The collapse of the iron ore market and market turbulence over Chinese property developer Evergrande Group are adding to the economic woes caused by the Delta variant of Covid-19 for much of this year.It is hard to find bright sparks in the months ahead for the ferrous supply chain, which has been buffeted repeatedly in a short span of few months, starting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's comment...Read More
European steel companies must scale up their decarbonization technologies within the coming decade or risk exhausting their allocated emissions allowances early, according to a report released on Tuesday September 14.The report, "Steeling for Net Zero," by climate researcher Industry Tracker, found that selected European steel companies have less than 26% of their carbon budget remaining and must...Read More
The latest data for the global manganese ore market for the week ended Monday November 1.Read More
Prices in the Commonwealth of Independent States' export long steel market continued to grow in the week to Monday November 1, mainly due to higher offers from Ukraine because the country still has most of its quota allocation available for the fourth quarter in Europe.Meanwhile, Russian suppliers have almost fulfilled up their rebar quota and their wire rod quota has been completely exhausted.&nb...Read More
Mining and metals companies say they're serious about transitioning to a sustainable economy, but whether they can afford to is another matter.Achieving decarbonization throughout the supply chain is going to require a huge amount of investment in technology to reimagine production processes and redesign existing sites.Last week, the International Aluminium Institute estimated that to decarbonize...Read More
Strengthening sentiment from limited supply sent the market for low-grade and high-grade manganese ore higher in the week to Friday October 29, despite weaker ore prices at ports and falling silico-manganese markets in China.Fastmarkets' manganese ore index 37% Mn, cif Tianjin was calculated at $4.83 per dry metric tonne unit (dmtu) on Friday, up 6 cents, or 1.3%, from $4.77 per dmtu a week earlie...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were little changed on the morning of Monday November 1 compared with their month-end figures from last Friday, with Chinese data pointing to a slowdown in its economy and a strong US Dollar index capping price moves. The official purchasing managers' index (PMI) readings from China over the weekend showed the manufacturing PMI fell to 49.2 in Octobe...Read More
Market participants in the European Union expressed uncertainty on how the flow of European-produced aluminium to the United States will be impacted by a deal to between the US and EU to replace Section 232 import tariffs with a tariff-rate quota (TRQ) system."The news is still fresh and it is not clear yet what it means for the market," one European trader told Fastmarkets."On the European side,...Read More
The three-month copper contract is trading near record highs on the London Metal Exchange, cash prices are rising even faster, and inventories are descending toward zero. Try running a hedge book in those conditions.It's been a very real quandary facing the physical trade and industry, which awoke on Tuesday October 19 to find copper's cash to November spread had flared to a backwardation of more...Read More
Some coated-steel coil producers in Turkey decreased their prices but demand was weak during the week ending Monday November 1, sources told Fastmarkets.Demand for coated coil was moderate to weak in the country because buyers wanted to see what direction prices would take, sources said.Domestic pricesFastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel HDG coil domestic, exw Turkey was $1,280-1,35...Read More
Japanese imports of aluminium rose by 24.9% in August from the prior month, according to data released by the Japan Aluminium Association. Japan imported 250,700 tonnes of aluminium in August, an increase of 50,000 tonnes from July and 104,000 tonnes more than that in August 2020. July's volume of 200,700 tonnes marked a nine-month low.Imports include unwrought and wrought aluminium and aluminium...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 2 points in pre-opening trade. Nutrien advanced $1.45 to US$73.00 after reporting higher than consensus third quarter revenues. The company also raised guidance.Mosaic dropped $1.13 to US$40.33 after reporting less than consensus third quarter revenues and earnings. Clorox added $9.50 to $172.90 after reporting higher...Read More
The carbon footprint of finished nickel produced at Vale's Long Harbour processing plant, in the Canadian eastern Newfoundland and Labrador province, has been certified to be significantly below the global average, the Brazilian company said on Monday November 1.This grants Vale an advantage in supplying North American and European markets with low-carbon nickel for the next generation of electric...Read More
Prices for seaborne iron ore concentrate and pellets fell in the week ended Friday October 29 amid a narrowing of margins among steelmakers in China, sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 66% Fe concentrate, cfr Qingdao: $137.48 per tonne, down $10.10 per tonne.65% Fe blast furnace pellet, cfr Qingdao: $182.04 per tonne, down $9.37 per tonne.Iron ore pellet premium over 65% Fe fines, cfr China...Read More
The Commonwealth of Independent States' export prices for hot-rolled coil increased during the week ended Monday November 1, but market activity was weak, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel hot-rolled coil, export, fob Black Sea, CIS was $870-880 per tonne on November 1, rising from $850-870 per tonne on October 25.Offers from Ukraine to Turkey were at $900-910...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil increased across the European Union during the week to Friday October 29, despite limited trading activity in the spot market.European steelmakers have been focused on settling long-term agreements with big buyers, such as the automotive and white goods sectors. As a result, they have not been active in the spot market.At the end of last week, ArcelorMittal anno...Read More
The CIS export slab market was quiet in the week to Monday November 1 because most mills were absent from the market.No fresh offers were heard from Russian suppliers in the Black Sea basin, while local sources reported that the country is on lockdown until November 7, reducing trading activity.In the Far East...Read More
Mining and metals companies say they're serious about transitioning to a sustainable economy, but whether they can afford to is another matter.Achieving decarbonization throughout the supply chain is going to require a huge amount of investment in technology to reimagine production processes and redesign existing sites.Last week, the International Aluminium Institute estimated that to decarbonize...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices dropped on Monday November 1 after the release of a lower steel industry purchasing managers' index.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,120-5,150 yuan ($799-804) per tonne, down by 100 yuan per tonneThe PMI for the steel industry was 38.3 points in October, down by 6.7 points from September, according to the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing's Steel Logistic...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Friday October 29 that are worth another look.Apparent steel consumption in the European Union continued to grow in the first half of 2021, but demand has probably reached its peak and the recovery is now slowing, the...Read More