US hot-rolled coil import prices dropped in Fastmarkets' latest assessment, while prices for imported cold-rolled coil and galvanized sheet simultaneously climbed to record highs. "It seems that every country wants to sell to the US right now," an East Coast trading source said. "Of course the Turks, but also Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc. Furthermore, a few of these countries have material fo...Read More
Prices for export billet originating from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) softened in the week to August 5 due to multiple low bids from Turkish and Chinese customers.Earlier in the week, information about a 20,000 tonne shipment of 3sp Ukraine-origin billet sold to Libya at $690 per tonne cfr was heard. The price nets back to $645 per tonne fob Black Sea, the source said.According to...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-dipped galvanized coil were fairly stable in Northern Europe in the week to Wednesday August 5 despite falling import offers, sources have told Fastmarkets.In Southern Europe, however, prices declined due to seasonally weaker demand, cheaper import offers and increased availability, according to market participants.Northern EuropeFastmarkets' weekly price assessment for ste...Read More
(Updates prices) LONDON, Aug 5 (Reuters) - A bullish mood on U.S. marketspushed copper slightly higher on Thursday, ending a four-daylosing run triggered by concerns over the demand outlook fromtop consumer China.Benchmark copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME)was up 0.3% at $9,492.50 a tonne at 1600 GMT.The metal used in power and construction, which is expectedto benefit from a global move fr...Read More
European buyers of hot-rolled coil have been in "wait-and-see" mode so domestic prices were fairly stable on Wednesday August 4, sources have told Fastmarkets.Sentiment in the market turned negative despite the seasonal slowdown, due to competitive import offers. Although the volumes available have not been significant, according to estimates by market participants, they will still affect sentimen...Read More
Global commodities producer BHP's nickel sulfate plant in Australia is nearing completion and is now at the commissioning stage, BHP Nickel West asset president Eduard Haegel said on Tuesday August 3.Haegel was speaking to the Diggers and Dealers Mining Conference in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.The plant at the Kwinana nickel refinery in Western Australia has begun production, Haegel said. Tanka...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mixed this morning, Wednesday August 4, and those on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were all weaker. While the metals have generally found good underlying support, overhead resistance does seem to be capping the upside, which is perhaps not surprising because we are in the middle of the summer lull.US equities focused on strong results, less on t...Read More
Steel scrap import prices in South Korea were likely to drop again in the next few days with buyers looking to take advantage of tepid local demand in Japan and falling prices in other key Asian import markets, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday August 4.South Korea likely to push Japan prices down furtherProduction curbs weigh on Chinese scrap demandOffers for bulk cargoes to Vietnam fallTaiwa...Read More
Fastmarkets' Ferrous Analytics report helps subscribers keep track of hot metal costs and steel production spreads in China, along with key pricing components of the steelmaking raw materials supply chain in Asia.Read More
A rebound in Chinese ferrous futures prices on Wednesday August 4 has led to increased interest in booking seaborne steel billet cargoes in China, sources told Fastmarkets.Sharp drops in ferrous futures on both Monday and Tuesday sapped sentiment from the Chinese market, with buyer indications heard as low as $660 per tonne cfr China for 3sp billet on Tuesday.This was down sharply from the la...Read More
An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price movesJanie Davies, Dalila...Read More
An overview of the consumer electronics markets and their latest price moves.Janie Davies, Cristina Belda...Read More
Chilean copper production rose year on year by 2.32% in June 2021, spearheaded by an output increase by state-owned miner Codelco, national copper commission Cochilco said on Tuesday August 3.Chile produced 477,300 tonnes of copper during June, up from 466,500 tonnes a year before. But the volume was 2.03% lower than the 487,200 tonnes produced in May this year.June's output brought first-half cop...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday August 4.Key drivers Prices for titanium alloy and scrap were steady across the grades assessed by Fastmarkets oviner the week to Wednesday August 4, with buying interest for alloy reported into the last quarter of the year, and scrap suppliers holding their offer prices steady, sources said. Deals were reported within existing rang...Read More
Brazilian exports of alumina totaled 743,794 tonnes in July 2021, a 2.55% year-on-year increase from 725,315 tonnes, with the figure boosted by increased shipments from Norsk Hydro, according to data published by the country's economy ministry on Wednesday August 4.According to the data, 412,144 tonnes of alumina were exported via the port of Bel?(C)m in the northern state of Par??, a 25.45% jump...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday August 4 that are worth another look.Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK), Russia's largest steelmaker, will increase output of hot-dipped galvanized (HDG) coil by starting up a new line at its Lipetsk site in the second half of 2022.Read More
The United States copper premium continued to rise in the week to Wednesday August 4 and the Shanghai copper premium also rose due to a high import appetite despite arbitrage losses, sources told Fastmarkets.US copper premium range widens upwardFastmarkets adjusted its copper grade 1 cathode premium, ddp Midwest US to 8-9 cents per lb, the highest assessment in over a decade. This reflects a...Read More
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday August 4Please click...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday August 4 that are worth another look.Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK), Russia's largest steelmaker, will increase output of hot-dipped galvanized (HDG) coil by starting up a new line at its Lipetsk site in the second half of 2022.Read More
The spodumene price skyrocketed in July with tight availability posting challenges to lithium operations in China, while suppliers intended to negotiate the price more frequently in light of the price rally in the downstream chemical market.Fastmarkets' monthly assessment for spodumene 6% Li2O min, cif China rose to $880-950 per tonne on Wednesday June 30, up by $195 per tonne from $690-750 per to...Read More