The three-month price of lead on the London Metal Exchange was the standout performer at the close of trading on Monday July 20, with the metal topping gains over the afternoon despite thin turnover, while a steady uptick in copper futures saw the price push higher over the afternoon.Lead's outright price on the LME closed at $1,840.50 per tonne on Monday afternoon, climbing from an intraday low o...Read More
Japan's Sumitomo Corp has suffered impairment losses of 55 billion yen ($513,705,000) from its investment in Madagascar's Ambatovy nickel and cobalt mine in its first financial quarter of 2020, the company said on Monday July 20.The conglomerate, which owns a majority 47.7% stake in the asset, now values Ambatovy at less than its carrying cost, and has subsequently written off a signific...Read More
Pan American Silver has suspended operations at its Huaron and Moracocha mines in Peru after several workers tested positive for Covid-19 there, the company said on July 20."Reduced workforces will conduct care and maintenance activities at Huaron and Morococha until it is determined that normal operations can safely resume," it said.The mines, which produce...Read More
Chinese-Australian miner MMG has issued a profit warning for the first half of this year due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, the company said on Monday July 20.The copper and zinc miner expects a net loss of US$158 million for the first six months of 2020, compared to a net loss of US$81 million over the same period last year, a regulatory filing to Hong Kong bourse...Read More
The latest data for the global manganese ore market for the week ended July 20, 2020.Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday July 20 that are worth another look.Steel products output in Ukraine reduced by 4.6% year on year in January-June 2020 to 9.03 million tonnes, according to a report published by national steel union Ukrmetallurgprom on Thursday July 16.Brazilian copper and brass products manufacturer Termomecanica is set to take its internationaliza...Read More
The cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparency into the markets it covers and the pricing process it...Read More
Markets were mixed across the board this morning, Monday July 20, with traders focused on the prospects for a recovery fund from the European Union, while the weak Japanese export data highlights the economic damage that Covid-19 has dealt.Japan's exports dropped by 26.2% year on year in June......auto exports to the United States were particularly hard hit.Base metals Three-month base metals pric...Read More
Cobalt metal is trading at the time of publication in mid-July at prices around an 11-month low since breaking through a price floor just above $15 per lb that had been set in December 2019.The Covid-19 pandemic has badly affected global industry including the production of cobalt-containing products, and has clouded the outlook for future consumption, outweighing the effects of the supply disrupt...Read More
The cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparency into the markets it covers and the pricing process it...Read More
The cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparency into the markets it covers and the pricing process it...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday July 20 that are worth another look.Steel products output in Ukraine reduced by 4.6% year on year in January-June 2020 to 9.03 million tonnes, according to a report published by national steel union Ukrmetallurgprom on Thursday July 16.Brazilian copper and brass products manufacturer Termomecanica is set to take its internationaliza...Read More
Domestic prices for steel hot-rolled coil moved up in Northern Europe in the week ended Friday July 17, supported by the continuing lack of competitive import offers.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, rose to ?,?407.53 ($465.65) per tonne on Friday, up by ?,?3.53 per tonne week on week, and up by ?,?17.53 per tonne month on month.Friday's index was based...Read More
Fastmarkets MB invited feedback from the industry in an open consultation process between June 19 and July 20 on the pricing methodology for its Northern Europe hot-rolled coil index as part of our annual methodology review process. Fastmarkets is gracious for all who took the time to respond to the consultation. Based on...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday July 20 that are worth another look.Steel products output in Ukraine reduced by 4.6% year on year in January-June 2020 to 9.03 million tonnes, according to a report published by national steel union Ukrmetallurgprom on Thursday July 16.Brazilian copper and brass products manufacturer Termomecanica is set to take its internationaliza...Read More
Declining raw material costs and continued weak demand have worked in tandem to cause cold-heading quality (CHQ) and high carbon wire rod prices to drop, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets' assessment for steel wire rod cold-heading quality, ddp settled at $36.50 per hundredweight ($730 per short ton) on Friday July 17, down 5.2% from $38.50 per cwt last month.The cost of steel scrap No1 bushel...Read More
Special bar quality (SBQ) steel prices in the United States have dropped due to reports of discounting prompted by continuing weak demand and declining ferrous scrap costs, Fastmarkets has learned. On the hot-rolled side of the market, Fastmarkets' monthly price assessment for steel bar hot-rolled special bar quality (SBQ) 1-inch round 1000 series (carbon), fob mill US fell to $31.50 per cwt ($630...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices fell on Monday July 20, with slow trading activity and no clear trend emerging, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $109.54 per tonne, down $0.77 per tonne. 62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $111.44 per tonne, down $0.89 per tonne. 58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $97.86 per tonne, down $1.13 pe...Read More
A major Japanese steelmaker is trying to increase its plate offers for Southeast Asia by $30 per tonne from last month to boost profit margins, a source with knowledge of the matter told Fastmarkets.The mill plans to offer $540-550 per tonne cfr Southeast Asia for October-delivery steel plate, after it received enough orders for September-delivery plate that was offered at $510-520 per tonne cfr S...Read More
Seaborne iron ore concentrate and pellet prices surged in the week to Friday July 17, inspired by higher prices for mid- and high-grade fines, traders told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets iron ore indices66% Fe concentrate, cfr Qingdao: $119.24 per tonne, up $6.63 per tonne from $112.61 per tonne a week earlier. 65% Fe blast furnace pellet, cfr Qingdao: $128.28 per tonne, up $8.11 per tonne from...Read More