Crude steel output in Germany increased by 3.40% year on year in August, the German steel federation, WV Stahl, said on Thursday September 23.German crude steel production totaled more than 2.93 million tonnes in August 2021, up from 2.83 million tonnes in August last year."The upward trend in crude steel production in Germany continued in August, but the pace [of growth has slowed]," WV Stah...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
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in China were largely stable on Thursday September 23, while futures retreated in response to the spread of escalated production curbs to downstream users.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,720-5,780 yuan ($886-895) per tonne, narrowing downward by 20 yuan per tonneThe most-traded HRC contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange slipped to a three-week low of 5,58...Read More
Base metals prices were mixed on both the LME and SHFE on Thursday September 23, with the broader markets welcoming the news that Chinese property giant Evergrande has avoided imploding, for now, and not spooked by the US Federal Reserve's more hawkish outlook.Chairman Jerome Powell says the United States Federal Reserve could "easily move ahead" with its decision about when to taperEvergrande sha...Read More
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
Australian mining and exploration company Sandfire Resources will buy Spain's Minas de Aguas Te??idas (Matsa) for $1.87 billion from Trafigura and the Mubadala Investment Co, the company said on Thursday September 23.The deal is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2022. As part of the transaction, Trafigura will retain the life-of-mine 100% offtake agreement for copper concentrates fr...Read More
Coking coal prices in the cfr market retreated slightly on Thursday September 23; steel production cuts and winter production curbs led market participants to doubt the sustainability of strong seaborne cfr prices.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $600.82 per tonne, down $1.51 per tonneHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $550 per tonne, down $5.05 per tonnePremium hard coking...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
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
Discounts for some copper scrap grades in the United States fell due to continuing strong demand and a well-balanced market. "Demand is pretty good, and is getting better," a copper scrap seller said. "Supply will get tighter by end of the year.""It is a very good market - supply might get tighter," a brass ingot maker said.But scrap flows may change due to the Malaysian government setti...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
Steel rebar and billet prices in Egypt remained stable during the week ending Thursday September 23, with demand strong from government-funded projects, sources told Fastmarkets.Despite strong demand from government projects, demand from the private sector has been weak due to expected price cuts, sources said.Buyers have been expecting prices to decrease because of recent global price decreases.F...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
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 September 22.The automaker's unit in S??o Caetano do Sul, a city in Brazil's southeastern S??o Paulo state, will begin a second work shift on September 27. A second unit in Gr...Read More
Australian mining and exploration company Sandfire Resources will buy Spain's Minas de Aguas Te??idas (Matsa) for $1.87 billion from Trafigura and the Mubadala Investment Co, the company said on Thursday September 23.The deal is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2022. As part of the transaction, Trafigura will retain the life-of-mine 100% offtake agreement for copper concentrates fr...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
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
The price of steel billet exports from the CIS corrected downward by a few dollars per tonne on Thursday September 23 when fresh booking to Latin America came to light.Around 20,000 tonnes of Ukraine-origin billet were reported sold to Latin America in the first half of the week at $600 per tonne fob Black Sea for basic-grade material.The deal sent Fastmarkets' calculation of its daily steel bille...Read More
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