The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.With nickel prices down by almost 20% over the space of around ten days during late February and early March, one might have been expecting us to be reporting sharply-lower prices of stainless steel, at least for the most common nickel-containing grades of stainless steel.This is not the case, at least in Europe and the Unite...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.We spoke in our previous tracker of stainless steel prices ending 2020 on a high. That trend has continued during early 2021 and, in fact, the upward rally in prices has increased its momentum.Compared with the monthly price increase of some 5% seen at the end of 2020, prices for grade-304 stainless steel in al...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Prices of stainless steel are generally set to reach highs for the year as 2020 comes to a close. For the most common nickel-containing grades of stainless steel, this upward trend is being driven above all by rising nickel prices, which themselves are hitting relatively high levels into the end of 2020.The price increases si...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.While much commentary has been written about Asian economies performing far better than those elsewhere this year during the global Covid-19 pandemic, it is stainless steel markets in Europe and the United States that are ending the year in better shape than their Asian counterparts.We do not talk of demand levels or demand g...Read More
Market sentiment in the European hot-rolled coil segment has remained bullish so far this week, with buyers struggling to secure volumes from both domestic and overseas suppliers, sources told Fastmarkets in Wednesday April 21. Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe at ?,?956.25 ($1,151.90) per tonne on Wednesday, up by ?,?2.50 per tonne fr...Read More
Prices for steel hollow sections in Europe moved higher on Wednesday April 21 because feedstock costs were continuing to climb, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?1,050-1,120 ($1,265-1,349) per tonne on April 21, up from ?,?950-1,050 per tonne on April 14."Prices have increased very quickly and aggressivel...Read More
Bipartisan legislation intended to increase transparency in aluminium pricing has been reintroduced into the United States House of Representatives, a move welcomed by the country's consumer trade associations.If it is eventually approved, the legislation would provide the US regulator, the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), with a clear mandate to conduct oversight of price reporting...Read More
American Zinc Products (AZP), a wholly owned subsidiary of American Zinc Recycling (AZR), has expanded its product range to include continuous-galvanizing-grade (CGG) zinc, the company said on Tuesday April 20.The company has completed two industrial-scale trials to produce CGG zinc, a zinc-aluminium alloy. The initial trial volume is seeing favorable market acceptance and cleared the way for...Read More
Tin premiums rose again in the week to Tuesday April 20 to new all-time highs in all regions as a result of the constrained supply situation that the tin market is facing globally, together with increased demand.Most premiums assessed by Fastmarkets in the United States, Europe and Taiwan were now around or above $1,000 per tonne, with deals in the US at more than $2,000 per tonne becoming common....Read More
Spot trading of zinc ingots in Taiwan was more active in the two weeks to Tuesday April 20, in contrast to other markets around the world where minimal activity kept premiums stable. Both London Metal Exchange zinc and lead spreads were in contango. LME's on-warrant lead stocks dropped by 5,125 tonnes from a week ago to 93,825 tonnes on Wednesday, while it was little changed in zinc. U...Read More
A summary of BHP's copper and nickel production review for the nine months to March 31, 2021, as released on Wednesday April 21.In brief Total BHP copper production decreased by 6% year on year because of the substantial reduction in operational workforce at the company's Chilean assets due to the continued effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The company expects the reduced workforce to...Read More
Galvalume prices in the United States rose to a record high for a fourth month in a row, with consumers struggling to find material amid an ongoing shortage."We are maintaining a disciplined approach to order entry with the goal of on-time delivery to better serve our customers," a Galvalume producer said. "The end markets for Galvalume remain strong. Galvalume buyers in general are somewhat more...Read More
Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States breached the $70-per-hundredweight ($1,400-per-short-ton) threshold on Wednesday April 21, even as some sources said mills were working through the supply backlog and some spot tonnages appeared on the market.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $70.53 per cwt ($1,410.60 per ton) on Wednesday, an increase of 1.15%...Read More
Sentiment in the European cold-rolled coil market has remained bullish due to material shortages at domestic mills and limited oversea alternatives, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday April 21.As a result of the tight supply, buyers have been ready to accept higher prices for CRC materials, but the number of deals has been nominal because mills were either holding back from offering in the spot...Read More
European steel H-beam prices were unchanged week on week on Wednesday April 21, with producers starting a new push for increases, sources have told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets assessed the weekly price for steel beams, domestic, delivered Northern Europe, at ?,?750-780 ($903-940) per tonne on Wednesday, unchanged week on week."Exports from the European mills are at a good level. There is currently no...Read More
Turkish deep-sea scrap import prices have rebounded once again with fresh bookings done following successful Turkish export rebar and billet sales, market participants said on Wednesday April 21. A steel mill in the Iskenderun region booked a European cargo, comprising 22,500 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) and 12,500 tonnes of a mixture of plate and structural (P&S) and HMS 1 at an average price of $42...Read More
Iron ore seaborne prices dipped on Wednesday April 21 due to limited trading activity, while prices at Chinese ports gained on better demand, sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $188.23 per tonne, down $1.38 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $188.67 per tonne, down $1.36 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $161.23 per tonne, down $3....Read More
Offer prices for ferrous scrap imports into China increased sharply on Wednesday April 21 amid bullish sentiment in the key supplier, Japan.The highest offers heard were at $520-530 per tonne cfr north China, equivalent to $510-520 per tonne cfr east China.Bid prices were heard at $495-500 per tonne cfr north China, equivalent to $485-490 per tonne cfr east China.Sentiment in the Japanese market h...Read More
The seaborne premium hard coking coal price in the cfr China was relatively flat and fell in the fob market on Wednesday April 21.The low offer level and combined sale of two cargoes in one deal attracted some buying interest in the fob market while buyers in the cfr market were cautious amid the high offers, market sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBC...Read More
Over July 2020 to March 2021, BHP's metallurgical coal production volume came to 29 million tonnes, down by 2% year on year, BHP's latest quarterly report on April 21 shows.BHP adjusted its production guidance for metallurgical coal in its 2021 financial year to 39-41 million tonnes, down from 40-44 million tonnes, as a result of significant wet weather during December 2020 and the first quarter o...Read More