Base metal prices were mixed on the London Metal Exchange during morning trading on Friday August 8, with copper and aluminium leading the complex and lead down by 0.7%."Concerns about the delta strain's impact on growth have been weighing on metals this week - about half of China's provinces are trying to limit the spread. In Australia, two-thirds of the population is back in lockdown," Anna Stab...Read More
Prices for hot-rolled coil in China's domestic market were largely unchanged on Friday August 6, with trading activity remaining quiet because of the seasonal lull.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): daily assessment 5,790-5,800 yuan ($896-898) per tonne on August 6, narrowing by 20 yuan per tonne at both ends of the range.Northern China (Tangshan): weekly assessment: 5,700-5,710 yuan per tonne on A...Read More
An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price moves.Janie Davies, Dalila...Read More
Eastern China rebar prices were flat on Friday August 6 on rising demand from trading houses, but the end user demand kept weak, causing a week-on-week decrease of 130-140 yuan per tonne.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,200-5,240 yuan ($804-811) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Beijing) weekly assessment: 5,100-5,150 yuan per tonne, down by 150-170 yuan per tonneHeavy rain in Sichuan provinc...Read More
Steel scrap prices in the key global markets moved down over the week to Friday August 6 with demand for material remaining tepid.Turkish mills make fresh bookings at lower pricesUS export prices consistent in recent bookingsVietnam scrap prices down on weak demandChinese import prices fall alongside domestic pricingTaiwanese scrap prices continue downtrend on poor demandIndian scrap offers withdr...Read More
Iron ore prices increased slightly on Friday August 6 after a slump on Thursday, although overall sentiment remains bearish, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $172.51 per tonne, up $0.96 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $173.53 per tonne, up $0.77 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $139.23 per tonne, up $2.95 per ton...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices maintained their upward trend in both the cfr and fob markets on Friday August 6, with good buying interest in the latter.Prices for seaborne pulverized coal injection (PCI) material inched upward in both the cfr and fob markets in the week to August 6, amid continuous supply tightness and necessary restocking demand, market sources said.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard...Read More
An overview of the new energy materials markets and their price moves in the week to Friday August 6.Susan Zou, Yingchi Yang and...Read More
Major steelmakers in China and Japan lowered their domestic scrap buy prices on Friday August 6 amid reduced intake volumes, sources told Fastmarkets.Large Chinese steelmakers drop domestic scrap purchase pricesJapan's Tokyo Steel reduces buy prices for most grades at most factoriesSouth Korea closes deals at lower prices for Japanese scrap.ChinaTwo major mills in Jiangsu province lowered their do...Read More
A summary of operational results for Ukrainian steelmaker Metinvest for the second quarter of 2021In brief?EUR? Merchant slab production decreased by 19% quarter on quarter to 395,000 tonnes due to the redistribution of slab to flat-rolled product.?EUR? Flat product output increased by 9%...Read More
Turkish steel mills were silent on Friday August 6 after booking at least five deep-sea cargoes earlier this week, market participants told Fastmarkets.The most recent deal was recorded on Wednesday August 4, when a steel mill in the Izmir region booked a United States cargo comprising 15,000 tonnes of heavy melting scrap 1&2 (80:20) at $464 per tonne, and 14,000 tonnes of shredded and 2,000 tonne...Read More
The domestic market for steel rebar in Poland was quiet during the week to Friday August 6 amid a seasonal slowdown in trading activity, but prices held firm, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, exw Poland was 4,000-4,200 zloty ($1,041-1,093) per tonne on Friday, widening upward by 50 zloty from 4,000-4,150 zloty per tonne last week.T...Read More
(Updates prices, recasts) Aug 6 (Reuters) - Copper prices fell on Friday as solid U.S.jobs data pushed the dollar sharply higher, making metals moreexpensive for buyers with other currencies.Copper had been trading higher after news that a union atthe world's biggest copper mine, Chile's Escondida, told workersto prepare for a strike that would reduce supply.But by 1605 GMT, benchmark copper on th...Read More
Brazilian imports of primary unalloyed aluminium rose by 142% year on year in July, putting a newly approved duty-free quota extension under pressure, according to data published by the ministry economy on Wednesday August 4.The country imported 37,181 tonnes of primary aluminium in July, up significantly from 15,376 tonnes a year before.During the January-July period, imports totaled 26...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday August 5 that are worth another look.Brazil has joined other major commodity producers in South America, such as Chile and Peru, in a debate about whether to increase mining royalties because of soaring prices - and it can be...Read More
Brazilian aluminium association Abal has appointed a woman as executive president for the first time, with Janaina Donas taking over the role previously held by Milton Rego after a seven-month recruitment process, the group said on Thursday August 5.Donas most recently acted as an external relations and new business director for Latin America in Peru and the United States for US-based gold-copper-...Read More
There was a strong rise in the European market for low-carbon ferro-chrome in the week ended Tuesday August 3, in response to tight supply and the imposition of export taxes in Russia and China.Fastmarkets' price assessment for ferro-chrome, 0.10% C, average 65-70% Cr, delivered Europe, was $2.17-2.51 per lb Cr on August 3, a rise of 2.4% from $2.10-2.47 per lb Cr one week earlier."Offers prices a...Read More
Cobalt hydroxide prices rose recently despite weakness in downstream salt prices in the domestic Chinese market, as ongoing disruptions and delays at port operations in South Africa have prompted sellers to keep their offers firm and take advantage of spot sales where buyers need prompt availability.Fastmarkets' assessment for the cobalt hydroxide payable indicator, min 30% Co, cif China was 88-92...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday August 5 that are worth another look.Brazil has joined other major commodity producers in South America, such as Chile and Peru, in a debate about whether to increase mining royalties because of soaring prices - and it can be...Read More
Chinese exporters raised their offers for ammonium paratungstate (APT) this week amid concerns about higher replacement costs and currency fluctuations owing to shipment delays.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for tungsten APT 88.5%WO3 min, fob main ports China was $302-308 per metric tonne unit (mtu) on Wednesday August 4, up by $5-7 per mtu (2%) from $295-303 per mtu on July 28. Deals were r...Read More