Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in Europe were stable to slightly lower on Thursday, while trading activity remained subdued because of bearish buyer expectations amid falling automotive demand, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday September 23. Buyers across Europe continued to maintain a wait-and-see stance and held back from trading, sources said. The recent slowdown in the automotive...Read More
Major zinc and lead smelters across China received orders from provincial governments on Wednesday September 22 to lower their power consumption, sources told Fastmarkets. One major zinc smelter source in Guangxi was informed by the government to cut their electricity by 20%.'We are not told when power consumption could resume [to] normal at all. Some peers were even instructed to halve electricit...Read More
A summary of China's ores and alloys imports for August 2021In brief Chrome ore imports climbed following an uptick in buying appetite primarily from buyers in the south following the continued ferro-chrome price rally throughout June and July. August imports of ferro-chrome dropped with reduced inflow of cargoes from...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday September 23 that are worth another look.General Motors will double production in two of its Brazilian plants by introducing a second work shift, despite an ongoing global semiconductor chip shortage, the United States-based company's local branch said on Wednesday...Read More
Market-based measures to help efforts to decarbonize would probably work well in the United States, according to the vice president of the European Commission.Frans Timmermans said that he had discussed the concept of the US introducing a carbon-pricing mechanism of some kind with members of the Senate Climate Solutions Caucus in Washington DC on Thursday September 23."I said to the Senators, some...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday September 23 that are worth another look.General Motors will double production in two of its Brazilian plants by introducing a second work shift, despite an ongoing global semiconductor chip shortage, the United States-based company's local branch said on Wednesday...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday September 23 that are worth another look.General Motors will double production in two of its Brazilian plants by introducing a second work shift, despite an ongoing global semiconductor chip shortage, the United States-based company's local branch said on Wednesday...Read More
Prices for ferrous scrap into Turkey were steady on Thursday September 23, with mills remaining absent from the deep-sea scrap market and making no purchases for a fourth day, market participants told Fastmarkets.Sources were in agreement that the market was nearly silent throughout the week and that prices were unchanged.The stability was supported by equally flat finished-steel prices during the...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key ferro-alloy forecast highlights:Bulk and noble alloys both moved largely in line with our price forecasts globally over the past month, though several markets surprised to the upside, exceeding our forecast gains. Stronger-than-forecast pricing momentum was primarily triggered by supply shortages in numerous...Read More
The impact of China's new "Two High" energy and emissions policy is likely to continue in the iron ore market into the first quarter of 2022, sources told Fastmarkets this week.Sentiment for the coming six months has turned increasingly bearish since the guidelines, coupled with winter production restrictions, were announced in September. New guidance on 'Two-High' projectsThe "Two-High" poli...Read More
Peruvian miner Buenaventura's Uchucchacua zinc, lead and silver mine in the center of the country has been put under blockade by members of the local community, halting all mining and logistics activity at the site.Access to the mine has been blocked by members of the Oy??n province community since September 13, with only essential operations still being carried out, Buenaventura said on Wednesday...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday September 23 that are worth another look.General Motors will double production in two of its Brazilian plants by introducing a second work shift, despite an ongoing global semiconductor chip shortage, the United States-based company's local branch said on Wednesday...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
Peruvian miner Buenaventura's Uchucchacua zinc, lead and silver mine in the center of the country has been put under blockade by members of the local community, halting all mining and logistics activity at the site.Access to the mine has been blocked by members of the Oy??n province community since September 13, with only essential operations still being carried out, Buenaventura said on Wednesday...Read More
The latest forecasts and analysis of the ferrous scrap and iron metallics market from the Fastmarkets research team are ready to be viewed.Stifled automotive output this year, driven by a supply shortage of semiconductor chips used in vehicles, has tightened prime scrap availability and widened the spreads between this grade of steelmaking raw material and obsolete scrap.While wide prime-over-obso...Read More
Major zinc and lead smelters across China received orders from provincial governments on Wednesday September 22 to lower their power consumption, sources told Fastmarkets. One major zinc smelter source in Guangxi was informed by the government to cut their electricity by 20%.'We are not told when power consumption could resume [to] normal at all. Some peers were even instructed to halve electricit...Read More
The impact of China's new "Two High" energy and emissions policy is likely to continue in the iron ore market into the first quarter of 2022, sources told Fastmarkets this week.Sentiment for the coming six months has turned increasingly bearish since the guidelines, coupled with winter production restrictions, were announced in September. New guidance on 'Two-High' projectsThe "Two-High" poli...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday September 23 that are worth another look.General Motors will double production in two of its Brazilian plants by introducing a second work shift, despite an ongoing global semiconductor chip shortage, the United States-based company's local branch said on Wednesday...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were largely up on Thursday September 23; the market continued to cautiously anticipate the outcome for Chinese real estate giant Evergrande while the debt deadline edges closer. "Equity markets have made a steady start so far on Thursday," James Moore, analyst at Fastmarkets said, "even after the United States Federal Reserve signaled that it will s...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices edged down on Thursday September 23, with concerns over demand growing due to China's steel production curbs, sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $108.67 per tonne, down $0.03 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $109.38 per tonne, down $1.27 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $79.54 per tonne, up $3.29 per ton...Read More