Prices for CIS-origin billet changed little over the week ended Friday June 4 amid a lack of trading activity, with the number of deals limited by a mismatch between offers and bids.Fastmarkets' daily steel billet index, export, fob Black Sea, CIS, was $653 per tonne on June 4, unchanged day on day and back to the level seen on Monday after a midweek dip.Billet offers from mills and traders to Tur...Read More
Export prices for Brazil-origin steel slab rose in the week to Friday June 4 and touched $1,000 per tonne for the first time due to higher offers to the United States and overall expectations that the global uptrend will persist.Fastmarkets assessed the price for steel slab export, fob main port Brazil at a fresh all-time high of $980-1,000 per tonne on Friday, up by $10 per tonne from $970-990 pe...Read More
Fastmarkets' copper concentrate treatment charge and refining charge (TC/RC) index gained further upward momentum on Friday June 4 amid limited spot buying interest from Chinese smelters who are undergoing maintenance work. The index is now at its highest level since late February when it was at $35.80 per tonne / 3.58 cents per lb. This week, a few spot parcels of standard concentrate w...Read More
London Metal Exchange base metals prices recovered swiftly at the close of Friday June 4 after lighter-than-expected US employment data kicked down the dollar index, following a Thursday session where decreases averaged 2.5%. Copper's three-month price rebounded to $9,955 per tonne on Friday at the close, a 1.7% rise from Thursday's $9,788.50 per tonne 5pm price. At the same time on Thursday, the...Read More
An overview of the new energy materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Susan Zou, Yingchi Yang and...Read More
High aluminium premiums in Europe put an upper limit on any uptrend in the low-carbon aluminium differentials on Friday June 4.Fastmarkets assessed the aluminium low-carbon differential value-added product (VAP), Europe, at $10-15 per tonne Friday, flat compared with the previous assessment on May 7.Multiple market participants reported hearing long-term value-added product deals at $15 per tonne,...Read More
The export pig iron market from the Commonwealth of Independent States was calm during the week to Thursday June 3 amid an uncertain price trend.Fastmarkets assessed the price of high-manganese pig iron, export, fob main port Black Sea, CIS at $625-635 per tonne on Thursday, widening downward from $630-635 per tonne on June 2.The latest sales from CIS to the United States were reported at $665 per...Read More
Prices in Turkey for hot-dipped and pre-painted galvanized steel coil were forced downward during the week to Friday June 4 in order to remain competitive, sources have told Fastmarkets.Demand was strong to moderate in the export markets, but the prices offered by Vietnam to Europe were about $30-40 per tonne lower than offers from Turkish suppliers.As a result, Turkish coated coil producers decre...Read More
Hot-rolled coil prices in China's domestic market extended their gains on Friday June 4, as the futures prices saw another choppy trading session.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,580-5,630 yuan ($872-879) per tonne, up by 30 yuan per tonne.Northern China (Tangshan) weekly assessment: 5,520-5,580 yuan per tonne, up by 170-200 yuan per tonne.Friday's small increase in spot prices came with gains...Read More
Iron ore prices fell on Friday June 4 amid uncertainty about local government policies in China. As a result, most market participants held back from trading activity to wait for further developments.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $207.35 per tonne, down by $3.64 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $209.20 per tonne, down by $3.61 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grad...Read More
London Metal Exchange base metals prices recovered swiftly at the close of Friday June 4 after lighter-than-expected US employment data kicked down the dollar index, following a Thursday session where decreases averaged 2.5%. Copper's three-month price rebounded to $9,955 per tonne on Friday at the close, a 1.7% rise from Thursday's $9,788.50 per tonne 5pm price. At the same time on Thursday, the...Read More
The pig iron import market in the United States was firm during the week to Friday June 4 because buyers needed to accomplish further restocking.Fastmarkets' price assessment for pig iron, import, cfr Gulf of Mexico, US, was $665 per tonne on Friday, unchanged week on week.Sources had estimated the market level at $665 per tonne and one fresh booking of Russia-origin material was reported at this...Read More
Appetites for steel scrap exports were broadly subdued in the week to Friday June 4, with the exception of imports into India and Pakistan.Turkey cooled its importing activity amid softer demand for finished steel, adjusting offers downwardPrices for cargoes from the East and West Coasts of the US divergedVietnamese importers stayed out of the market amid price-trend confusionChinese appetites wer...Read More
Aluminium billet premiums diverged on Friday June 4, with those in Germany and Thailand rising to all-time highs while those in Brazil and the United States slipped.Germany premium touches $1,000 per tonne for first timeThailand premium jumps to all-time highUS premium dips from all-time high levelBrazil premium softens in quieter marketEuropeEuropean billet premiums hit fresh all-time highs on Ju...Read More
Export prices for Brazil-origin steel slab rose in the week to Friday June 4 and touched $1,000 per tonne for the first time due to higher offers to the United States and overall expectations that the global uptrend will persist.Fastmarkets assessed the price for steel slab export, fob main port Brazil at a fresh all-time high of $980-1,000 per tonne on Friday, up by $10 per tonne from $970-990 pe...Read More
China's customs authorities will no longer require imports of some hot-rolled and cold-rolled coil to undergo inspections from June 10, the General Administration of Customs said on Tuesday June 1.The products affected, under the 10-digit Harmonized System (HS) code, include:7208261000 Other high-strength HRC of a thickness of 3mm or more but less than 4.75mm 7208269000 Other HRC of a thickness...Read More
Member mills of China's Iron & Steel Association (Cisa) reduced their output rates of crude steel and hot metal in late May compared to the preceding 10 days, data from the association late on Thursday June 3 shows.May 21-31 output - (change from the 10-day period ended on May 20)Crude steel: 2.29 million tonnes per day, down by 3.92%Finished steel: 2.30 million...Read More
Domestic prices for steel rebar in Poland increased again in the week to Friday June 4, pushed by limited supply and good demand, Fastmarkets has heard.Buying activity in Poland's rebar market has remained quite strong, despite a surge in prices, with customers being more concerned about securing volumes."Demand from the construction sector is strong, but in fact the prices are largely being drive...Read More
Fastmarkets' copper concentrate treatment charge and refining charge (TC/RC) index gained further upward momentum on Friday June 4 amid limited spot buying interest from Chinese smelters who are undergoing maintenance work. The index is now at its highest level since late February when it was at $35.80 per tonne / 3.58 cents per lb. This week, a few spot parcels of standard concentrate w...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing sessions in China, Europe and the United States on Friday June 4. China Seaborne low- and high-grade manganese ore markets jumped as much as 12.31% after miners raised offers for July shipment amid protracted high freight rates and a strengthening South African rand. Sentiment was boosted by news that Ningxia province, China's second largest silico-ma...Read More