Turkish steel producers continued to hold back from deep-sea scrap purchases with sentiment turning negative, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday January 14.Since a number of steel scrap cargoes were booked at the end of last week, mills have been quiet.The number of offers from suppliers in the United States and Russia, however, has increased, according to sources."Suppl...Read More
In 2020, the global pig iron market faced the threat of a demand slump due to the reduction in steel production from all major outlets under the pressure of the Covid-19 pandemic.In March, however, when the steel industries of Europe and the United States began to feel the effects of various national lockdowns, the Chinese market began to recover and soon resumed normal operating rates. Thus, Chin...Read More
Iron ore prices went up on Thursday January 14, sources told Fastmarkets, supported by a rebound in futures, with lump performing well at Chinese ports due to tight supplies. Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $172.36 per tonne, up $2.25 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $172.78 per tonne, up $1.88 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao:&...Read More
Despite edging down on Thursday January 14, seaborne coking coal prices are now gaining strength across the board after a bumpy few days in the fob market, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $113.89 per tonne, down $0.49 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $208.57 per tonne, down $0.38 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $9...Read More
The base metals on the London Metal Exchange and on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were mixed this morning, Thursday January 14, with prices generally holding up in high ground but some weakness is showing up on the charts in the likes of zinc. But reports that US President-elect Joe Biden is considering a fiscal relief package that could be as large as $2 trillion may well underpin further gains i...Read More
China's stainless steel prices continued to rise over the week ended Wednesday January 13 amid a positive outlook for end-user demand and a recovery of the nickel market. Nickel prices rose this week after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the closure of mining operations on Tumbagaan Island in Languyan, in the province of Tawi-Tawi. The three-month nickel contract on the London Metal E...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 assessed Cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb at 17.55-18.10 on Thursday...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 assessed Cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb at 17.65-18.20 on Thursday...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in London on Wednesday January 13.Key drivers Antimony prices increased sharply for both grades, continuing an uptrend, with some consumers securing cargoes of big volumes - in some cases one hundred tonnes or more - in expectation of further increases and more intense raw material tightness in China and shipping...Read More
The cobalt intermediates spot payable has surged to 90% on the high end - a fresh historical high - this week against the backdrop of tight supply and healthy demand. Fastmarkets' assessment for the cobalt hydroxide payable indicator, min 30% Co, cif China rose to 88-90% against the standard-grade cobalt metal price (low end) on Wednesday January 13, up by 2% from 86-88.5% on January 8. The l...Read More
South Africa's chrome and manganese producers are facing competition with each other to secure trucking capacity amid Covid-19-related logistical disruptions and an impending rail shutdown, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday January 14.Severe congestion at South Africa's Lebombo land border crossing in the past two weeks has led to delayed deliveries of chrome ore to the port of Maputo in Mozamb...Read More
Shipments of metals, ores and alloys from South Africa in the week to Thursday January 14 were still subject to delays and logistical disruptions caused by Covid-19-related restrictions.Chrome deliveries to the port of Maputo in Mozambique have been severely disrupted over the past two weeks amid queues as long as 25km at Lebombo, a major land border crossing. And the cobalt intermediates payable...Read More
The base metals on the London Metal Exchange were mainly weaker this morning, Friday January 15, while those on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were mainly firmer in line with the stronger Chinese fundamentals.* US President-elect Joe Biden proposed a $1.9 trillion rescue package* US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell said the central bank would not be raising rates anytime soonBase metalsThree-mon...Read More
Consumer Staples iShares (XLP) moved below $65.56 completing a double top pattern. Verisk Analytics (VRSK), a NASDAQ 100 stock moved below $191.06 completing a double top pattern.Blackberry (BB), a former TSX 60 stock moved above Cdn$12.54 and US$9.69 to a 28 month high extending an intermediate uptrend. Pre-opening Comments for Friday January 15thU.S. equity index futures were lower this mor...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday January 13 that are worth another look.Overseas buyers are opting to purchase Chinese cold-rolled coil and hot-dipped galvanized coil from smaller mills in China amid major exporters' high offers, sources told Fastmarkets in the past week.Canada-based miner Cornish Metals intends to float...Read More
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday January 13.Please click...Read More
Tin premiums in the United States continued their pronounced rise in the week to Tuesday January 12, with shortages of material in the region driving continued panic-buying, while the metal's soaring price and tight spreads on the London Metal Exchange limited the spot-market opportunities in Europe.Panic buying sees US market strengthenEuropean demand hits plateau despite short supplyLME price br...Read More
South Africa's bulk exports of manganese ore soared to more than 19 million tonnes in the first 11 months of 2020, according to early estimates seen by Fastmarkets. Shipping data showed the record volume shipped between January and November, compared with just over 18.3 million tonnes for the whole of 2019. The increase comes despite South African mines being closed between late...Read More
Prices of both Chinese imported charge chrome and UG2 chrome ore continued to rise in the week to Tuesday January 12, supported by a surging domestic spot ferro-chrome market. The city of Ulanqab, a major ferro-alloy production hub in China's autonomous region of Inner Mongolia, has ordered smelters to shut down their small furnaces. The expectation of resultant lower supply in the short term imme...Read More
The global zinc concentrates market is volatile and unpredictable at the best of times, but a global pandemic ramped up the turbulence by several notches in 2020.Spot zinc treatment charges (TCs) fell by more than 72% last year, the slide beginning after the Covid-19 pandemic forced major mines into government-mandated lockdowns.The nosedive in spot TCs - which are discounts to the exchange price...Read More