Zinc producers in China's southwestern province of Yunnan should be able to fully resume their operations by mid-June, sources said.Yunnan will remove its power restrictions by the end of June that have stunted local zinc output, the provincial energy bureau said.A few zinc smelters in Yunnan have already resumed production, however, sources that spoke to Fastmarkets said.Production capa...Read More
Chinese downstream fabricators actively bid for discounted zinc during the second round of state auctions, with the 50,000 tonnes of zinc almost sold out on Thursday on July 30, sources said.The discount stands at around 1,500 yuan - including shipment fee calculation - and has considerably catalyzed the sell-off, sources added. Winning bids from zinc fabricators ranged from 19,000-21,000 yua...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
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
London Metal Exchange prices were under pressure for the second day in a row at the close on Wednesday August 4, in a trading session which had the lowest volumes since mid-July for many metals.Nickel's three-month price was down to $19,243 per tonne - a fall of $145, or 0.7% - from Tuesday's closing price. Its volumes, at 6,450 lots traded by 5pm, were at their lowest since July 21. The news...Read More
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday August 4Please click...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
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 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
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key North American steel forecast highlights:?EUR? US sheet prices hit record highs again in May, with upward momentum persisting into June. Actual US hot-rolled coil prices averaged $1,553 per ton in May, largely in line with our forecast of $1,540 per ton. Prices remain supported by strong underlying sup...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
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
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
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
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
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Tuesday August 3 that are worth another look.Some overseas buyers have reneged on contracts for cold-rolled coil and hot-dipped galvanized coil exports from China after the recently announced cuts in value-added tax rebates for some steel products, industry sources told Fastmarkets.Nanshan Aluminum, which is...Read More
Aluminium premiums in the United States and Europe climbed further on Tuesday August 3 on tight supply in those regions, while premiums in Asia remained flat on muted demand.US Midwest premium jumps to fresh all-time highPremiums in Europe tick up on supply tightnessMain Japanese ports (MJP), South Korea premiums steady on thin liquidityUS Midwest premium shoots up by almost 10%Fastmarkets assesse...Read More
Due to a reporter error, the United States zinc and copper premiums for Tuesday August 3 were published in Fastmarkets' price book after the scheduled time of 4pm GMT.Fastmarkets' fortnightly assessment of the copper grade 1 cathode premium, ddp Midwest US and the zinc SHG min 99.995% ingot premium, ddp Midwest USwere published later than the scheduled time of 4pm GMT.For more information, or...Read More
An overview of the chrome ore and alloy markets in Asia, Europe and the United States on Tuesday August 3 and their latest price moves.China UG2 chrome ore prices rose following the surge in downstream ferro-chrome prices in recent weeks. Turkish lumpy ore prices also increased on high freight costs from Turkey to China. Domestic spot ferro-chrome prices adjusted downward after buyer interest weak...Read More