The No1 workers' union at the Escondida copper mine confirmed the signing of a labor deal with operating company BHP - averting a strike - and called it the best labor negotiations ever for the Chilean mining industry, according to an announcement on Friday August 13.Approval of the deal was almost unanimous after BHP improved its offer during government-led mediation."This negotiation will, no do...Read More
Spot prices for imported hot-rolled coil in Vietnam were stable in the week to Friday August 13 amid poor spot liquidity while major Vietnamese domestic producer Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation (FHS) reduced its prices, sources said.South Korean traders continued to offer low prices for Russian HRC from Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK), including the remaining quantities of 15,000-20,000...Read More
Global ferrous scrap prices have continued to fall in the week to August 13 due to high freight rates, Covid-19 outbreaks in importing countries and poor downstream steel demand.Turkish scrap prices fell amid weak downstream demandUnited States scrap exports were poor due to high freight costsWeak demand for imports in Vietnam due to Covid-19China abstains from purchasing due to large bid-offer sp...Read More
Eastern China rebar prices held steady on Friday August 13 on tighter supply due to lower spot market inventories, but prices were down by 10 yuan per tonne week on week due to Thursday's fall.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,200-5,230 yuan ($803-808) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Beijing) weekly assessment: 5,170-5,210 yuan per tonne, up by 60-70 yuan per tonneFalling spot market invento...Read More
The light iron scrap market in the United Kingdom dropped by ?5 ($7) per tonne at the top end of its price range over the week to Friday August 13 due to the seasonal summer slowdown and weaker monthly domestic delivery settlements, sources told Fastmarkets.A drop in prices at UK dockside markets, a major influence on domestic prices, has also weighed on the light iron market, sources said.Fastma...Read More
The price of shredded steel scrap into Pakistan and India diverged on Friday August 13 with Pakistan reporting restocking behaviour while demand in India remained low, sources told Fastmarkets.PakistanFastmarkets calculated its weekly steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Port Qasim, Pakistan at $532.37 per tonne on Friday, up from $530.64 per tonne one week earlier.Deal prices increased durin...Read More
Aluminium primary foundry alloy (PFA) premiums were unchanged this month in Europe and the United States, continuing to lag other value-added products such as billet.EuropeFastmarkets assessed the aluminium primary foundry alloy, silicon 7 ingot premium, ddp Germany at $510-550 per tonne on Friday August 13, flat from July 9. "The market has been really quiet this week. We are waiting until Septem...Read More
Chinese automobile production and sales figures continued to fall in July 2021, on both a monthly and an annual basis, although figures for vehicle exports and new energy vehicles hit record highs, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) has said.Carmakers in China produced 1.86 million units in July, down by 4.1% month on month and by 15.5% year-on-year. Sales came to 1.86 millio...Read More
Australia-listed lithium miners Orocobre and Galaxy have gained the shareholders' and court approvals that were necessary for their proposed merger, the companies announced on Friday August 13.On August 6, Galaxy's shareholders voted in favor of the deal, and on August 13 the Supreme Court of Western Australia made orders approving the proposed merger, the companies said.According to the merger sc...Read More
Global ferrous scrap prices have continued to fall in the week to August 13 due to high freight rates, Covid-19 outbreaks in importing countries and poor downstream steel demand.Turkish scrap prices fell amid weak downstream demandUnited States scrap exports were poor due to high freight costsWeak demand for imports in Vietnam due to Covid-19China abstains from purchasing due to large bid-offer sp...Read More
Lithium prices in China's domestic market continued to rally in the week to Thursday August 12, with both traders and consumers along the battery supply chain actively topping up inventories despite this restocking usually taking place at the end of the month.Lithium prices in China rose quickly amid restocking activity, while some suppliers held back from sales.Seaborne Asia lithium prices were l...Read More
An overview of the new energy materials markets and their price moves in the week to Friday August 13.Susan Zou, Yingchi Yang and...Read More
Prices of flat-rolled steel imported into South America were mostly up during the week ended Friday August 13, boosted by costly freight rates and higher offers, and despite uncertainty about a potential Chinese export tax.Most market participants expect the Chinese government soon will announce an export tax on steel, which has been heard from market chatter in the Asian country. There was no con...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Friday August 13 that are worth another look.Extended waiting times and bottlenecks at major Chinese ports have resulted in lower demand for imports of steel billet and higher freight costs for such shipments this week, sources told Fastmarkets...Read More
Treatment charges for zinc concentrates have widened in the first half of August, with the market seeing minimal spot business ahead of what was expected to be large-scale buying from Chinese smelters later in the year.Fastmarkets' assessment of the zinc spot concentrate TC, cif China, widened downward to $75-90 per tonne on Friday August 13, from $78-90 per tonne two weeks earlier. After years of...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing sessions in Europe, China and the United States on Friday August 13.China The ferro-silicon price in China strengthened week on week amid generally positive sentiment, with overall supply failing to meet demand due to electricity cuts in many provinces. In addition, the rising ferro-silicon futures, coupled with the elevated Chinese price for magnesium - the...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were trading mostly higher at the close on Friday August 13, with copper, aluminium and lead all making gains.The three-month aluminium price closed at $2,600 per tonne, up from $2,582.50 per tonne. This was the first time it has closed above $2,600 per tonne since August 2.The price hit an intraday trading high of $2,622.50 per tonne, also the highe...Read More
An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price moves.Janie Davies, Dalila Ouerghi...Read More
An overview of the new energy materials markets and their price moves in the week to Friday August 13.Susan Zou, Yingchi Yang and...Read More
Copper concentrate treatment and refining Charges (TC/RCs) continued their surge in early August, with traders and smelters setting down strong bids at clear levels after weeks of inactivity.The Fastmarkets TC/RC index, which tracks the mid-point of the market, came in at $54.6 per tonne / 5.46 cents per pound on August 13, up from $51.8 / 5.18 cents last Friday to reach its highest point in fifte...Read More