A multi-country trade case involving silicon metal imported to the United States concluded on Wednesday July 28, when the US International Trade Commission (ITC) decided to apply the recommended 12.27% anti-dumping duty on Malaysian silicon imports."The United States International Trade Commission today determined that a US industry is materially injured by reason of imports of silicon metal from...Read More
Brazil-based miner Vale expects to increase iron ore output in the second half of the year, because of advances in its capacity resumption plan, and expects the premium for high grade iron ore to remain strong.Vale has reiterated its guidance to produce between 315-335 million tonnes of iron ore in 2021.Production is expected to reach at least 89 million tonnes in the third quarter and at least 85...Read More
Demand for steel rebar and billet in Egypt was low during the week ended Thursday July 29 due to market participants' expectations of changes in import duties, sources told Fastmarkets.Activity in the market resumed this week after the Eid al-Adha holiday celebration last week, and buyers preferred to hold off on placing orders.Egyptian rebar producers normally announce new prices at the begi...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
Stainless steel prices continue to register new highs around the end of the first half of 2021 and steelmakers continue to enjoy outsized margins.They have responded in recent months by increasing their output, which has now pushed above pre-pandemic levels and will eventually restore balance to the market.For now, though, supply gaps are still being filled and buyers find themselves competing aga...Read More
Fastmarkets has modified the name of one of its Japan steel scrap export prices to reflect the product's usage in the market.Heavy scrap (HS) is a grade of obsolete scrap traded widely in the Japan and South Korea market, used for material of equivalent quality to plate and structural (P&S).Fastmarkets' price assessment for Japan export HS had previously been named steel scrap, plate and structura...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Recent weeks have brought two key developments with regard to trade policy on stainless steel products that will be to the detriment of consumers.In China, the country's stainless steelmakers no longer enjoy a 13% export rebate as of May 1, reducing greatly their incentive to export and instead leading them to focus on supply...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Global welded pipe prices surged in May as strong demand and still-insufficient supply lifted flat steel prices.The biggest jumps were seen in China, which was hit by the unexpected announcement of the elimination of export rebates on welded pipes in April. Chinese seaborne prices reached $1,570 per tonne fob for longitudina...Read More
The market for imported steel scrap into China remained quiet on Thursday July 29 despite contracts for rebar and hot-rolled coil on the Shanghai Futures Exchange rising sharply, sources told Fastmarkets.The most-traded rebar and hot-rolled coil futures contract on the SHFE ended daytime trading 1.95% and 3.34% higher day on day, respectively, on July 29."The gains in steel futures will have some...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
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
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
China's stainless steel market was unaffected by anti-dumping duties that emerged from South Korea in the past week, with prices rising amid tightening supply and costlier raw materials.The Korea Trade Commission on July 22 said it would impose anti-dumping duties of 7.17-25.82% on stainless flat-rolled steel products from mainland China, Taiwan and Indonesia. The rates are as follows:Mainland Chi...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
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
Technology entrepreneur Elon Musk once described the ongoing use of fossil fuels and their generation of a vast carbon footprint as "the dumbest experiment in human history."Not everyone will agree with his assessment of the petroleum, gas and coal sectors, which have powered the world's growth for decades. Nonetheless, the twin goals of supply chain security and sustainability are now driving a t...Read More
London Metal Exchange ring dealing members have a decision to make - whether to remain one or not.The LME has just announced it will reopen the open outcry trading floor, which was temporarily closed due to Covid-19, on September 6.Its plan, however, comes with a twist; some ring dealers say, a knife.The official prices - which the global trade and industry use as the global reference for physical...Read More
Bill Gates has a theory about green premiums: He wants to eliminate them entirely. The American business magnate and philanthropist calls green premiums the additional cost of choosing a clean technology over one that emits a greater amount of greenhouse gases.In other words, the price that metals and mining companies are starting to charge their customers for producing low-carbon produc...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
Prices of hot-rolled coil across China's domestic market followed futures prices higher on Thursday July 29, while the export market remained muted amid persistent fears of changes in the export tax policy, sources told Fastmarkets.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,920-5,950 yuan ($916-920) per tonne, up by 40-50 yuan per tonneGains in the most-traded HRC contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchang...Read More