The spot cobalt market was treading water on Thursday March 4 while market sources mulled whether falls in copper, nickel and Chinese cobalt futures prices could spill over to hit benchmark cobalt metal prices, sources told Fastmarkets Fastmarkets' benchmark price assessment for cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam stood at $24.75-25.65 per lb on Thursday, unchanged from the previous day b...Read More
Key data from the March 5 pricing session in London.Key drivers Slow inquiries lead sellers to adjust their price expectations during the second half of the week, and the ferro-molybdenum market consolidates around $28.50 per kg. Market sources...Read More
Plunging steel futures and physical prices in China kept buyers away from the import markets on Friday March 5, industry sources told Fastmarkets.Overnight price falls in rebar, hot-rolled coil and iron ore futures have dampened buying interest, with bids at $500-502 per tonne cfr China for imports of HRS101-grade heavy scrap (HS).Offers from sellers were at $510 per tonne cfr China. Key market pa...Read More
Spot prices in the key Vietnamese scrap import market increased in the week to Friday March 5, with key buyers setting eyes on bulk deep-sea HMS 1&2 (80:20) cargoes over Japanese H2 cargoes due to the thin premium the former is commanding. Two transactions for bulk HMS 1&2 (80:20) cargoes were concluded on Thursday at $474 per tonne and $477 per tonne cfr Vietnam. One cargo was from Australia, whi...Read More
Strong demand for containerized ferrous scrap into the key import market of Taiwan has continued to push prices higher, sources told Fastmarkets during the week to Friday March 5.Fastmarkets' daily price assessment for containerized steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20), United States material import, cfr main port Taiwan was $433-440 per tonne on Friday, unchanged from Thursday, but up by $8-10 per tonne...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Europe, Asia and the United States for the week ending Friday March 5. China High-grade seaborne ore prices rose after miners raised their offers for April shipment. Some buyers accepted the elevated offers, while others showed resistance given the current portside prices and persistently high port inventories. Low-grade prices continued upwards aft...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Europe, Asia and the United States for the week ending Friday March 5. United States Limited availability continued to provide the fuel for price gains this week. Mills are reportedly hard pressed to find uncommitted prompt material amid major domestic production cutbacks and slowed imports. Vessels continue to be difficult to obtain for US s...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday March 4 that are worth another look....Read More
Copper's price dipped to $8,907.50 per tonne while nickel sank by 7.4% at the 5pm close of trading on the London Metal Exchange on Thursday March 4, with sell-offs and corrections seen for a second day.Prices for other materials in the base-metals complex fell by an average of 1.9%."Base metals have backed off from their recent highs over the past week, with the market experiencing some very viole...Read More
Trafigura has confirmed it will hold a 19% stake in the Goro nickel mining and processing complex in the South Province of the French territory of New Caledoniia, 1,200km east of Australia.The announcement by the Swiss trading and mining company comes alongside reports that electric vehicle car maker Tesla will source material from the mine for use in its batteries.Trafigura is part of the Prony R...Read More
The chrome market was shocked in October 2020 when the South African government revealed plans to impose a chrome ore export tax, but the subsequent lack of news probably hides activity behind the scenes rather than indicating that the plan has been quietly dropped.There was uproar in the chrome market after Jackson Mthembu, South Africa's minister in the presidency, announced that the government...Read More
Trafigura has confirmed it will hold a 19% stake in the Goro nickel mining and processing complex in the South Province of the French territory of New Caledoniia, 1,200km east of Australia.The announcement by the Swiss trading and mining company comes alongside reports that electric vehicle car maker Tesla will source material from the mine for use in its batteries.Trafigura is part of the Prony R...Read More
Chinese nickel premiums widened upward in the week to Tuesday March 2, with a favorable import arbitrage and increased spot liquidity providing support, while terms in Europe and the United States were broadly flat.Nickel premiums rise in China, ore prices set another record highEuropean cut cathode premium rises 5%, others flatUS premiums unchanged as participants remain watchfulChina's refined m...Read More
The European ferro-titanium price dropped over the week to Wednesday March 3, with the range widening lower, which surprised industry sources because an acute shortage of scrap has been pushing up all titanium markets in recent months, sources said.The dip in ferro-titanium prices should be brief, however, given the upward pressure on prices from tight feedstock supplies, which is squeezing alloy...Read More
Trafigura has confirmed it will hold a 19% stake in the Goro nickel mining and processing complex in the South Province of the French territory of New Caledoniia, 1,200km east of Australia.The announcement by the Swiss trading and mining company comes alongside reports that electric vehicle car maker Tesla will source material from the mine for use in its batteries.Trafigura is part of the Prony R...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday March 4 that are worth another look....Read More
The European ferro-titanium price dropped over the week to Wednesday March 3, with the range widening lower, which surprised industry sources because an acute shortage of scrap has been pushing up all titanium markets in recent months, sources said.The dip in ferro-titanium prices should be brief, however, given the upward pressure on prices from tight feedstock supplies, which is squeezing alloy...Read More
The Turkish steel producers have resumed their deep-sea scrap purchases after a short break and have booked two cargoes at slightly higher prices, market sources said on Thursday March 4.A steel mill in the Marmara region booked a Canadian cargo, comprising 18,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (95:5), 18,000 tonnes of shredded and 7,000-8,000 tonnes of plate and structural (P&S), at an average price of $471 p...Read More
Trafigura has confirmed it will hold a 19% stake in the Goro nickel mining and processing complex in the South Province of the French territory of New Caledoniia, 1,200km east of Australia.The announcement by the Swiss trading and mining company comes alongside reports that electric vehicle car maker Tesla will source material from the mine for use in its batteries.Trafigura is part of the Prony R...Read More
A summary of results for the lithium division of Chilean producer Sociedad Quimica y Minera (SQM) for the fourth quarter of 2020, as shown in its quarterly update published on Wednesday March 3.In brief The company reported a historical record volume of lithium sales in the last quarter of 2020, with 25,000 tonnes of lithium sold during September-December, although profits were dented by steady av...Read More