The spot market for imported scrap into China remained quiet on Wednesday July 28 due to Japanese sellers offering cargoes at prices much higher than buyers' ideas of acceptable price levels, sources told Fastmarkets.Offers from Japan were heard at $600-615 per tonne cfr China on Wednesday. Offers remained strong because South Korean buyers have been paying competitive prices for Japanese heavy sc...Read More
Domestic prices for heavy steel plate in Italy moved down in the week ended Wednesday July 28 due to lower slab costs and competitive imports, sources have told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel domestic plate, 8-40mm, exw Southern Europe, was ?,?950-970 ($1,122-1,145) per tonne on July 28, down by ?,?15-20 per tonne from ?,?970-985 per tonne on July 21.The assessment was based o...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in Europe remained fairly stable on Wednesday July 28 despite slow trading and pressure from cheap import offers to Southern Europe, sources told Fastmarkets.Demand has been weak due to the seasonal summer-holiday slowdown across the EU.In addition, the number of offers from European mills has been limited. Suppliers in Germany were reported to be holding back f...Read More
China's domestic sellers for hot-rolled coil kept prices stable on Wednesday July 28 due to stronger demand and exporters insisted on high offers ahead of the month end, sources told Fastmarkets.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,880-5,900 yuan ($904-907) per tonne, unchangedThe weather was clear in Zhejiang and Shanghai, so demand and logistics resumed, supporting HRC prices.Demand in parts of J...Read More
Brazilian steel and iron ore producer Companhia Sider??rgica Nacional's (CSN) adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) soared by 324.62% year on year due to higher steel and iron ore prices and sales volumes in the second quarter.In brief Sales of iron ore from CSN's mining division, CSN Minera????o, rose by 17.65% year on year during the quarter, to 9.11 mi...Read More
The Southern European domestic steel rebar market was quiet with largely stable prices, although a slight uptick in Italian demand pushed prices up, Fastmarkets heard on Wednesday July 28.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, delivered Southern Europe was ?,?760-815 ($897-962) per tonne on Wednesday, compared with ?,?760-810 per tonne one week previously...Read More
Prices for steel hollow sections in Europe remained unchanged on Wednesday July 28 while the market heads into a slower seasonal period, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe was ?,?1,400-1,430 ($1,653-1,688) per tonne on July 28, unchanged week on week."The holidays are starting in the coming days, many are holding...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday July 28 that are worth another look.German steelmaker Salzgitter has delivered green strip steel to automotive producer Mercedes-Benz, the company recently announced.The main workers union at Escondida, the world's largest copper mine, has called on its members...Read More
An arbitrage between two of the world's main copper contracts has had the market chasing shadows over the week ended Wednesday July 28.On July 26, the Comex active (September) contract traded at more than $300 per tonne above London Metal Exchange price levels for the month to date, in what was a record spread between the two contracts.The massive premium came at the end of a month in which the Ch...Read More
A growing number of steelmakers cutting production in China has prompted steel mills to reduce their consumption of direct-charge iron ore - iron ore pellets and lumps, market sources told Fastmarkets.Earlier in July, several steelmakers in various regions across China told Fastmarkets that they intend to keep this year's steel output levels from exceeding last year's.Growing uncertaintyThis has c...Read More
An arbitrage between two of the world's main copper contracts has had the market chasing shadows over the week ended Wednesday July 28.On July 26, the Comex active (September) contract traded at more than $300 per tonne above London Metal Exchange price levels for the month to date, in what was a record spread between the two contracts.The massive premium came at the end of a month in which the Ch...Read More
Base metals prices remained mixed on the London Metal Exchange at the 5pm close of trading on Wednesday July 28, with the month-end approaching and the market still waiting for signals of fresh direction from the US Federal Reserve bank."While we are very positive on the fundamentals [for copper] in the long term, we remain cautious in the short term due to the presence of macro headwinds," Fastma...Read More
Summer maintenance work at steel mills was continuing across Japan but reduced generation volumes and strong prices paid by South Korea were continuing to support export scrap prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday July 28.On the lower-grade H2 material, reduced supply has been balanced by continued poor demand from Taiwan and Vietnam, sources said."I feel that the market is not so strong,...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday July 28 that are worth another look.German steelmaker Salzgitter has delivered green strip steel to automotive producer Mercedes-Benz, the company recently announced.The main workers union at Escondida, the world's largest copper mine, has called on its members...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in Europe remained fairly stable on Wednesday July 28 despite slow trading and pressure from cheap import offers to Southern Europe, sources told Fastmarkets.Demand has been weak due to the seasonal summer-holiday slowdown across the EU.In addition, the number of offers from European mills has been limited. Suppliers in Germany were reported to be holding back f...Read More
Prices in the coking coal market in China held firm on Wednesday July 28 but climbed in the fob Australia market on increased buying interest, market sources said.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $215.55 per tonne, up by $1.25 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $315.76 per tonne, unchangedHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $182.41 per tonne, up by 0.50 per tonneHard co...Read More
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday July 28.Please click...Read More
China's domestic and imported ferro-chrome prices were both boosted again in the week ended Tuesday July 27 after major stainless steel mills raised their August tender prices by 2,400 yuan ($369) per tonne from the previous month, to a level not seen in the past 13 years.Due to continuing supply interruptions and strong demand for material, Tsingshan announced its tender price for August-delivery...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday July 28 that are worth another look.German steelmaker Salzgitter has delivered green strip steel to automotive producer Mercedes-Benz, the company recently announced.The main workers union at Escondida, the world's largest copper mine, has called on its members...Read More
An arbitrage between two of the world's main copper contracts has had the market chasing shadows over the week ended Wednesday July 28.On July 26, the Comex active (September) contract traded at more than $300 per tonne above London Metal Exchange price levels for the month to date, in what was a record spread between the two contracts.The massive premium came at the end of a month in which the Ch...Read More