Copper's price is trading at all-time highs - and now the countries where it is mined the most want a piece of the action.The London Metal Exchange's three-month copper contract recently hit an all-time high of $10,747 per tonne - industrial commodities have broadly rallied on the expectation that government investments in green energy schemes and infrastructure projects after the Covid-19 pandemi...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday May 27 that are worth another look.Energy majors Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil and Chevron received landmark rebukes - in court or from investors - on Wednesday May 26 in attempts to force the companies into...Read More
Four key takeaways from the 6th China International LiCoNi Summit in Changsha, China, on May 20-21, 2021.1. Weak nickel market sentiment now but long-term positive Sentiment remained weak among domestic market participants at the conference because they think both the mild hawkish stance evident in the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) minutes and the statement from China's State Council that...Read More
Rio Tinto is partnering with Swedish research and development firm Comptech AB to bring a new generation of aluminium alloys to the market for use in advanced technologies, such as electric vehicles (EV) and 5G antennas, the UK-listed mining company said.The company said the products are currently undergoing qualification with automakers in Europe, who are stepping up efforts to increase their sha...Read More
Turkish steel producers again stepped away from the deep-sea scrap market after a downturn in steel billet and finished steel prices, triggered by falling prices in China, market participants told Fastmarkets on Thursday May 27.Mills had only just returned to the market on Wednesday, when a Turkish steelmaker booked f 44,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (95:5) from the United States at $515 per tonne cfr.Tha...Read More
Import prices for steel scrap in China weakened further on Thursday May 27 amid a continued lack of buying interest, sources told Fastmarkets.The continued price drop came despite the most-traded rebar and hot-rolled coil futures contracts on the Shanghai Futures Exchange inching up on May 27 after more than a week of consecutive losses.Fastmarkets' daily price assessment for steel scrap...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange were mixed during the morning of Thursday May 27, as were broader markets - are these pauses, or early signs of a stall?More US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) members seem to be getting off the fence about talking about tapering Chinese yuan continues to strengthen, is China using the yuan to reduce inflationary pr...Read More
Four key takeaways from the 6th China International LiCoNi Summit in Changsha, China, on May 20-21, 2021.1. Weak nickel market sentiment now but long-term positive Sentiment remained weak among domestic market participants at the conference because they think both the mild hawkish stance evident in the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) minutes and the statement from China's State Council that...Read More
Battery manufacturers in China have aggressively cut their orders for lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) cathode materials in the second quarter, with the move weighing on lithium and cobalt prices, market sources told Fastmarkets.LCO batteries are widely used in consumer electronics, including smart phones, laptops, and tablets among others.A leading electronics battery manufacturer in China will cut its...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday May 27 that are worth another look.Energy majors Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil and Chevron received landmark rebukes - in court or from investors - on Wednesday May 26 in attempts to force the companies into...Read More
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday May 26. Please click...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday May 26 that are worth another look.The Brazilian branch of Luxembourg-based steelmaker ArcelorMittal has scheduled the restart of primary steel production at its Barra Mansa site for the second half of 2021,...Read More
Robust demand continued to support the high- and low-carbon ferro-chrome markets in Europe in the week ended Tuesday May 25.Fastmarkets' price assessment for ferro-chrome, high carbon, 6-8.5% C, basis 65-70% Cr, max 1.5% Si, delivered Europe, narrowed upward by 3 cents (+1.1%) to $1.23-1.50 per lb Cr on Tuesday, from $1.20-1.50 per lb Cr a week earlier.The market was supported by strength in the s...Read More
The Kamoa Kakula copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the latest greenfield copper project to come online, having started concentrate production on Tuesday May 25. Jointly owned by Zijin Mining and Ivanhoe Mines, the copper mine began concentrate production ahead of schedule when the first batch of copper ore containing 5-6% copper content was conveyed from the underground mine...Read More
Chinese market participants showed more buying interest in seaborne alumina cargoes this week, with a stronger yuan giving them more purchasing power in overseas markets, several sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday May 26. "We heard [the Chinese] have interest in [buying seaborne] alumina although we didn't hear too many offers at the index basis [in the market]," one alumina trader said. Severa...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday May 26 that are worth another look.The Brazilian branch of Luxembourg-based steelmaker ArcelorMittal has scheduled the restart of primary steel production at its Barra Mansa site for the second half of 2021,...Read More
Bill Gates has a theory about green premiums: He wants to eliminate them entirely. The American business magnate and philanthropist calls green premiums the additional cost of choosing a clean technology over one that emits a greater amount of greenhouse gases.In other words, the price that metals and mining companies are starting to charge their customers for producing low-carbon produc...Read More
Turkish steel producers resumed their deep-sea scrap bookings when buying a US-origin cargo at a lower price than in other recent deals, market participants told Fastmarkets on Wednesday May 26.A Turkish steelmaker booked the US cargo, consisting of 44,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (95:5) at $515 per tonne cfr.The most recent deep-sea transactions were done at the end of last week.A steel mill in the Iske...Read More
The UK government has announced ?166 million funding to drive forward development of green technology and development as part of its Green Industrial Revolution, with UK steelmakers set to receive cash.The funding package will benefit energy-intensive businesses such as steelmaking and manufacturing and falls under the UK Prime Minister's 10 Point Plan for a green revolution, which includes remov...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday May 26 that are worth another look.The Brazilian branch of Luxembourg-based steelmaker ArcelorMittal has scheduled the restart of primary steel production at its Barra Mansa site for the second half of 2021,...Read More