German automaker Audi has gained recognition for its sustainable and responsible sourcing of aluminium by attaining the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) "Chain of Custody Standard" (CoC). The certification applies to Audi's press-shop operations at two auto body plants in Germany - at Neckarsulm and Ingolstadt. The two plants produce automotive body parts&n...Read More
A summary of Antofagasta's production results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2020, as stated in its quarterly production report published on Wednesday January 20.Chilean copper miner Antofagasta's copper production dropped by 4.7% to 733,900 tonnes in 2020 from a year earlier, due mainly to lower grades at the Centinela mine in...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange were once again mixed this morning, Wednesday January 20, but the likelihood of plentiful US fiscal stimulus in the days ahead is likely to underpin markets at least for a while, although any new measures to tackle Covid-19 may well become a headwind. US Dollar Index heads lower again Market full of expectations as Joe B...Read More
The price of standard-grade cobalt has hit a fresh high, reaching numbers not seen in nearly two years after non-Chinese consumers stepped into the market in the week to Wednesday January 20, with enough strength to help a two-week price rally continue after buying interest from China dipped.Trading volumes were now at "normal" levels, according to one trader, after two weeks of furious activity w...Read More
Lithium carbonate has been produced for the first time in Cornwall in southwest England, the Li4UK consortium said this week.Following an 18-month project, Li4UK confirmed that the purity of the lithium carbonate produced at Cornish Lithium's Trelavour project Cornwall is "near battery grade," the consortium said on Monday January 18."Li4UK (Securing a Domestic L...Read More
Key data from the Wednesday January 20 pricing session in Shanghai.Key drivers The price range for spot domestic Chinese cobalt metal widened downwards in the first half of this week, after local futures prices plunged on Monday. Spot demand was stable, with consumers continuing to restock ahead of...Read More
Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States dipped despite buyers still struggling to find spot tons at competitive prices. Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $56.08 per hundredweight ($1,121.60 per short ton) on Wednesday January 20, down by 1.37% from $56.86 per cwt the previous day but 3.12% higher than $54.38 per cwt a week ago. Inputs were collected...Read More
Activity in the European market for hot-rolled coil was slow over the week to Wednesday January 20 with buyers holding back from making deals, sources have told Fastmarkets.Buyers have been cautious about deals due to long lead times and high transaction prices, and risks related to an expected price decrease, market sources said."Buyers are cautious due to the very high prices reached," an Italia...Read More
Producers across Europe have continued to increase their domestic offer prices for heavy steel plate despite the slow recovery of demand, market sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday January 20.Buying activity has started to recover since the year-end holidays across Europe. Market sources, however, questioned whether demand would become strong enough to support the price rise sought by producers....Read More
Crude steel output in Italy declined by 12.2% year-on-year in 2020, despite a double-digit increase in December, Italian steel association Federacciai said on Wednesday January 20.The country's total crude steel production amounted to 20.35 million tonnes in 2020, down from from about 23.19 million tonnes in 2019.Long steel output declined by 9.5%, to 11.16 million tonnes, down from 12.33 million...Read More
The domestic price for steel mesh-quality wire rod in Southern Europe was generally stable in a week to Wednesday, with buying activity reported to have slowed because of an unclear trend in the scrap market, sources told Fastmarkets on January 20....Read More
Prices for domestic steel mesh-quality wire rod in the north of Europe were largely flat in the week to Wednesday January 20, supported by tight availability, sources have told Fastmarkets.But market sentiment was unclear, they added, with buyers believing that prices have reached a ceiling.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh-quality), domestic, delivered Northern Europe,...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday January 20 that are worth another look.Brazil-based miner Vale said its sales have not been affected by a fire that impacted one of its piers at the Ponta do Madeira port...Read More
Brazil-based miner Vale said its sales have not been affected by a fire that impacted one of its piers at the Ponta do Madeira port terminal last week, in the country's northern Maranh??o state.The terminal caught fire on Thursday January 14, but the accident was contained with no victims or environmental damage, according to the miner. The company is investigating the causes of the incident, it a...Read More
Falling Turkish deep-sea scrap import prices have continued with the latest Baltic Sea transaction heard on Wednesday January 20.A steel mill in the Marmara region booked the Baltic Sea cargo, comprising HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $440 per tonne, shredded at $445 per tonne and bonus at $450 per tonne cfr. The cargo composition was not clear.The previous deep-sea deal, which was from the United...Read More
Iranian export prices for steel billet and slab softened in the week to Wednesday January 20 amid challenging market conditions, Fastmarkets has heard.Lower scrap costs globally, increased competition in the semi-finished steel market and lower prices for finished steel in customers' markets have forced Iranian suppliers to reduce their offer and deal prices for both billet and slab.One cargo of 3...Read More
Fastmarkets' Ferrous Analytics report helps subscribers keep track of hot metal costs and steel production spreads in China, along with key pricing components of the steelmaking raw materials supply chain in Asia. Read More
An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price moves.Charlotte Radford, Cristina Belda...Read More
Turkey's vehicle output totaled 1,297,854 units in 2020, down by 11.18% from 1,461,244 vehicles the previous year, the Turkish Automotive Manufacturers Association (OSD) has revealed.Automotive exports decreased by 26.83% to 916,543 vehicles in 2020, compared with the 1,252,586 vehicles exported in 2019, according to figures published by the association in the week beginning Monday January 18.The...Read More
Brazil-based miner Vale said its sales have not been affected by a fire that impacted one of its piers at the Ponta do Madeira port terminal last week, in the country's northern Maranh??o state.The terminal caught fire on Thursday January 14, but the accident was contained with no victims or environmental damage, according to the miner. The company is investigating the causes of the incident, it a...Read More