Crude steel output in Germany increased by 7% year on year in October, the German steel federation, WV Stahl, said on Friday November 19.German crude steel production totaled 3.66 million tonnes in October, up from 3.42 million tonnes in October last year.Steel output from Germany's basic oxygen furnaces - mainly used in the production of flat steel - rose by 13.2% year on year to...Read More
The risks that the Chinese government will introduce export duties on steel products will increase if export volumes surge when prices stabilize again after the recent decline, market sources told Fastmarkets over the week to Friday November 19."A sharp rebound in export volumes will draw attention from the central authorities," a Shanghai-based trader said.Fears have emerged that the Chinese gove...Read More
An overview of the aerospace materials markets and the latest price moves.Jessica Long, Zihao Li and...Read More
Brazilian apparent steel consumption fell by 5.95% in October, from the same month in 2020, largely influenced by lower domestic shipments of flat steel from mills, according to data published by the steelmakers' association, Instituto A??o Brasil, on Friday November 19.Apparent consumption totaled 1.96 million tonnes during the month, down from 2.09 million tonnes a year before, A??o Brasil said....Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing sessions in China, India, Europe and the United States on Friday November 19.China The spot silico-manganese and ferro-manganese markets continued to fall this week, following the sluggish futures and downstream steel markets. Alloy producers have been considering production cuts to avoid financial losses under high electricity rates and falling alloy prices.&nbs...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mixed, but largely up at the 5pm close on Friday November 19, after a week of choppy trading."We seem to be following a similar pattern to last week," Marex LME desk analyst Alastair Munro said."Macro-inspired weakness during the first part of the week has given way to a bout of short-covering [activity] into the weekend," he added.The three-mon...Read More
China's Ministry of Industry & Information Technology (MIIT) is conducting a public consultation on its proposed standards of the lithium-ion battery industry. The proposed standards - released on Thursday November 18 - detail the requirements for battery energy density and specific capacity.In the proposal, the energy density for consumer electronics batteries need to stay above 260 watt hour (Wh...Read More
Prices for shredded steel scrap imported into Pakistan and India moved down after both markets weakened in the seven days to Friday November 19, sources told Fastmarkets.PakistanFastmarkets calculated its weekly steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Port Qasim, Pakistan at $560.18 per tonne on Friday, compared with $564.21 per tonne a week earlier.Deals were heard at $563-565 per tonne this we...Read More
Fastmarkets' copper concentrate treatment charge/refining charge (TC/RC) indices edged down slightly in the week to Friday November 19. Spot activity was thin, with the market still focusing on 2022 contract negotiations; no number for benchmark charges has...Read More
Aluminium billet premiums were steady across the globe on Friday November 19, remaining close to all-time highs.EuropeEuropean billet premiums are unchanged this week at record highs but liquidity is low, with most buyers covered until the end of the year.Fastmarkets assessed the aluminium 6063 extrusion billet premium, ddp North Germany (Ruhr region) at $1,450-1,500 per tonne on November 19, unch...Read More
Importers of ferrous scrap were lured back to market in the week ended Friday November 19 by lower prices, which were precipitated by a period of lackluster buying activity.?EUR?Turkish mills' import prices rebounded by the week's end after deals at lower prices?EUR?US sales halted with exporters reluctant to reduce their selling prices?EUR?Vietnamese buyers were actively seeking more material aft...Read More
An overview of the new energy materials markets and their price moves in the week to Friday November 19.Susan Zou, Yingchi Yang and...Read More
An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and the latest price moves.Janie Davies, Dalila Ouerghi,...Read More
Slow demand and cheaper imports have quashed attempts by steel rebar producers in Poland to boost prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday November 19.Trading activity in the Polish rebar market has been slow this week, those sources said - because local distributors and stockholders have enough material in stock, they have not been looking to make bookings.As well, end-user demand from the cons...Read More
An overview of the new energy materials markets and their price moves in the week to Friday November 19.Susan Zou, Yingchi Yang and...Read More
Bulk freight rates for key steel products have receded over recent weeks amid shrinking port congestion in China and improved vessel availability, sources have told Fastmarkets.A slowdown in Chinese commodity imports, coming at a time of crashing steel prices in the country, has allowed congestion at the country's ports to unwind in recent weeks, markets participants said.Freight rates first dropp...Read More
Weaker demand combined with lower offers from all origins, spearheaded by recent Chinese price falls, put further downward pressure on South American flat-rolled steel import prices in the week ended Friday November 19.Despite offers from China continuing to drop - in what was widely considered by market participants to be short-selling from traders - buyers remained hesitant about booking new car...Read More
An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and the latest price moves.Janie Davies, Dalila Ouerghi,...Read More
Lithium prices in China were stable in the week to Thursday November 18 due to limited spot trading activity, while seaborne East Asian prices were flat amid similar conditions.Chinese lithium prices stable amid limited spot trading ahead of month-end restocking.Seaborne East Asian prices similarly unchanged in quiet conditions.Lithium prices in Europe and the United States continue to strengthen...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing sessions in China, Europe and the United States on Friday November 19.China?EUR?Weaker downstream steel demand was the principal driver of the decrease in China's ferro-silicon price. Due to the normal steel purchase off-season, demand for steel was not at a high level. Besides, with the heat supply period beginning in northern China, steel production will be und...Read More