Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in Northern Europe were largely stable day on day on Monday March 15, supported by a shortage of material in the region, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, at ?,?791.25 ($945.39) per tonne on Monday March 15, down by just ?,?1.75 per tonne from ?,?793.00 per tonne on Friday March...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday March 15 that are worth another look.Brazilian slab and hot-rolled coil producer ArcelorMittal Tubar??o expects to resume operations at its hot-strip mill this week, after the equipment was put under maintenance on Monday March 8.The Aluminium Stewardship...Read More
When considering the prospects for the new Shanghai International Energy Exchange (INE) copper contract, a senior executive at one of the world's largest metals trading companies quoted Hamlet's soliloquy in the Shakespearian play of the same name."In terms of promotion of the internationalization of the renminbi and weakening of the pricing power of the [London Metal Exchange] and CME: 'To be or...Read More
A key topic reverberating around the Asian steel market over the past month has been the possibility of China reducing steel export rebates to 9% from the current 13%, or possibly axing them altogether.Market chatter on this topic has grown increasingly louder, with industry sources in China hearing more and more details about these plans from late January onward."This is likely in line with China...Read More
A shortage of containers to ship commodities around the world and the consequent soaring in associated freight rates have led to a revival of interest in breakbulk cargoes. Producers and physical traders of metals, agricultural, chemical and timber products have been starting to book shipments in breakbulk vessels, which cost far less and doesn't require vast amounts of equipment in port. On the m...Read More
Aluminium futures closed at a price of $2,218 per tonne on the London Metal Exchange on Monday March 15, showing almost double the volumes traded in copper, and with improved demand and tight availability of the light metal edging its price upward.The price of aluminium reached $2,235 per tonne during Monday, just $8 per tonne below its 2021 year-to-date high set on February 25, and finished at 5p...Read More
When considering the prospects for the new Shanghai International Energy Exchange (INE) copper contract, a senior executive at one of the world's largest metals trading companies quoted Hamlet's soliloquy in the Shakespearian play of the same name."In terms of promotion of the internationalization of the renminbi and weakening of the pricing power of the [London Metal Exchange] and CME: 'To be or...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices were lower across the board on Monday March 15 due to weak trading sentiment after a heavy sandstorm in Beijing added to concerns about the impact of emissions restrictions in Tangshan on iron ore demand. Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $163.33 per tonne, down $2.11 per tonne 62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $163.61 per tonne, down $1.92 per t...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view. This month's key North American steel forecast highlights: US hot-rolled coil prices continued to move in line with our forecasts in February, although actual prices again modestly exceeded our forecasts. Domestic HRC prices averaged $1,194 per ton in February, exceeding our forecast price of $1,150 per ton for the month. U...Read More
The conclusion of various holiday seasons, the end of winter, the progress of Covid-19 vaccination programs, and the will to return to more normal ways of life were all strong positives for the global long steel products market, the International Rebar Producers & Exporters Association (Irepas) said last week.The current situation and sentiment were generally very good in the world's long steel ma...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.United StatesDomestic prices for hot-rolled coil (HRC) in the United States averaged $1,316 per tonne in February 2021, and Fastmarkets' research team expects prices to maintain that momentum through March and April.Flat steel product prices in the country continue to be supported by exceedingly tight supply, reflecting prod...Read More
The strength of the economic recovery in China in 2020 defied the expectations of most market observers. According to estimates by Fastmarkets, apparent consumption in the country rose by 9% in 2020 compared with a 12% fall in the rest of the world.Crucially, this increase in supply was a response to a boom in steel demand in the East Asian nation. In the first quarter of 2020, demand (or real con...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key ferro-alloy forecast highlights:?EUR?In a strong start to the year, January saw ore and alloy pricing gains across all markets priced by Fastmarkets - with the exception of Chinese silicon metal export prices, which retreated slightly last month after posting impressive gains in December 2020.The combination...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
Domestic prices for steel hot-rolled coil substantially increased across Europe over the week to Friday March 12, driven by a material shortage and strong demand.In addition, most European steelmakers have been delaying their order deliveries, market sources said.Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, at ?,?793.00 ($947.48) per tonne on March 1...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view. This month's key North American steel forecast highlights: US hot-rolled coil prices continued to move in line with our forecasts in February, although actual prices again modestly exceeded our forecasts. Domestic HRC prices averaged $1,194 per ton in February, exceeding our forecast price of $1,150 per ton for the month. U...Read More
The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) has certified primary aluminium smelter Albras under its Performance and Chain of Custody (CoC) standards, the organization announced on Monday March 15.Albras, located at Barcarena in northern Brazil, has capacity for production of 460,000 tonnes per year of aluminium. The smelter is owned 51% by Norsk Hydro and 49% by Nippon Amazon Aluminium Co (NAACO)....Read More
Glencore has undergone a major restructuring of its leadership teams, with a number of senior departures and new roles for existing department heads.Kenny Ives, Tor Peterson and Nico Paraskevas will leave the company in the coming months, stepping down from their roles as head of nickel, head of coal and head of copper marketing respectively. The trio will stay on for a few months...Read More