Domestic hot-rolled coil prices in Europe held fairly firm on Thursday July 29 despite a higher number of competitive import offers, market sources told Fastmarkets.Demand in Northern Europe has been weak due to the seasonal summer-holiday slowdown across the EU.The number of offers from European mills has been limited anyway. Suppliers in Germany were reported to be holding back from making new o...Read More
The London Metal Exchange's base metals prices were robust at the close of trading on Thursday July 29, supported in part by a US Dollar Index that reached its lowest since June 29 and fundamental factors affecting the metals themselves.The dollar index bottomed at 91.87 on Thursday, having reached a year-to-date high of 93.19 on June 21, following the US Federal Reserve bank's renewed dovish stat...Read More
Chinese importers have been buying double the copper scrap from overseas under the category of 'recyclable copper material', yet its growth in secondary copper production is relatively modest. The country's import volume of copper scrap (HS code: 7404) almost doubled in the first half of 2021 to 821,376 tonnes. It is up 90.8% year on year from a base number affected by outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020...Read More
Aluminium delivery from northern China through central China remains restricted due to flooding in Hennan, with a section of the Longhai Line railway under repair, sources told Fastmarkets."Aluminium ingot in Northern China cannot be delivered to the south because they cannot pass through the Longhai line. So local areas can only consume current stocks... [aluminium] stocks in [the] Wuxi warehouse...Read More
Former schoolteacher and union leader Pedro Castillo said it was not his intention to nationalize Peru's economy and pointed that the country needed a "new way of doing mining in its territory" in his inaugural speech as president on July 28. Castillo was elected Peru's new president after a contested second round of elections held in June. His left-wing party, Peru Libre, won 50.13% of valid vote...Read More
A summary of the first-half production results from Anglo American.In brief Anglo American attributed an overall increase in copper production by 5% to the continued strong performance at Collahuasi and planned improved water availability at Los Bronces in Chile. Copper production at Los Bronces increased by 9% to 163,200 tonnes due to higher water availability owing to water management...Read More
Lundin Mining's copper production was down during the first half of the year because planned lower grades at its Chapada mine reduced its output.The company's profit in the first half was up by 160% at $835.2 million, boosted by higher gold, copper and zinc prices.In brief: At 120,811 tonnes, copper production was down...Read More
A summary of nickel and zinc producer Terrafame's financial results for the first half of the year to June 2021.Net sales in the first half of 2021 were ?,?185 million ($219 million), an increase of 7.2% year on year.The company said its battery chemical plant had ramped up production in June and deliveries of product to consumers began in July."Our new...Read More
Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States have surged above $94 per hundredweight ($1,880 per short ton) for the first time, after zooming past $93 per cwt on Wednesday July 28, with market participants projecting that the rally will not come to an end until late this year at the earliest.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $94.03 per cwt ($1,880.60 per...Read More
A summary of ArcelorMittal's financial results for the April-June quarter of 2021, according to its financial results statement published on Thursday July 29.In brief"On the financial side, the second quarter has seen a continued strong recovery backdrop alongside a sustained lean inventory environment," chief executive officer Aditya Mittal said."This resulted in even healthier spreads in our cor...Read More
A summary of sales figures from Russian steelmaker and vanadium producer Evraz for the April-June quarter of 2021, according to the company's trading report published on Thursday July 29.In brief Total sales of steel products rose by 6.1% quarter on quarter to 3.24 million tonnes, driven by higher sales of finished products in Russia amid favorable market conditions. It was also supported by an in...Read More
China exported 1.03 million tonnes of steel hot-rolled coil in June 2021, adding 168% to the figure of 381,984 tonnes a year earlier, according to data recently published by China's General Administration of Customs.Vietnam remained the principal buyer of Chinese HRC, taking 276,418 tonnes in June.Exports of other major steel products also showed sharp year-on-year increases in June, particularly...Read More
The prices of billet in Turkey have weakened in the week to July 29 due to falling scrap import values, sources told Fastmarkets.The Turkish deep-sea scrap import prices fell in the week because steel mills resisted for lower prices amid limited steel trade. Fastmarkets' daily index for steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), US origin, cfr Turkey was calculated at $475.96 per tonne on July 28, down by...Read More
Billet producers from the Commonwealth of Independent States increased offers for foreign customers this week despite the lack of inquiries from typical customers.Early in the week, market participants reported offers within the range of $650-660 per tonne fob Black Sea, but by the end of the week those had increased to $660-665 per tonne fob, while some producers mentioned even $670 per tonne fob...Read More
Indian steelmaker Jindal Stainless (JSL) plans to add 1 million tonnes per year to its melting capacity with a major brownfield project scheduled for completion in late 2023, the company said this week.JSL will build the new capacity on a site at its existing production plant in Jajpur, in the east Indian state of Odisha, it said on Wednesday July 28.The brownfield expansion should be complete by...Read More
Turkish deep-sea scrap import prices have fallen due to a United States cargo deal completed at a low price, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday July 29.A steel mill in the Marmara region booked a US cargo, comprising HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $471 per tonne with shredded and bonus at $486 per tonne cfr.This compares with the previous deep-sea booking heard on Wednesday July 28, when a steel mill in the...Read More
Recycling firm Chiho Environmental Group (CEG) has appointed experienced scrap industry figure Tom Bird as chief trading officer, the company announced on July 27. The appointment was effective from July 1.Chiho is China's largest scrap metal recycling company, running 700 yards globally with extensive operations in the recycling of ferrous and non-ferrous metals scrap. CEG also owns both German f...Read More
Iron ore prices fell on Thursday July 29 amid thin liquidity and soft market sentiments, sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $196.06 per tonne, down $6.62 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $197.46 per tonne, down $5.62 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $160.87 per tonne, down $7.36 per tonne65% Fe Brazil-origin fines, cfr Qingdao:...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices picked up on Thursday July 29 following futures gains on expectations of tight supply caused by a new power pricing method, sources told Fastmarkets.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,300-5,330 yuan ($820-825) per tonne, up by 30 yuan per tonneThe National Development and Reform Commission now requires local governments to change peak-valley power prices for industri...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices inched up in both the cfr and fob markets on Thursday July 29 amid supply tightness and firm buying interest, sources said.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $216.04 per tonne, up $0.49 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $317.22 per tonne, up $1.46 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $183.25 per tonne, up $0.84 per tonneHard coking coa...Read More