Metal Bulletin reviews the major stories that have affected the steel market over the past week.Raw materialsIron ore prices ended Friday on the rise after experiencing declines early in the week. Metal Bulletin's 62% Fe Iron Ore Index came to $74.39 per tonne cfr Qingdao, amid gains in the futures and steel markets.Trading activity in the seaborne coking coal market remained thin on Friday, with...Read More
The market in the United Kingdom for grade-5C ferrous scrap has dropped this week, marking another weekly fall since the price was assessed on January 12, with suppliers cutting their offer prices in line with export demand.The move in the light iron scrap market in the UK follows a fall in trade to key destinations such as Turkey and the Indian subcontinent.The rate of steel scrap exports to Turk...Read More
Steel scrap prices in the major global markets weakened following the decrease in Turkish import prices during the working week from Monday January 29 to Friday February 2.Turkish steel mills have slowed down their deep-sea bookings over the past week to put downward pressure on prices, and booked only one deep-sea cargo before Thursday, when they booked three more cargoes at lower prices late in...Read More
Finnish metal processing technology provider Outotec forecasts growth in demand for many metals, with sentiment in both the mining and metals industries expected to improve in 2018."In 2018, our target is to grow our sales as well as improve profitability. Together with improved market sentiment, global [trends] - such as resource efficiency, sustainability and digitization - provide us with good...Read More
Comex copper prices softened to a one-week low amid a rising dollar, which was sparked by a strong US jobs report.Copper for March settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 3.40 cents or 1.1% to $3.1640 per lb. "We continue to like copper as global concerted growth is likely to support the red metal enough to maintain its bullish uptrend," Metal Bulletin analys...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange are at first sight looking quite mixed this morning, Friday February 2, with copper and lead in positive territory, tin unchanged and aluminium, zinc and nickel in negative territory.But on closer inspection of the charts, all look well placed to push higher following average gains of 1.1% on Thursday. Indeed copper, that has been one of the laggards...Read More
Metal Bulletin reviews the major stories that have affected the steel market over the past week.Raw materialsIron ore prices ended Friday on the rise after experiencing declines early in the week. Metal Bulletin's 62% Fe Iron Ore Index came to $74.39 per tonne cfr Qingdao, amid gains in the futures and steel markets.Trading activity in the seaborne coking coal market remained thin on Friday, with...Read More
Some coated flat steel prices in Turkey have decreased over the past week, with demand remaining sluggish in the local market but strong in the export markets, sources told Metal Bulletin on Friday February 2.Demand was weak because buyers expect prices to fall, and the weak demand in the hot-rolled coil (HRC) market has had a knock-on effect in the coated coil market.Domestic pricesIn Northern Tu...Read More
Some flat steel prices in Turkey's domestic market fell slightly this week, while import prices were mostly stable, market participants told Metal Bulletin on Friday February 2.Local producers are accepting orders for April, but demand was not strong this week because buyers expected prices to come down. Besides, retail prices are still lower than producer prices, sources said.Domestic pricesHot-r...Read More
Metal Bulletin reviews the major stories that have affected the steel market over the past week.Raw materialsIron ore prices ended Friday on the rise after experiencing declines early in the week. Metal Bulletin's 62% Fe Iron Ore Index came to $74.39 per tonne cfr Qingdao, amid gains in the futures and steel markets.Trading activity in the seaborne coking coal market remained thin on Friday, with...Read More
Indian local secondary billet prices this week showed a slight fall of about 200 rupees per tonne week-on-week, with buyers staying away from the market and the number of inquiries to mills dwindling.Prices for Indian domestic secondary billet, which is mainly produced through the induction furnace route, ended the week at 31,800-32,000 rupees ($497-501) per tonne ex-mill on Friday February 2. Thi...Read More
Transaction prices for domestic rebar in Poland have been largely unchanged over the past week because buyers have not accepted higher offers, sources told Metal Bulletin on Friday February 2.Metal Bulletin's weekly price assessment for domestic 12mm B500B-grade rebar in Poland was 2,320-2,370 zloty ($695-710) per tonne ex-works on February 2, compared with 2,310-2,360 zloty per tonne ex-works a w...Read More
Metal Bulletin reviews the major stories that have affected the steel market over the past week.Raw materialsIron ore prices ended Friday on the rise after experiencing declines early in the week. Metal Bulletin's 62% Fe Iron Ore Index came to $74.39 per tonne cfr Qingdao, amid gains in the futures and steel markets.Trading activity in the seaborne coking coal market remained thin on Friday, with...Read More
The market in the United Kingdom for grade-5C ferrous scrap has dropped this week, marking another weekly fall since the price was assessed on January 12, with suppliers cutting their offer prices in line with export demand.The move in the light iron scrap market in the UK follows a fall in trade to key destinations such as Turkey and the Indian subcontinent.The rate of steel scrap exports to Turk...Read More
Steel scrap prices in the major global markets weakened following the decrease in Turkish import prices during the working week from Monday January 29 to Friday February 2.Turkish steel mills have slowed down their deep-sea bookings over the past week to put downward pressure on prices, and booked only one deep-sea cargo before Thursday, when they booked three more cargoes at lower prices late in...Read More
Metal Bulletin reviews the major stories that have affected the steel market over the past week.Raw materialsIron ore prices ended Friday on the rise after experiencing declines early in the week. Metal Bulletin's 62% Fe Iron Ore Index came to $74.39 per tonne cfr Qingdao, amid gains in the futures and steel markets.Trading activity in the seaborne coking coal market remained thin on Friday, with...Read More
Indian local secondary billet prices this week showed a slight fall of about 200 rupees per tonne week-on-week, with buyers staying away from the market and the number of inquiries to mills dwindling.Prices for Indian domestic secondary billet, which is mainly produced through the induction furnace route, ended the week at 31,800-32,000 rupees ($497-501) per tonne ex-mill on Friday February 2. Thi...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices remained in an upward trend on Friday February 2 amid gains in the billet and futures markets, though trading activity remained thin.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,840-3,900 yuan ($610-619) per tonne, up 10 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,920-3,950 yuan per tonne, narrowed upward by 20 yuan per tonneThe gains in the billet and paper markets pushed up s...Read More
European stainless steel base prices have remained unchanged over the past week, with domestic prices under import pressure from cheaper Asian material, sources told Metal Bulletin on Friday February 2.Metal Bulletin's weekly base price assessment on Friday for 2mm, grade-304 CR stainless steel sheet was ?,?1,060-1,120 ($1,320-1,395) per tonne delivered in Northern Europe.Metal Bulletin's weekly b...Read More
There was no clear trend in China's ferrous futures market during morning trading on Friday February 2 after the Hebei provincial government denied that it was planning to extend production cuts for an additional two months.Futures closing prices - morning session Shanghai Futures Exchange May rebar: 3,947 yuan ($627) per tonne, down 7 yuan per tonne May hot rolled coil: 4,017 yuan per tonne, up 1...Read More