Alumina prices soared over 10% on Thursday September 9 to their highest since April 2019 due to increased spot market tightness.Fastmarkets' alumina index, fob Australia, was published at $380.61 per tonne on Thursday, up by 13% from the previous day when the index was just $336.76 per tonne.A deal was concluded at $381.10 per tonne on a fob Western Australia basis for 30,000 tonnes and October lo...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday September 9 that are worth another look.Truck transportation has ceased at the Brazilian S??o Francisco do Sul port and at least five ships have failed to be unloaded since Tuesday September 7, when demonstrations broke out across the country, a spokesperson for...Read More
Road blockades throughout Brazil have disrupted transportation on important routes in five different states, with access to main steel trade hub, S??o Francisco do Sul port, cut off by truckers' demonstrations, Fastmarkets learned on Thursday September 9.The port of S??o Francisco do Sul, in Brazil's southern state of Santa Catarina, had to stop unloading ships on Wednesday September 8, two source...Read More
Chinese cobalt tetroxide prices moved up on improved demand from downstream consumers in the first half of this week, with most producers raising their offers, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday September 8.Fastmarkets' price assessment for cobalt tetroxide 72.6% Co min, delivered China narrowed up to 275,000-285,000 yuan ($42,568-44,116) per tonne on September 8, from 270,000-285,000 yuan per...Read More
Base metals prices were higher on both the LME and the SHFE this morning, Friday September 10, with the broader markets also up. Additionally, metals that were previously looking vulnerable now look less vulnerable, suggesting traders are still comfortable being exposed to the metals.* United States president Joe Biden and China's leader Xi Jinping are meeting in an effort to improve relations* Th...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday September 9 that are worth another look.Truck transportation has ceased at the Brazilian S??o Francisco do Sul port and at least five ships have failed to be unloaded since Tuesday September 7, when demonstrations broke out across the country, a spokesperson for...Read More
CIS steel billet export prices remained firm on Thursday September 9, supported by surging demand in China, sources told Fastmarkets.Chinese interest in imported billet increased over the past week, along with indications of workable prices from customers, on the expectation that further domestic production cuts will be imposed in China at the start of next year.And CIS billet producers were looki...Read More
Chinese cobalt tetroxide prices moved up on improved demand from downstream consumers in the first half of this week, with most producers raising their offers, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday September 8.Fastmarkets' price assessment for cobalt tetroxide 72.6% Co min, delivered China narrowed up to 275,000-285,000 yuan ($42,568-44,116) per tonne on September 8, from 270,000-285,000 yuan per...Read More
The US Department of Commerce has issued final anti-dumping determinations on steel concrete reinforcing bar from Mexico following an administrative review, the agency said on Thursday September 9.The department determined that rebar from Mexico was sold in the United States at less than normal value during the period of review from November 1, 2018, through October 31, 2019. The following pr...Read More
Demand for steel billet and rebar was low in Egypt because buyers expected prices to decrease, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday September 9.Rebar prices have decreased recently in many global markets, in line with falling scrap prices.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), export, fob main port Turkey, was $660-670 per tonne on September 9, compared with $665-6...Read More
Canada-based Li-Cycle Holdings will build its fourth lithium-ion recycling facility, Spoke 4, in Tuscaloosa in the US state of Alabama, it announced on Wednesday September 8."The southeastern United States is emerging as a critical region for the lithium-ion battery supply chain, with battery manufacturers and automotive [original equipment manufacturers] establishing operations in the region," th...Read More
The import market for China's pig iron weakened during August 26 to September 9 in transactions for Brazilian cargoes, according to sources.Around 100,000 tonnes of basic pig iron were sold from Brazil to China on Thursday September 2 at $535-540 per tonne cfr China, sources said.Fastmarkets' fortnightly assessment for the price of pig iron, import, cfr China was at $535-540 per tonne on Thur...Read More
The US Department of Commerce has issued final anti-dumping determinations on steel concrete reinforcing bar from Mexico following an administrative review, the agency said on Thursday September 9.The department determined that rebar from Mexico was sold in the United States at less than normal value during the period of review from November 1, 2018, through October 31, 2019. The following pr...Read More
Swedish steelmaker SSAB will deliver fossil-free steel to Finnish provider of cargo and load handling solutions Cargotec for cargo handling equipment manufacturing, SSAB said on September 8.SSAB and Cargotec will work together on the introduction of fossil-free steel to the cargo handling industry. The companies will start coordinated development toward the use...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 20 points in pre-opening trade. Equity index futures were virtually unchanged following release of the U.S. August Producer Price Index at 8:30 AM EDT. Consensus was an increase of 0.6% versus a gain of 1.0% in July. Actual was an increase of 0.7% Excluding food and energy, consensus was an increase of 0.5% versus a ga...Read More
Turkish steelmakers remained silent in the deep-sea scrap import market, due to only achieving limited finished long steel sales, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday September 9.The most recent trades were heard on Tuesday, when three steel producers booked four deep-sea cargoes from various locations at between $435 and $445 per tonne cfr on HMS 1&2 (80:20) basis.However, the mills went quiet on...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were up across the board on Thursday September 9, supported by the lower dollar index.The three-month aluminium contract continued its surge during Thursday's trading, closing above $2,800 per tonne for the first time since 2008. The three-month price finished the session up by 1.6% at $2,839.50 per tonne after reaching an intraday high of $2,848 per...Read More
Base metals prices were higher on the London Metal Exchange but mixed on the Shanghai Futures Exchange this morning, Thursday September 9, but equity markets in Asia-Pacific were weaker with participants once again nervous about possible central bank tapering. Market participants focused on whether the European Central Bank (ECB) will signal it is ready to start tapering - the ECB meets today Bet...Read More
Traditional relationships between prime steel scrap and lower-grade material in key Asian markets have shattered over recent months, market sources told Fastmarkets in early September 2021.Busheling scrap - which is known as Shindachi in Japan - is a prime scrap grade generated from offcuts from the making of steel sheet-intensive products such as vehicles and white goods. Reduced output at leadin...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday September 9 that are worth another look.Truck transportation has ceased at the Brazilian S??o Francisco do Sul port and at least five ships have failed to be unloaded since Tuesday September 7, when demonstrations broke out across the country, a spokesperson for...Read More