The prices of high- and low-carbon ferro-chrome in Europe rose on January 5 due to tight supply and stronger sentiment seeping into the European market from China. Fastmarkets' assessment of ferro-chrome high carbon 6-8.5% C, basis 65-70% Cr, max 1.5% Si, delivered Europe rose 2 cents (or 2.1%) to $0.92-1.07 per lb Cr from $0.90-$1.05 per lb Cr on December 29.Correspondingly, ferro-chrome high car...Read More
Copper and nickel hit multi-month and multi-week highs respectively on the London Metal Exchange on Wednesday January 6, spurred by factors such as export delays in Peru, positive sentiment about electric vehicles and a weak US dollar. Three-month copper peaked at $8,169 per tonne, its highest since February 19, 2013, when it topped out at $8,153.50 per tonne. "Copper is the star base metal going...Read More
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday January 6.Please click...Read More
Key information from the pricing session for Fastmarkets' alumina index, fob Australia on Wednesday January 6. Fastmarkets' alumina index, fob Australia is at its highest level since July 11, 2019 when it hit $309.17 per tonne and has surpassed the 2020 high of $305.46 per tonne reached on March 6. Key drivers A fresh deal concluded today for 30,000 tonnes at $306 per tonne fob Australia, fo...Read More
Copper premiums surged in Shanghai after import gains over the past week, but remain stable in the United States and Europe. Arbitrage opportunities prompt higher Shanghai premiumsRotterdam market holds on steady supplies, LME price risesUS market remains stableBonded Shanghai copper premiums soar on arb opportunities Fastmarkets' Shanghai copper premium hit a four-month high ...Read More
Zinc and lead premiums were stable across the United States, Europe and Asia in the first week of 2021 despite Korean zinc smelter Young Poong's closure due to environmental reasons and the tightening of US lead supply.Spot premiums for lead and zinc ingots remained stable in the United StatesLead ingots supply tightening in the USEuropean premiums stable with market still quiet due to January 6 p...Read More
Copper rose to a near eight-year high during morning trading on the London Metal Exchange on Wednesday January 6 on news about an output delay from the Las Bambas mine in Peru and anticipation over the results of the Georgia run-off senate elections. Copper's three-month price climbed to $8,130 per tonne at 9am on Wednesday, a 1.6% increase from its Tuesday 5pm closing price of $8,002 per tonne. T...Read More
Domestic prices for heavy steel plate in Europe were unchanged over the week to Wednesday January 6 due to the seasonal slowdown in market activity, sources have told Fastmarkets.Neither producers nor buyers have returned to the market from the Christmas and New Year holidays in the region.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel domestic plate, 8-40mm, exw Southern Europe, was ?,?600-620 ($...Read More
The price of steel H-beams in Europe has already gone up this week, ahead of mills returning to the market after the New Year holiday break, with further large increases expected, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday January 6.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel beams, domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?700-720 ($859-884) per tonne on Wednesday, up from ?,?655-680 per tonne in...Read More
Domestic transaction prices for hot-rolled coil have been fairly stable across Europe in the week to Wednesday January 6, with most producers and buyers still out of the market after the holiday period in the region, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe at ?,?666.67 ($818.50) per tonne on Wednesday January 6, up b...Read More
The United States has announced further sanctions on producers of Iranian steel and other metal products alongside foreign-based sales agents of an Iranian metals and mining holding company, but export steel billet and slab prices still rose this week with Iranian sources saying steel trade will be able to continue. US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Tuesday...Read More
Turkish steelmakers are now paying increased prices for deep-sea ferrous scrap cargos from the United States while the ongoing global fight to secure material continues to push deals higher.Export prices for an 80:20 mix of No1 and No2 heavy melting scrap and for shredded scrap have now risen by up to $22 per tonne and $25 per tonne respectively on a cfr basis since the last-reported sale made on...Read More
Turkish steel producers have resumed their deep-sea scrap purchasing for February-shipment cargoes at strengthening prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday January 6.A steel mill in the Marmara region booked a US cargo, comprising 25,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $478 per tonne and 10,000 tonnes of shredded at $488 per tonne cfr.Another steel mill in the Izmir region booked a European car...Read More
Fastmarkets has corrected its daily Turkish steel scrap indices, which were published incorrectly on Wednesday January 6 due to a technical error.Fastmarkets' daily index for steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), North Europe origin, cfr Turkey should have been $475.14 per tonne, instead of $464.17 per tonne as previously published.Fastmarkets' daily index for steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix...Read More
Iron ore registered increases across the board on active seaborne trading on Wednesday January 6, with lump prices surging due to tight supplies, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $168.72 per tonne, up $0.86 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $168.75 per tonne, up $0.75 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao:&nbs...Read More
Low-volatility pulverized coal injection (PCI) fob and cfr indices rose on Wednesday January 6, which sources attributed to tight supply. Fastmarkets indices Premium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $103.92 per tonne, up $0.18 per tonne Premium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $207.44 per tonne, unchanged Hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $93.47 per tonne, down $0.42 per tonne Hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang:...Read More
The cfr premium hard coking coal price jumped again on Tuesday January 5 after two transactions were sealed at higher prices.The fob market, meanwhile, remained relatively quiet, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $103.74 per tonne, up $0.25 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $207.44 per tonne, up $4.27 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT:...Read More
Fastmarkets is proposing to launch a new daily China ferrous scrap import price assessment to enhance its growing editorial coverage of the Asian market for the steelmaking raw material.The new assessment will be for heavy scrap classified under the Chinese standard HRS101. HRS101 is a grade of cut structural and plate scrap which - outside of China - fits under the category of plate and structura...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices softened on Wednesday January 6 amid lower trading activity due to forecast adverse weather.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 4,490-4,520 yuan ($696-700) per tonne, down by 10-20 yuan per tonneA cold wave has been forecast for central and eastern China between late on Wednesday and Friday, which resulted in a drop in construction activity and demand for rebar. A cold...Read More
Markets seem to be anticipating a Democratic win in the Georgia Senate run-off this morning, Wednesday January 6, and that could be bullish for commodities because a Democratic-controlled US Congress could push through larger fiscal stimulus packages.A Democratic-controlled Congress could, however, cause some headwind for some sectors of the equity markets, although those involved in the rollout o...Read More