarbonization technologies within the coming decade or risk exhausting their allocated emissions allowances early, according to a report released on Tuesday September 14.The report, "Steeling for Net Zero," by climate researcher Industry Tracker, found that selected European steel companies have less than 26% of their carbon budget remaining and must...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
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.As we approach the end of the first half of 2021, steel markets in Europe and the United States continue to heat up. This six-month period is largely unprecedented, with both steel prices and steelmakers' margins hitting a number of new record highs throughout.The rally is likely nearing its end, however, with global steel ou...Read More
Domestic steel rebar prices in Russia's Central Federal District around Moscow were largely unchanged in the week ended Monday September 27, amid high purchasing interest from distributors with low inventories and an expectation that prices have reached a bottom, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, cpt Moscow, Russia was...Read More
Automotive manufacturer Ford Motor Co plans to spend $11.4 billion on new production sites in the United States for electric vehicles (EVs) and their batteries as part of its push to bring zero-emission auto production to the country.One site will be in Stanton, Tennessee, where the company will build electric versions of its F-Series pickup truck as well as advanced batteries. To be known as Blue...Read More
Pessimistic buyers caused the downtrend in the export market for flat steel products from the Commonwealth of Independent States downtrend to continue in the week to Monday September 27.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel hot-rolled coil, export, fob Black Sea, CIS was $830-855 per tonne on Monday, down by $10 from $840-865 per tonne a week before."Buyers think that offers will go lower...Read More
Fastmarkets is planning to delay the starting date of proposed amendments of its lithium price assessments, including the frequency of two battery-grade seaborne Asian lithium prices and amendments to the names and specifications of all its lithium hydroxide prices.In a Pricing Notice on Tuesday July 27, Fastmarkets proposed to increase the frequency of its battery-grade seaborne Asian lithium car...Read More
After a one-month consultation that ended on Sunday September 26, Fastmarkets will increase the pricing frequency for its spodumene assessment to fortnightly from monthly on Thursday September 30.The first fortnightly price assessment for spodumene 6% Li2O min, cif China, which was priced at a monthly basis, will take place on September 30, followed by October 14, October 28, and so on. The increa...Read More
The Brazilian steel and aluminium sectors are preparing for a period of short electricity supply in the coming months due to a persistent drought in a country heavily reliant on hydroelectric power generation.A drought has reduced water reservoirs in Brazil, mainly in southeastern and midwestern states, leading to an electricity cost spike and fears of blackouts or even mandatory power rationing t...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key ferro-alloy forecast highlights:?EUR? Impressive advances in ore and alloy prices persisted in March, with most markets posting significant price gains. Strengthening demand from steelmakers along with supply shortages and depleted inventories in numerous markets, as well as freight and transportation...Read More