Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were weaker on the morning of Thursday August 26, although for the most part they seem to be consolidating after recent volatility. Asian-Pacific equity indices mainly weaker this morning while broader markets focus on Friday's United States Federal Reserve Jackson Hole symposium More companies report that supply shortages are affecting their ability...Read More
Most base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange fell during morning trading on Thursday August 26 ahead of the Jackson Hole symposium, with aluminium stock being delivered into Port Klang while warrant cancellations for large quantities of copper continued for a fourth day. Lead's three-month price, for example, was down by 1.6% at 9am on Thursday, at $2,281.50 per tonne. This compares with a...Read More
The striking workers union at Caserones said that it was prepared for a "lengthy strike" on Wednesday August 25, after rejecting Minera Lumina Copper Chile's latest wage offer. 96% of members of the workers union at Caserones rejected the company's latest wage offer to the union and criticized the company for "presenting a new offer without first having talks". The union noted that it hopes t...Read More
Prices for imported steel billet continued to decrease in Egypt during the week ending Thursday August 26 and demand remained weak, sources told Fastmarkets.Demand for rebar was limited to government projects, sources said.Egypt removed its construction ban on July 1 but rebar demand remained low because of high prices and a liquidity shortage.Domestic rebarEgyptian rebar producers kept...Read More
Spot hot-rolled coil prices in China's domestic market moved lower on Thursday August 26, with positive industry data failing to offset concerns over continued weakness in demand.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,650-5,700 yuan ($872-880) per tonne, down by 20-40 yuan per tonneThe most-traded HRC contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange saw losses accelerate during afternoon trading Thursday af...Read More
An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price movesDalila Ouerghi and...Read More
Billet prices in Turkey have gone down over the past week thanks to falling imported scrap costs and limited demand, market participants told Fastmarkets on Thursday August 26.Turkish steel producers' demand for imported scrap has been limited in recent weeks.The most recent deep-sea scrap trade was recorded on Wednesday August 25, when a steel mill in the Iskenderun region booked a Belgian cargo...Read More
China's domestic stainless steel prices were down on Wednesday August 25 compared with a week earlier, but the market had picked up after experiencing losses earlier this week.DomesticStainless steel cold-rolled coil 2mm grade 304 domestic (Wuxi): 18,200-18,600 ($2,810-2,871) per tonne, down by 600-700 yuan per tonne from a week earlierThe three-month nickel contract on the London Metal Exchange e...Read More
Iranian export prices for steel billet continued to decrease in the week to Wednesday August 25 amid the general global downtrend, Fastmarkets heard.Steel output from the country's mills was expected to improve in September, when the weather will be less hot and mills will be allowed a more generous allocation of electricity to be used for steelmaking.For the moment, Iranian producers had to cut p...Read More
Prices for imported steel billet continued to decrease in Egypt during the week ending Thursday August 26 and demand remained weak, sources told Fastmarkets.Demand for rebar was limited to government projects, sources said.Egypt removed its construction ban on July 1 but rebar demand remained low because of high prices and a liquidity shortage.Domestic rebarEgyptian rebar producers kept...Read More
Major steel production exports out of China in July decreased from June due to the removal of an export rebate on May 1.For instance, the hot-rolled coil export was 817,276 tonnes in July, down by 20% from 1.03 million tonnes in June, according to customs data.Market participants expect exports to keep the month-on-month...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices decreased on Thursday August 26 due to weaker restocking demand among trading companies, though end users' buying appetite remained steady. DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,150-5,180 yuan ($794-799) per tonne, down by 50 yuan per tonneTrading houses have almost completed their restocking for sale in the first half month of September, a trader in Shanghai said. As s...Read More
A summary of Australian spodumene concentrate miner Pilbara Minerals' annual results for the year ending June 30 2021.In brief The company posted positive earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) of $21.4 million in financial year (FY) 2021, compared with a $33.9 million loss in Ebitda in 2020....Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were weaker on the morning of Thursday August 26, although for the most part they seem to be consolidating after recent volatility. Asian-Pacific equity indices mainly weaker this morning while broader markets focus on Friday's United States Federal Reserve Jackson Hole symposium More companies report that supply shortages are affecting their ability...Read More
Fastmarkets has plotted the locations of the continuing and proposed projects for the decarbonization of the European steel sector.This includes projects and targets for green steel, carbon capture, carbon neutral, net zero, low-carbon emissions and fossil-free steel. Hotspots appear in Germany, France and Sweden, where steelmaking is already well established. Policy, funding and sharing of infras...Read More
Japanese lower-grade scrap prices are facing renewed pressure, and Shindachi busheling prices have continued to be propped up in recent weeks by reduced generation at automaker Toyota, sources told Fastmarkets.Key Japanese mills reduce some scrap bid pricesGaps between bids and offers narrow downward with lower cost scrap emerging in the Chinese marketTaiwan imported containerized scrap prices edg...Read More
The Turkish steel mills have gone quiet in the deep-sea scrap markets once again after booking a single cargo earlier in the week, market sources said on Thursday August 26.A steel mill in the Iskenderun region booked a Belgium-origin cargo on Wednesday, comprising 22,500 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) and 12,500 tonnes of bonus at an average price of $450 per tonne cfr. The HMS 1&2 (80:20) price of th...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday August 25 that are worth another look.The global markets for containerized freight have entered even deeper water in recent weeks, with closures at the key port of Ningbo-Zhoushan in China leading to worsening cargo delays, port congestion and a further...Read More
Spot refined zinc ingot premiums have firmed to multi-year highs in the United States and Europe, with smelter hitches and increasingly expensive transportation stretching supply chains further during the summer season in the northern hemisphere.US spot zinc premium rises to a more than four-year high Rotterdam, Antwerp zinc premiums at highest since early 2018China market eyes narrowing negative...Read More
Chilean copper producer Codelco has initiated construction work on Rajo Inca, a $1.38-billion addition to its Salvador mine, which should begin operations in 2022, the state-owned company said on Tuesday August 24.Rajo Inca increases the mine life at Salvador by 47 years, to 2070, with copper capacity to reach 90,000 tonnes per year, from 60,000 tpy currently. Mineral exploration will move from an...Read More