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
U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 6 points in pre-opening trade.Investors are waiting for the June Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index to be released at 10:00 AM EDT. Consensus is an increase to 84.0 from 82.9 in May.Biogen added $4.74 to $419.45 after JP Morgan raised its target price from $269 to $435. Also, UBS upgraded the stock from Neutral to Buy.B...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Global welded pipe prices surged in May as strong demand and still-insufficient supply lifted flat steel prices.The biggest jumps were seen in China, which was hit by the unexpected announcement of the elimination of export rebates on welded pipes in April. Chinese seaborne prices reached $1,570 per tonne fob for longitudina...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
Some traders continue to look for alternative buyers for Indian steel billet cargoes outside of the Chinese market amid problems shipping from India to China, sources told Fastmarkets.High Covid-19 cases in India have threatened to choke the export business from India's east coast amid rising freight rates and cases of Indian vessel rejections at Chinese ports, sources said.Traders continued...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices slightly increased in the cfr market and stayed flat in the fob market on Thursday June 10, with market sources reporting active restocking for domestic coking coal due to a supply shortage, which boosted market sentiment for both domestic and imported coking coal.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $168.68 per tonne, up $0.18 per tonnePremium hard co...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
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
Australian coking coal export prices rose to their highest in nearly two years on June 9, having trended upward since May.Fastmarkets' index for premium hard coking coal, fob DBCT hit $168.50 per tonne that day.Market sources have attributed the gains to increased speculation and a wide spread between cfr China and fob Australia markets.Speculative cargoes swap boosts market sentimentMore speculat...Read More
Iron ore prices pushed up on Tuesday June 8, despite sintering restrictions being imposed on steelmakers in China's steelmaking hub Tangshan, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $209.50 per tonne, up $7.08 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $211.81 per tonne, up $7.63 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $182.87 per tonne...Read More
London Metal Exchange ring dealing members have a decision to make - whether to remain one or not.The LME has just announced it will reopen the open outcry trading floor, which was temporarily closed due to Covid-19, on September 6.Its plan, however, comes with a twist; some ring dealers say, a knife.The official prices - which the global trade and industry use as the global reference for physical...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
US Midwest aluminium premiums were likely to stay at elevated levels on continuing strength in physical demand and the continuation of trade tariffs, the chief financial officer of Alcoa has said.According to William Oplinger, the Midwest premium was currently 27 cents per lb, a situation that was likely to continue provided the current factors bullish remained in place."Assuming strong demand and...Read More
China's Ganfeng Lithium will set up a joint venture to invest in and construct a lithium project with an annual output 50,000 tonnes of lithium salts in Fengcheng city, Jiangxi province, it said on Wednesday June 9.Ganfeng signed an investment contract with the local government in Fengcheng on June 8 to build the lithium project. The investment will provide for building related infrastructure, pla...Read More
The 60-64.9% ferro-chrome market narrowed upward in the week to June 8, on high offer prices for Indian ferro-chrome to Europe.Fastmarkets' price assessment for ferro-chrome, high carbon, 6-8.5% C, basis 60-64.9% Cr, max 3% Si, cif Europe, narrowed upward by 5 cents (+2.4%) to $1.05-1.10 per lb Cr on June 8, from $1.00-1.10 per lb Cr one week earlier."There is a scarcity of material and the domest...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday June 9 that are worth another look.Export prices for Chinese cold-rolled coil and hot-dipped galvanized coil largely trended downward over the past week due to limited trading activity in the spot market.Two Chinese investors...Read More
China's domestic hot-rolled coil prices trended higher on Wednesday June 9 amid a rallying futures market sparked by concerns over the supply of raw materials.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,530-5,550 yuan ($865-868) per tonne, narrowing upward by 30-80 yuan per tonne.The most-traded HRC futures contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange reached an intraday high of 5,400 yuan per tonne on Wedne...Read More
The Cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lbtrade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets...Read More
Steel wire rod prices in the north of Europe were broadly stable at high levels during the week to Wednesday June 9, with more rises expected due to supply tightness, sources said.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh-quality), domestic, delivered Northern Europe was unchanged week on week at ?,?830-850 ($1,011-1,035) per tonne on Wednesday.Several bookings were reported in...Read More