Chile's state-owned copper producer Codelco has removed the threat of strike action by signing a final labor deal with the unions representing employees at its El Teniente division.The new terms of the labor agreement will be in place until the end of 2024, the company said on Tuesday August 31.Codelco had reached an agreement with the El Teniente and Caletones unions on August 28, but the deal no...Read More
Turkish steel producers made no new scrap bookings on Tuesday August 31, however a deal from the previous Friday came to light, which lowered prices, market participants said.The European-origin cargo was heard late on August 27, after the closing of the daily indices, and was followed by a public holiday in both Turkey and the United Kingdom on August 30.The cargo was booked by a steel mill in th...Read More
Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade does not see any grounds for the extension of export duties for steel and non-ferrous metals into 2022, according to the deputy minister Viktor Evtukhov."I do not forecast any export duties for the next year. I do not see any grounds for that because prices started to decline and markets are cooling down, Evtukhov said on the sidelines of a panel discussion...Read More
Turkish steel producers remained out of the deep-sea scrap market on Wednesday September 1, booking no new cargoes, market participants said.No new cargoes were heard booked on the market, which was described as "quiet." Mills were said to be trying to bid at prices that were lower by as much as $10 per tonne from the previous transaction...Read More
The low-carbon ferro-chrome market in Europe surged to a new multi-year high in the week ended Tuesday August 31, with export taxes and tight supply driving up prices.Fastmarkets' price assessment for ferro-chrome 0.10% C, average 65-70% Cr, delivered Europe, rose to $2.73-3.05 per lb Cr on Tuesday, up by 15-35 cents per lb (9.5%) from $2.38-2.90 per lb Cr on August 17."The low-carbon ferro-chrome...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices plunged on Wednesday September 1 amid more expectations for crude steel production curbs for the remainder of 2021, sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $143.43 per tonne, down $10.24 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $144.23 per tonne, down $10.21 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $112.72 per tonne, do...Read More
Brazilian iron ore export volumes increased by 11.68% year on year in August, according to figures released by the country's economy ministry on Wednesday September 1.Volumes exported came to 34.84 million tonnes last month, compared with 31.19 million tonnes a year earlier. Brazil-based mining company Vale has been...Read More
Lackluster finished steel demand has reportedly put a halt to Turkish deep-sea ferrous scrap purchases, with no deals heard from the United States East Coast to the region since August 20.But the recent emergence of a lower-priced Baltic Sea cargo sale to a mill in the Iskenderun region suggests that there is further downside due for US ferrous scrap export prices if they follow the ongoing global...Read More
Sentiment in the European market for steel heavy plate was downbeat in the week to Wednesday September 1 due to declines in both the costs for raw materials and semi-finished steel prices, sources have told Fastmarkets.Competitive offers from Central Europe also contributed to the negative mood in the market.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel domestic plate, 8-40mm, exw Southern Europe, was u...Read More
Activity in the European hot-rolled coil market remained limited on Wednesday September 1, with mills keeping prices stable and buyers demanding price decreases, sources told Fastmarkets.Market sources believe that the situation is unlikely to change in September - buyers have sufficient stocks and producers have good order books, so both sides can maintain a "wait-and-see" stance.Buyers believe t...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday September 1 that are worth another look.Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade does not see any grounds for the extension of export duties for steel and non-ferrous metals into 2022, according to the deputy minister Viktor Evtukhov.Chile's...Read More
The alumina price in the Atlantic is likely to trade at a higher premium compared with the Pacific in the near term due to refinery disruptions and high freight rates, according to Duncan Hobbs, research director at trading house Concord Resources.A fire in late August at the Jamalco alumina refinery, which produces 1.5 million tonnes of material per year, is costing the market 95,000-100,000 tonn...Read More
The low-carbon ferro-chrome market in Europe surged to a new multi-year high in the week ended Tuesday August 31, with export taxes and tight supply driving up prices.Fastmarkets' price assessment for ferro-chrome 0.10% C, average 65-70% Cr, delivered Europe, rose to $2.73-3.05 per lb Cr on Tuesday, up by 15-35 cents per lb (9.5%) from $2.38-2.90 per lb Cr on August 17."The low-carbon ferro-chrome...Read More
Following a one-month consultation, Fastmarkets is updating the wording of its Metals & Mining assessment methodologies to provide greater clarity around how its prices are determined. The wording refinements do not materially alter the way Fastmarkets Metals & Mining assesses prices and as such are not anticipated to result in any noticeable changes in Fastmarkets' assessment price levels or beha...Read More
Chile's state-owned copper producer Codelco has removed the threat of strike action by signing a final labor deal with the unions representing employees at its El Teniente division.The new terms of the labor agreement will be in place until the end of 2024, the company said on Tuesday August 31.Codelco had reached an agreement with the El Teniente and Caletones unions on August 28, but the deal no...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday September 1 that are worth another look.Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade does not see any grounds for the extension of export duties for steel and non-ferrous metals into 2022, according to the deputy minister Viktor Evtukhov.Chile's...Read More
A closed arbitrage for imports into China reduced interest for spot trades and, subsequently, premiums eased in Shanghai, but in Southeast Asia and the United States premiums were stable. Closures related to Covid-19 in the region and better import opportunities into China are keeping Southeast Asia premiums steady. High freight and logistics costs are supporting US copper premiums at their h...Read More
Spot prices for containerized steel scrap imported into Taiwan continued to rise on Wednesday September 1 amid high freight costs from the United States' West Coast to Taiwan and a lack of container vessels and freight space. Taiwan pays $448 per tonne for containerized scrapChina reports renewed interest for scrap importsCovid-19 pandemic weighs on Vietnam import demandDemand in India could...Read More
Almost all London Metal Exchange base-metals prices fell under pressure at the end of the day on Wednesday September 1, to start the new month on the back foot following a small pickup in prices in the last week of August.The base-metals complex came under pressure on Wednesday morning after the release of the Chinese Caixin manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI). This dropped to 49.2 in A...Read More
Following a one-month consultation, Fastmarkets is updating the wording of its Metals & Mining assessment methodologies to provide greater clarity around how its prices are determined. The wording refinements do not materially alter the way Fastmarkets Metals & Mining assesses prices and as such are not anticipated to result in any noticeable changes in Fastmarkets' assessment price levels or beha...Read More