The United States' hot-rolled coil steel import prices have surged to an all-time high, with buyers worldwide competing for limited material."There's not a lot of steel available, not here or anywhere else," a distributor source said.Fastmarkets' assessment for steel hot-rolled coil, import, ddp Houston was at $1,540-1,610 per short ton ($77.00-80.50 per hundredweight) on Wednesday June 9, up...Read More
Ferro-molybdenum and molybdic oxide have traded at more than 10-year highs in Europe this week following a new wave of inquiries and fresh concern over availability. Fastmarkets' price assessment for ferro-molybdenum 65% Mo min, in-whs Rotterdam rose to $38.25-41.50 per kg on Wednesday June 9. Prices are up by 41.42% compared with the beginning of May, and material is trading at its highest...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday June 10 that are worth another look.The European Commission (EC) plans to set a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) for imports of some goods, including steel and aluminium, to prevent the risk of carbon leakage, according to...Read More
Brazilian iron ore producer Vale has halted part of the railroad it uses for exports following a warning from an authority about tailings dam risks, causing a production stoppage at its Timbopeba plant and Alegria mine, the company said on Friday June 4.The disruption will result in a production loss of 33,000 tonnes per day of iron ore fines at Timbopeba and 7,500 tpd at Alegria, it said. Both un...Read More
The current upward momentum in pricing in the steel market should continue in the third quarter with support from short supply and solid demand, buoying an already optimistic market, the International Rebar Producers & Exporters Association (Irepas) said on June 4.EuropeRebar prices reached new highs during the second quarter of 2021 on support from long lead times, strong demand and limited impor...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories from Tuesday June 8 that are worth another look.A rise in Covid-19 cases in China's Guangdong province in recent weeks has led to tighter controls and rigorous testing at the huge Yantian International Container Terminal (YICT), causing extended delays...Read More
Domestic steel rebar and wire rod prices in Turkey have remained mostly stable over the past week, market sources said on Thursday June 10.Despite recent price increases for Turkish scrap imports, long steel prices did not change in the country because of limited demand, Fastmarkets heard.Fastmarkets calculated the daily index for steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), North Europe origin, cfr Turkey,...Read More
Prices for steel billet imported into Egypt remained stable during the week to Thursday June 10 amid recovering demand, sources told Fastmarkets.New regulations for construction in the country that allow new building permits, in effect from June 1, have buoyed demand, sources said.New construction projects are still limited due to the detailed procedures to access permits but a partial removal of...Read More
German flat steel producer Salzgitter has declared force majeure after a lightning strike over the weekend, the company's spokesman told Fastmarkets on Thursday June 10.The lightning strike on Saturday June 5 interrupted the power supply to the plant, and thus plant operations, market sources said."A lightning strike interrupted operations last Saturday. [But] we are back in operation and striving...Read More
Steel reinforcing bar prices in the United States increased again on Wednesday June 9, with another round of mill hikes expected soon.Fastmarkets' assessment for steel rebar, fob mill US was $44.50 per hundredweight ($890 per short ton) on Wednesday, up 1.14% from $44 per cwt the previous week.US marketThe increase follows recent mill hikes, rising shredded scrap prices in Chicago and Detroit...Read More
Commodities trading house Trafigura believes a slowdown in Chinese demand growth for metals will fail to dent rising prices, while also announcing record profits in the first half of 2021."What's perhaps most striking about the recovery in metals demand is that, for the first time in at least a decade, this is not just a China story," Trafigura's chief economist Saad Rahim said."If fact, if anythi...Read More
The European Commission (EC) plans to set a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) for imports of some goods, including steel and aluminium, to prevent the risk of carbon leakage, according to a draft of the EC's proposal seen by Fastmarkets on June 10.The mechanism will integrate into the EU's current system that it established for greenhouse gas emissions allowance trading via the application...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday June 10 that are worth another look.The European Commission (EC) plans to set a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) for imports of some goods, including steel and aluminium, to prevent the risk of carbon leakage, according to...Read More
The latest deals for containers of steel scrap imported into Bangladesh over the past seven days have shown small price increases from deals in the previous week, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday June 10.Overall scrap demand in the country remained low, particularly given the start of the monsoon season this month, but sources said that buyers in the container market have been forced to raise...Read More
After a one-month consultation period, Fastmarkets has amended the timing specifications for its assessment of Italian SHG (special high grade) zinc premiums.The frequency of the assessments, which are currently weekly, will move to a fortnightly basis after the next assessment date on June 15. The change is due to the Italian zinc market being largely centered around long-term contracts...Read More
Marex will not proceed with its plans to list its shares on the London Stock Exchange, the brokerage firm confirmed to Fastmarkets on Thursday June 10.Marex announced its intention to hold an initial public offering (IPO) on the LSE on May 14, when commodity prices were in a rally that had taken copper and iron ore prices to all-time highs just a few days...Read More
The emergence of an additional Wednesday deep-sea scrap purchase by a Turkish steel mill has helped to keep prices on a upward trend, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday June 10.The cargo from Canada was booked by a still mill in the Iskenderun region, comprising 9,500 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (95:5), 7,500 tonnes of rails and 12,000 tonnes of plate & structural (P&S) scrap at an average price of $...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
Mining companies will need to see higher copper prices before they fell any incentive to push forward with new projects, the chief financial officer of US producer Freeport-McMoRan has said.Higher prices will also be needed to attract more sources of copper scrap, Kathleen Quirk told Deutsche Bank's 12th annual global basic materials virtual conference on Thursday June 10."We believe we'll have to...Read More
After a one-month consultation period, Fastmarkets has amended the timing specifications for its assessment of Italian SHG (special high grade) zinc premiums.The frequency of the assessments, which are currently weekly, will move to a fortnightly basis after the next assessment date on June 15. The change is due to the Italian zinc market being largely centered around long-term contracts...Read More