Trading activity was subdued on Monday February 15 with markets in China closed for a week-long public holiday for Chinese New Year that started on February 11. Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $166.88 per tonne, unchanged 62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $167.25 per tonne, unchanged 58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $152.66 per tonne, unchanged 65% Fe Braz...Read More
Fob seaborne hard coking coal prices rebounded slightly on Monday February 15 on pockets of optimism, but most market participants held bearish views for the very short term caused by the Lunar New Year holiday. Fastmarkets indices Premium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $144.31 per tonne, up $2.30 per tonne Premium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $217.23 per tonne, unchanged Hard coking coal, fob DBC...Read More
Prices for seaborne iron ore concentrate and pellets rose in the week ended Thursday February 11, with the gains coming despite persistently soft demand due to the start of a weeklong holiday in China to mark the Chinese New Year.Fastmarkets iron ore indices66% Fe concentrate, cfr Qingdao: $184.47 per tonne, up $7.90 per tonne.65% Fe blast furnace pellet, cfr Qingdao: $214.57 per tonne, up $2.30 p...Read More
Tightening prompt supply in Europe as a result of large-volume end-user inquiries has continued to push manganese flake prices higher in an active spot market during the week to Friday February 12.Fastmarkets' price assessment for manganese, 99.7% electrolytic manganese flake, in-whs Rotterdam climbed to $2,750-2,850 per tonne on Friday February 12, up $150 from the midweek assessment of $2,600-2,...Read More
The Cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb trade 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...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...Read More
After a consultation period, Fastmarkets will amend the pricing holiday schedule for its cobalt hydroxide payable indicator with public holidays in China instead of those in England and Wales.The change is reflective of the fact that the price assessment tracks activity on a cif China basis. The detailed specifications for this assessment are listed below with amendments in italics:MB-CO-0021: Cob...Read More
With China still on holiday, base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange have been consolidating this morning, Tuesday February 16, even though broader markets remain upbeat.* Optimism remains high while the market focuses on vaccine-enabled and stimulus-driven recoveries* While complacency is a risk, the pent-up enthusiasm from a year of Covid-19 may last a long time* BHP raises its outlook,...Read More
Even with Chinese market participants on holiday, base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange have for the most part been bullish on Monday February 15, with the exception of zinc.* Major western pre-market equity index futures were stronger. * The dollar index was on a back foot while United States 10-year treasury yields were firmer, suggesting risk-on.Base metalsThe three-month zinc price w...Read More
Brazilian flat steel producer Usiminas estimates that, after recent price increases and including taxes, domestically produced flat steel is sold at a premium of around 10% compared with imported material - a level the company sees as the "ideal" difference between prices of imported and domestically made material."[Our price] in the domestic market is currently within Usiminas' target," commercia...Read More
Demand for steel in the European Union is expected to rebound by 13.3% year on year in 2021 after a 13% slump in 2020, the European steel association Eurofer said this week. Steel demand in the region had been on a negative trend through most of 2020, largely due to pressures resulting from Covid-19 pandemic-related restrictions across Europe, the association said. in its quarterly Econo...Read More
Aluminium billet premiums in the United States, Germany and Spain firmed near two-year highs on Friday February 12 as demand outpaced supply in those regions. Premiums in Asia and South America were steady.US billet premium jumps to March 2019 levelsEuropean premiums climb; third-quarter talks beginBrazilian billet premium steady despite higher dealsPremium flat in Thailand; freight costlyUnited S...Read More
The aluminium primary foundry alloy (PFA) premium in the United States climbed to an 18-month high on Friday February 12, while the premium in Eastern Europe also firmed on tight supply despite thin liquidity.United StatesFastmarkets assessed the aluminium primary foundry alloy silicon 7 ingot/T-bar premium, dlvd dup over P1020A Midwest at 9-11 cents per lb on Friday, up by 8.1% from 8.5-10 cents...Read More
An overview of the new energy materials markets and their price moves from the past week. Read More
An overview of the new energy materials markets and their price moves from the past week. Read More
Chile-based producer Mantos Copper has secured a total of $846.6 million to finance its Mantoverde project in the South American country into production.The finance package includes $275 million in equity from Mitsuibishi Materials, in return for a 30% shareholding in the project, which is scheduled to produce 110,000 tonnes per year of copper from 2023 to 2030.Read More
Copper concentrate treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) dropped further into Fastmarkets' record lows, with the market pricing spot cargoes at slimmer discounts to London Metal Exchange prices ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays. Fastmarkets' benchmark copper concentrates TC/RC index, cif Asia Pacific settled at $36.20 per tonne / 3.62 cents per lb on Friday February 12, down from $37 per...Read More
A summary of aluminium producer Hydro's fourth quarter 2020 results.Summary: Hydro's underlying Earnings before interest and taxes (Ebit) for the fourth quarter of 2020 was 1,449 million Norwegian krone ($170 million) up from 560 million Norwegian krone in the same quarter last year.The company said improved downstream margins and volumes, along with lower upstream raw materials co...Read More
An overview of the new energy materials markets and their price moves from the past week. Read More
An overview of the aerospace materials markets and their latest price moves.Ewa Manthey and Michael...Read More