The latest metal markets news and price moves to start the North American day on Friday January 19.Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were trading higher across the board, supported by fresh cancellations of LME stocks and the weakening dollar.The three-month zinc price set a 10-year high this morning of $3,438 per tonne after 24,175 tonnes of metal was freshly cancelled...Read More
Now that the Chinese government has raised the refined nickel import tax to 2%, Chinese nickel market participants are looking to nickel briquettes from Australia and Madagascar due to their lower premiums compared with nickel full plates, Metal Bulletin understands.Non-duty-free nickel briquette prices from London Metal Exchange warehouses or Shanghai-bonded warehouses were assessed at $130-140 p...Read More
Nickel briquette premiums cif China were steady week on week in spite of a production outage at the Ambatovy project in Madagascar. Premiums for nickel briquette from LME warehouses cif China remained at $130-140 per tonne in the week ended Friday January 19, sources told Metal Bulletin. Meanwhile, duty-free nickel briquettes from Australia and Madagascar are being offered at premiums of $350-360...Read More
The decision by the Brazilian government not to impose final trade sanctions against imports of hot-rolled coil (HRC) from China and Russia is expected to create import windows and to raise the pressure on local producers, according to market participants.The option to immediately suspend the sanctions came despite the confirmation of dumping practices by the two nations."The Chinese and Russian e...Read More
UK long steel producer British Steel has decided to permanently close its heavy plate mill in Scunthorpe, northern England, the company announced on Friday January 19.The plate mill was idled by former owner Tata Steel in October 2015.Tata Steel's two...Read More
Severstal, Russia's major steelmaker, increased its exports by nearly 16% in the fourth quarter of 2017 through higher shipment volumes of billet and slab, the company said on Friday January 19.Over October-December last year, the company exported around 1.18 million tonnes of steel products. That was almost 16% more than in July-September.Exports of semi-finished steel products rapidly increased...Read More
Metal Bulletin reviews the major stories that have affected the steel market over the past week.Iron ore prices ended the week on the rise, after some falls over the period. Metal Bulletin's 62% Fe Iron Ore Index hit $76 per tonne on Friday, boosted by gains in China's futures market.Buyers of seaborne coking coal are waiting on the market sidelines in expectation of lower prices in the weeks ahea...Read More
Indian local secondary billet prices were showing signs of weakness on Friday January 19 despite making a week-on-week gain of 400 rupees ($6) per tonne.Prices for Indian domestic secondary billet, mainly produced in induction furnaces, ended the week at 32,300-32,500 rupees ($506-509) per tonne ex-mill. This was an increase of 400 rupees per tonne compared with Metal Bulletin's assessment last we...Read More
The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for hot-rolled coil, cold-rolled coil, hot-dipped galvanized coil, pre-painted galvanized iron, steel plate, steel sheet and other flat steel products. Latest transactions: HRC, CRC, HDG, PPGIHot-rolled coilTurkey, domestic, hot-rolled coil, offered at $630-640 per tonne ex-works, March and early-April production.Turkey, domestic, hot-rolled...Read More
The following Metal Bulletin noble alloys, bulk alloys and ores prices changed on Friday January 19:Noble alloys Molybdenum Europe drummed molybdic oxide, $/lb: $11.70-12 per lb from $11.40-11.65 Molybdenum US canned molybdic oxide, $/Ib $11.75-12 per Ib from $11.00-11.30 Ferro-molybdenum basis 65% min, in-warehouse Rotterdam, $/kg Mo: $29-29.70 per kg from $28-28.80 Ferro-molybdenum US 65-70% Mo,...Read More
The UK inter-merchant price range for austenitic alloy steel scrap fell by ?40-60 per tonne this week as both the US dollar and nickel prices weakened, sources said on Friday January 19.Metal Bulletin's weekly price assessment for inter-merchant 18/8 scrap solids in the UK was ?900-940 ($1,247-1,302) per tonne delivered on Friday, compared with ?960-980 per tonne on January 12.The London Metal...Read More
The scrap prices in the major markets, other than the United States, have softened in line with weak demand from Turkish steel producers during the working week from Monday January 15 to Friday January 19.However, the US market was also expected to follow the trend, with Baltic Sea and European suppliers having already agreed to sell material to Turkey at lower prices at the end of the week.Turkey...Read More
Prices for containerized imports of ferrous scrap into India fell this week, with negative sentiment and a drop in demand weakening the market, sources told Metal Bulletin on Friday January 19.Indian import scrap markets achieved their highest prices for more than three years a fortnight ago, but the market undid those gains after a sharp decline in buying activity in Pakistan.Metal Bulletin's ind...Read More
Turkish steel producers returned to the deep-sea scrap markets on Friday January 19, after they managed to get lower prices from Baltic Sea and European suppliers.With the news of three cargoes traded, the daily scrap indices went down sharply at the end of the week.Metal Bulletin's daily index for Northern European HMS 1&2 (80:20) closed at $352.89 per tonne cfr, down by $14.10 per tonne day-on-d...Read More
The market in the United Kingdom for grade 5C ferrous scrap has edged downward in the past week, with prices easing while buying interest in the key export market of Turkey cools because of the strengthening of sterling versus the dollar.The UK market is seeing more availability domestically as a consequence, while buyers in India are also balking at current European export prices that have been r...Read More
Firm market conditions have led export prices for Brazilian pig iron to rise for the second week in a row.Metal Bulletin's weekly price assessment for Minas Gerais-origin pig iron exports increased to $370-375 per tonne fob on Friday January 19, from last week's $360-370 per tonne fob.A 30,000-tonnes cargo of material produced in Brazil's south-eastern Minas Gerais state was sold at $370 per tonne...Read More
Metal Bulletin has extended the consultation period regarding its proposal to discontinue its weekly domestic China pig iron price. During the initial consultation period, which ended Friday January 19, Metal Bulletin received feedback from the market that indicates the need for further engagement on the proposal regarding the discontinuation of the price. The extended consultation period will end...Read More
Gains in China's futures market gave seaborne iron ore prices a boost on Friday January 19. Metal Bulletin's 62% Fe Iron Ore Index Today: $76.75 per tonne cfr Qingdao Daily change: Up by $1.88 per tonne per tonne Month-to-date average: $76.65 per tonne Metal Bulletin's 58% Fe Premium...Read More
Prices for both iron ore fines and lumps picked up on Friday January 19 amid an uptick in the futures market. Key drivers China's ferrous futures, having trended downward since Thursday night, surged across the board on Friday afternoon. The benchmark iron ore contract ending the day 1.6% higher than the previous day's settlement price. A futures trader in Beijing attributed the rebound to technic...Read More
Buyers of seaborne coking coal are waiting on the sidelines in anticipation of lower prices in the weeks ahead. Offers for premium hard coking coal hovered around $230 per tonne fob Australia on Friday January 19, sources told Metal Bulletin. Bids were around $30 per tonne below these offers, they added. A few index-linked offers were also heard during the day, amid the prevailing wide spread betw...Read More