The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Global markets for coated steel continue to run at different speeds with regards to pricing at the start of the summer season in the northern hemisphere. In Asia, prices continue to rise although, as we note in our Asia analysis this month, much of this is merely cost inflation with steelmakers passing on higher substrate cos...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key ferro-alloy forecast highlights:Numerous ore and alloy markets enjoyed upward pricing momentum in the first half 2020, with supply-side constraints supporting prices despite collapsing demand from steelmakers and other key end users. While supply side issues related to Covid-19 lockdowns have been resolved,...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.In previous reports, we noted that upside risks to our forecasts existed. These were based on Chinese steel production, and in turn alloy consumption, outperforming our expectations.Chinese crude steel production is rising each month in a year-on-year comparison, prompting our revised view that Chinese alloy consumption will...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Heavy rains in China, which can negatively affect iron ore supplies and pig iron production, and bolster demand for scrap, continued in July 2020. Although this was more an upside risk to our bearish base case one month ago, Chinese scrap prices remained strong. The firm prices gained support from the rains and from a more g...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This year has come with several unexpected events which increased the bullish case for iron ore prices, while the Chinese government's spending on infrastructure is likely to boost iron ore demand and add upside support to prices. But supply disruptions and a demand surge which caused price spikes are now easing. We do not e...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' teamof analysts are ready to view.Chinese crude steel production outperformed our expectations with its recovery since the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. Crude steel output was up by 2.3% year-on-year in the first half of 2020 to 503 million tonnes, and we have revised upward what was initially a more bearish forecast for this year. We now estimate that product...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Prolonged flooding in China could limit the use of construction steel and drag down demand for steel rebar in the short term, which in turn could damp the demand for iron ore. So far, it has been reported that steel mills in the affected regions have continued to operate as normal. The floods have, however, caused a few days...Read More
The latest forecast from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.As we enter the summer season across the northern hemisphere, almost half a year has passed since the Covid-19 pandemic began to seriously affect Europe and the United States.One would not really be able to tell that such a dramatic event had occurred by looking at stainless steel prices, however, because they are more or less...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices are relatively stable this month, showing little change since our previous tracker. Such stability masks growing issues for stainless steelmakers, however, who are increasingly unable to pass on rising costs to consumers and are, thus, facing cuts to their margins.In general, this is due to an excess of...Read More
European stainless steel prices have remained stable over the past week due to the seasonal demand slowdown, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday August 7.Fastmarkets' assessment of the price for stainless steel cold-rolled sheet, 2mm, grade 304, transaction domestic, delivered North Europe, was ?,?1,900-1,950 ($2,254-2,314) per tonne on August 7, unchanged week on week.The assessment was...Read More
European domestic prices for stainless steel scrap have increased over the past week, supported by the higher cost of nickel, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday August 7.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for stainless steel scrap, 18/8 solids, domestic, delivered merchants UK, was ?850-880 ($1,118-1,157) per tonne on Friday, up by ?10 per tonne from ?840-870 per tonne on July 31.The assessme...Read More
Secondary aluminium scrap prices in the United States rose week on week amid a slight uptick in business and some pricing pressure from exports, although consumers were still being cautious. "We are buying what we need," one consumer said. "[We] don't want to build the scrap inventory."Fastmarkets assessed the aluminium scrap turnings clean dry high grade buying price, delivered to Midwest seconda...Read More
The three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange was the laggard at the close of trading on Friday August 7, with news of planned restarts at several of Chilean producer Codelco's operating facilities suppressing buying momentum.Meanwhile, lead futures declined by more than 2% but stayed above nearby support levels into the close.Copper's outright price on the LME closed at $6,308 per ton...Read More
Higher spot transaction volumes for copper concentrates were reported with Chinese smelters starting to procure for fourth quarter production and pressuring processing charges to a new low this week. Higher transaction volumes were reported in the spot market for copper concentrates with Chinese smelters starting to procure for fourth quarter production, pressuring processing charges to a ne...Read More
The return of Section 232 tariffs on imports of Canadian aluminium has made European market participants nervous of excess stock arriving from Canada, which could pressure premiums, Fastmarkets heard on Friday August 7.United States President Donald Trump announced on Thursday August 6 that the US will reintroduce Section 232 tariffs on imports of non-alloyed unwrought aluminium from Canada - set...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their latest price moves.Read More
Joshua Olmsted, currently senior vice president, will take the role of president and chief operating officer for the Americas region at Freeport-McMoRan on September 1 this year, when Harry Conger retires, the company said on Friday August 7. Working for Freeport for 28 years, Olmsted has been senior vice president for the North American copper division since late 2015. He previously took manageri...Read More
The world's largest copper producer, Codelco, has outlined plans to restart select operations across its production portfolio, detailing a resumption of operations at its Chuquicamata Subterr??nea underground mine, while plans to restart its El Teniente operations are set to be revealed in the coming weeks. Underground operations at its Chuquicamata mine will resume as early as next week, Codelco...Read More
US hot-rolled coil prices continue to hold steady just under $23 per hundredweight ($460 per ton) thanks to stronger-than-expected August scrap prices and despite fears of a potential fourth-quarter price drop.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $22.89 per hundredweight on Friday August 7, little changed from $22.90 per cwt on Wednesday and up by 1.6% from...Read More
The price of most flat-rolled steel products imported into South America rose during the week to Friday August 7 after mills around the world engaged in successive increases and clients rushed to close deals, market participants said.The demand recovery from the drought following restrictions to curb the Covid-19 spread since April as well as rising raw material and semi-finished steel costs suppo...Read More