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
Domestic steel wire rod prices in the south of Europe were broadly flat in the week to Wednesday August 4 despite seasonally slow buying and the availability of cheaper imports, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh quality), domestic, delivered Southern Europe was unchanged at ?,?830-850 ($985-1,009) per tonne on August 4.ItalyThe Italian market wa...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.United States sheet prices hit record highs again in May, with upward momentum carrying into June. Actual US HRC prices averaged $1,712 per tonne in May, largely in line with our forecast of $1,698 per tonne. Strong underlying supply-and-demand conditions both in the US and globally are supporting prices as well as long lead...Read More
Domestic prices for cold-rolled coil in Europe declined in the week to Wednesday August 4 due to increased availability and lower import offers, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel CRC, domestic, exw Northern Europe was ?,?1,270-1,310 per tonne on August 4, down by ?,?30-40 per tonne from ?,?1,300-1,350 per tonne ex-works a week earlier.The corresponding we...Read More
Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK), Russia's largest steelmaker, will increase output of hot-dip galvanized (HDG) coil by starting up a new line at its Lipetsk site in the second half of 2022.Capacity of the new line is 450,000 tonnes per year. Once the line is commissioned, NLMK's HDG capacity will increase by 36% to 1.7 million tpy.Read More
Brazil-based steelmaker Gerdau is investing in new flat-rolled and long steel rolling capacity at its Ouro Branco integrated mill in the country's southeastern state of Minas Gerais, chief executive officer Gustavo Werneck told journalists in a conference call on Wednesday August 4.The company will increase its capacity for hot-rolled coil (HRC) by 250,000 tonnes per year, to 1.1 million tpy, and...Read More
Latin American steel group Ternium expects prices to remain steady in North America, despite the increase in capacity coming into the market.New projects coming onstream are expected to add around 5-6 million tonnes of flat steel capacity in the region, according to the company's estimates. But such an increase is not expected to bring prices down. "I don't see this as a driver of huge oversupply,...Read More
The aerospace industry is on pace for a full recovery in the next three years, with demand already rebounding in the second half of 2021 compared with Covid-19 pandemic-related lows, according to Arconic's top executive."While [aerospace] remains the biggest question mark in our portfolio, we believe that question really just boils down to timing. We fully expect the industry to return to pre-pand...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
While 300-series stainless scrap prices in the United States continued to inch higher on strong nickel prices, a correction in the domestic ferrous scrap market has limited growth for 400-series prices, and participants indicated the stainless scrap market could be nearing a peak."The market for stainless scrap in the USA is overblown. The largest processors have seemingly been in a battle for mar...Read More
A summary of the financial results for US-based aluminium producer Novelis in April-June 2021, the first quarter of its business year, released on Wednesday August 4.In brief Novelis' adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) for the quarter were $555 million, up by 119% year-on-year. Net income attributable to its common shareholders was $240 million, up fro...Read More
Century Aluminum is on track to complete the expansion at its Mount Holly smelter in Goose Creek, South Carolina, by the end of the year, allowing it to ramp up to 75% of its 229,000 tonnes annual production capacity.Second quarter 2021 ended June 30 in brief Century's adjusted earnings before income, tax, depreciation and amortization was $34.4 million, an increase of $54.1 million from the previ...Read More
Benjamin Baptista will retire and leave his role as chief executive officer of ArcelorMittal's Brazilian unit on September 30 after 12 years, with current Latin America long steel CEO, Jefferson De Paula, to replace his role, Baptista said on Tuesday August 3.Baptista joined ArcelorMittal in 1983, when it was still called Companhia Sider??rgica de Tubar??o (CST). It was later bought by Arcelor, to...Read More
China's mixed signals about its decarbonization goals have raised doubts over the country's purported plans to cut steel production in the second half of 2021, market sources said.The central Chinese government had asked steelmakers to reduce steel output in the second half for two reasons. The first is the short-term target of keeping the country's total steel output for this year from exceeding...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
Benjamin Baptista will retire and leave his role as chief executive officer of ArcelorMittal's Brazilian unit on September 30 after 12 years, with current Latin America long steel CEO, Jefferson De Paula, to replace his role, Baptista said on Tuesday August 3.Baptista joined ArcelorMittal in 1983, when it was still called Companhia Sider??rgica de Tubar??o (CST). It was later bought by Arcelor, to...Read More
The chrome ore market for sales into China rose with fresh liquidity being reported in the week ended Tuesday August 3, following strong recent gains in the downstream alloy market.Fastmarkets' chrome ore South Africa UG2 concentrates index, basis 42%, cif China, settled at $182 per tonne on August 3, up by 4.6% from $174 per tonne one week earlier."With the profit available from ferro-chrome prod...Read More
Export prices for steel slab from Iran dropped in early August under pressure from lower demand for flat steel products in Asia, which is the main outlet market for Iranian slab.In Vietnam, one of the major importers of hot-rolled coil in Asia, prices dropped recently on falling demand caused by the increased numbers of Covid-19 cases in the country.Given these conditions, customers in Asia lowere...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.With nickel prices down by almost 20% over the space of around ten days during late February and early March, one might have been expecting us to be reporting sharply-lower prices of stainless steel, at least for the most common nickel-containing grades of stainless steel.This is not the case, at least in Europe and the Unite...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