European steel H-beam prices moved up again on Wednesday June 2, with producers achieving continuous price increases with little resistance from customers, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel beams, domestic, delivered Northern Europe was ?,?940-970 ($1,149-1,186) per tonne on Wednesday, up from ?,?900-920 per tonne one week earlier. Some mills have steppe...Read More
Technology entrepreneur Elon Musk once described the ongoing use of fossil fuels and their generation of a vast carbon footprint as "the dumbest experiment in human history."Not everyone will agree with his assessment of the petroleum, gas and coal sectors, which have powered the world's growth for decades. Nonetheless, the twin goals of supply chain security and sustainability are now driving a t...Read More
The three-month zinc price traded higher during the morning session on the London Metal Exchange on Wednesday June 2, while the rest of the base metals complex consolidated gains following a strong end to May.Zinc's three-month price rose as high as $3,098 per tonne in morning trading, up from Tuesday's closing price of $3,064 per tonne. The contract's reading of $3,060 per tonne at the close on M...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange were mixed this morning, Wednesday June 2 - zinc and tin prices were up on both exchanges and were looking robust, while the others have lost recent upward momentum. Brent crude oil is back above $70 per barrel, the highest it has been for two years. Tuesday's manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) data for...Read More
Key data from the pricing session in London on Wednesday June 2. Key drivers Market participants agree that demand is picking up in both Europe and Asia although this has yet to translate into a price increase and units...Read More
An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price moves.Ewa Manthey, Charlotte...Read More
An overview of the consumer electronics markets and their latest price moves.Dalila Ouerghi in London,...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 assessed Cobalt...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view. We also review our price forecasting accuracy for the second quarter 2020.Q2 2020 price forecast performance review According to the results of Fastmarkets' Apex for the second quarter of 2020 published this week, Fastmarkets' base metals research team was the second most accurate price forecaster for nickel (99.06%), lead...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
The chaos being experienced in the global container shipping industry is expected to continue for some time with a shortage of an estimated four million boxes creating havoc with congestion, routes and freight rates, according to an executive at logistics conglomerate DP World. Andrew Hoad told the Bureau of International Recycling's (BIR) annual convention that shipping and leasing companies opte...Read More
Turkish prices for flat steel products increased during May 2021, but the direction of price movements in June will depend on global price trends, especially in China, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday June 2.Market participants did not expect any price decreases, though. Steel prices in China did decrease from April until May 27, but they then started to rise again.Hot-rolled coil export pric...Read More
A large gap between bids and offers ensured that only limited business took place in the Japan steel scrap export market over the past week, sources said on Wednesday June 2.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel scrap H2, export, fob main port Japan, was ?46,000-48,000 ($420-438) per tonne on Wednesday, down from ?47,000-48,500 per tonne one week earlier.Japanese H2 was heard sold to a South K...Read More
Iron ore physical prices rose on Wednesday June 2, while low-grade fines increased on buying interest from Chinese steel mills, sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $209.19 per tonne, up $0.52 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $211.50 per tonne, up $0.46 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $182.30 per tonne, up $1.30 per tonne65% Fe B...Read More
The first proposed draft on scrap shipment regulation revisions in Europe will come out in a few weeks, with more restrictions on the free flow of secondary metal raw materials expected, panelists said at the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) Convention, which started on Monday May 31.The biggest point of uncertainty is whether the European Commission (EC) will stop the export of both unproc...Read More
Technology entrepreneur Elon Musk once described the ongoing use of fossil fuels and their generation of a vast carbon footprint as "the dumbest experiment in human history."Not everyone will agree with his assessment of the petroleum, gas and coal sectors, which have powered the world's growth for decades. Nonetheless, the twin goals of supply chain security and sustainability are now driving a t...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Asia, Europe and the United States over the week to Tuesday June 1.China Producers, under increasing cost pressure, looked to increase UG2 chrome ore prices after sentiment strengthened following higher-than-expected ferro-chrome tender prices but little liquidity has been realized yet.China's major stainless-steel mills set their ferro-chrome tender prices a...Read More
Brazil-headquartered Minera????o Vale Verde (MVV) completed construction of the Serrote copper-gold project in the northeastern Alagoas state ahead of schedule and expects its first concentrate shipment to be made in November, its parent company Appian Capital Advisory said on Tuesday June 1.The mining company will ramp up production during the second half of the year aiming to ship high-grade cop...Read More
Trafigura has purchased a sizeable amount of rival merchant Cliveden's copper trading book, increasing what was already said to be the world's biggest copper trading book by volume.The relevant parties have been in discussions for weeks on a deal, which was tabled after Zug-based Cliveden contacted trading houses for assistance in financing copper concentrate cargoes, multiple sources confirmed.So...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Tuesday June 1 that are worth another look.Technology entrepreneur Elon Musk once described the ongoing use of fossil fuels and their generation of a vast carbon footprint as "the dumbest experiment in human history."German carmaker Volkswagen will halt...Read More