Selling prices for Japanese steel scrap remain more attractive in the Japanese local market than exporting overseas, despite a fresh price cut by Tokyo Steel, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday September 8.Tokyo Steel reduces scrap buy prices at key millTaiwan pays higher prices for containerized scrap amid rising logistics costs and lack of vesselsWide gaps between bids and offers persists in...Read More
UG2 chrome ore prices fell by $11 per tonne on Tuesday September - the largest weekly drop since mid-July 2020 - after sellers cut their offers to revive buying interest dented by production cuts in the downstream alloy and stainless steel markets.Fastmarkets' calculated its chrome ore, South Africa UG2 concentrates index, basis 42%, cif China, down by $11 per tonne (6.3%) at $165 per tonne on Tue...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday September 8 that are worth another look.The Ukrainian Intergovernmental Committee for International Trade has initiated an anti-dumping investigation into imports of steel seamless cold-drawn and cold-rolled pipe originating from China.A second lithium trade has been brokered against the CME...Read More
A correction has been issued for this article. The update can be found here.Read More
The Russian government is proposing to abolish or reduce its recently-imposed export taxes on ferro-alloys - with the exception of ferro-silicon - in a surprise decision announced on Tuesday September 7. No firm date was given for the introduction of the planned changes.The Russian government introduced duties on 340 steel and non-ferrous metals outside the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in June 2...Read More
Billet prices from Iran increased in the week to Wednesday September 8, supported by the uptick in the Chinese import billet market amid news of local output cuts.Steel billet buyers in China have been active in import billet bookings in recent days amid expectations that further domestic production cuts will be imposed at the start of next year.Thus, recent deal prices...Read More
Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States have consolidated around the $97-per-hundredweight ($1,940-per-short-ton) level, with some buyers choosing to meet their supply needs using imported material rather than pay the steep domestic prices.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $96.90 per cwt ($1,938 per ton) on Wednesday September 8, down by 9 cents (0.0...Read More
Domestic hot-rolled coil prices in China edged lower on Wednesday September 8; demand has not yet shown a significant improvement despite the advent of peak season.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,750-5,820 yuan ($890-901) per tonne, down by 30-50 yuan per tonneThe most-traded HRC contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange climbed up after touching an intraday low of 5,674 yuan per tonne in over...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil were fairly stable across Europe on Wednesday September 8, with both buyers and sellers following a "wait-and-see" strategy, sources told Fastmarkets.Buyers have been avoiding purchases, anticipating domestic prices for coil to drop under pressure from competitive imports, lower demand from spot buyers and additional volumes that could become available for...Read More
The three-month aluminium price on the London Metal Exchange continued its uptrend during Wednesday's trading, rising by 1.3% to $2,794 per tonne from $2,757 per tonne at Tuesday's 5pm close after 16,900 lots were traded.Prior to closing at 5pm, the aluminium three-month contract reached an intraday high of $2,810 per tonne, exceeding the previous 2011 high of $2,803 per tonne."Once it [the alumin...Read More
The price of steel H-beams in the European domestic market was unchanged in the week to Wednesday September 8 despite reduced buying interest, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel beams, domestic, delivered Northern Europe was ?,?1,050-1,080 ($1,245-1,281) per tonne on Wednesday, unchanged week on week.While sellers were comfortably booked for September, they con...Read More
The price of steel hollow sections in the European domestic market was unchanged amid slow trading in the week to Wednesday September 8, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel sections (medium) domestic delivered Northern Europe was ?,?1,400-1,430 ($1,660-1,696) per tonne on Wednesday, unchanged week on week. ...Read More
The three-month aluminium price on the London Metal Exchange continued its uptrend during Wednesday's trading, rising by 1.3% to $2,794 per tonne from $2,757 per tonne at Tuesday's 5pm close after 16,900 lots were traded.Prior to closing at 5pm, the aluminium three-month contract reached an intraday high of $2,810 per tonne, exceeding the previous 2011 high of $2,803 per tonne."Once it [the alumin...Read More
China's import appetite for copper cathode dropped sharply following the closure of the arbitrage window between London and Shanghai, pulling premiums lower during the week to Tuesday September 7, while those in other regions were little moved.Shanghai premiums down from highs amid closed arbitrageFastmarkets assessed the benchmark copper grade A cathode premium, cif Shanghai at $75-90 p...Read More
Spot interest for Southeast Asian zinc ingot weakened in the week ended Tuesday September 7, while tight supply kept premiums in the United States and Europe elevated.The three-month price of zinc on the London Metal Exchange reached $3,058 per tonne, its highest price since early August.The Southeast Asian zinc premium retreated, with demand hit by Covid-19-led restrictions and high pricesThere w...Read More
Turkish steelmakers went quiet in the deep-sea ferrous scrap markets once again after booking a number of cargoes for October shipment earlier this week, market participants said on Wednesday September 8.Three steel producers did book four deep-sea cargoes from various locations on Tuesday September 7. But weak demand for Turkish long steel products in the export markets has been keeping Turk...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices decreased on Wednesday September 8 due to limited liquidity in the physical market, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $132.19 per tonne, down by $5.78 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $133.29 per tonne, down by $4.81 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $106.66 per tonne, down by $4.03 per tonne...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday September 8 that are worth another look.The Ukrainian Intergovernmental Committee for International Trade has initiated an anti-dumping investigation into imports of steel seamless cold-drawn and cold-rolled pipe originating from China.A second lithium trade has been brokered against the CME...Read More
A second lithium trade has been brokered against the CME Group's cash-settled lithium futures contract, which is settled against Fastmarkets' assessment of the spot price for battery-grade lithium hydroxide in China, Japan and South Korea. A total of five tonnes of the October contract was traded at $19.75 per kg on Tuesday September 7. The transaction follows the first such trade involving the sa...Read More
The latest analysis from recent activity on the CME Group's cobalt metal futures contract, cash-settled against Fastmarkets' price assessment for cobalt, standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam.Key tradesJuly 22, 2021: 5 tonnes for August 2021 at $25 per lbJuly 23: 5 tonnes for September 2021 at $25.20 per lbJuly 28: 176 tonnes (88 tonnes for August at $25.04 per lb; 88 tonnes for December at $25.40 per...Read More