Trade log for cobalt sulfate in China including transactions, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Unless otherwise stated, all prices are yuan per tonne on an ex-works basis.Fastmarkets prices Click here for Fastmarkets' price assessment for cobalt...Read More
With competition in the global steel markets remaining fierce, Fastmarkets provides an update on the new, progressing and closed trade cases from around the world for June 2020.The case list below includes only updates. For other continuing cases this year, see the updates for May, April, March, February...Read More
China's domestic stainless steel prices edged up over the past week due to stock replenishing activity, with export prices following the upward move.Steady nickel prices lent further support to stainless steel prices, market sources said on Wednesday July 1. The three-month nickel contract on the London Metal Exchange ended Wednesday's official trading session at $12,620 per tonne, up by...Read More
Markets were mixed this morning, Friday July 3, with Asian-Pacific equities generally higher and pre-market western equity index futures weaker, while the base metals and precious metals were mixed.* China’s Caixin services purchasing managers index (PMI) climbed to 58.4 in June, from 55 previously. * James Bullard, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis, told the Financial Times t...Read More
of July weekend!Pre-opening Comments for Friday July 3rdThe Canadian equity market is expected to be quiet today, typical when U.S. equity markets are closed. U.S. markets are closed for the Independence Day holiday. U.S. equity index futures were down 0.30% in overnight trade.Other equity markets around the world were mixed overnight. European equity markets were lower by almost 1.0%. Far East eq...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday July 1 that are worth another look.Brazilian iron ore pellet producer Samarco is on schedule to resume operations by the end of 2020 despite health and safety measures taken to prevent Covid-19 from spreading among workers, the company told Fastmarkets on July 1.Industry associations up and down the steel and metals supply chain...Read More
Tariffs on low-carbon aluminium imports into the European Union should be eliminated to help power the region's Covid-19 recovery package and climate transition strategy, according to the chairman of En+ Group. Warning against the widespread use of high-carbon metals, Lord Gregory Barker said the removal of tariffs would be an urgent measure that can help European manufacturers grow a global marke...Read More
Tin premiums in the United States and Europe were subject to pressure in the two weeks to Wednesday July 1, with a wide backwardation in the metal's forward curve on the London Metal Exchange limiting business while a narrowing arbitrage window to import tin into China supported current levels. Covid-19 resurgence hinders US marketRenewed spot interest fails to stop falling Rotterdam premiumStrong...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday July 1 that are worth another look.Brazilian iron ore pellet producer Samarco is on schedule to resume operations by the end of 2020 despite health and safety measures taken to prevent Covid-19 from spreading among workers, the company told Fastmarkets on July 1.Industry associations up and down the steel and metals supply chain...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday July 1 that are worth another look.Brazilian iron ore pellet producer Samarco is on schedule to resume operations by the end of 2020 despite health and safety measures taken to prevent Covid-19 from spreading among workers, the company told Fastmarkets on July 1.Industry associations up and down the steel and metals supply chain...Read More
Zinc concentrate treatment charges rose from an 18-month low in June 2020, with market shorts facing less of a rush to cover positions on the spot market.Fastmarkets' price assessment for zinc spot concentrate TC, cif China, was $160-180 per tonne on Friday June 26, up from $155-170 per tonne at the end of May.Spot supply of concentrates remained limited to just a few mines, predominantly in Austr...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday July 1.Key drivers Persistently quiet trading activity in recent weeks has seen lower offer prices in the past week, with suppliers and buyers making tentative inquiries amid uncertain near term demand. All markets are now back at levels last seen in January 2017. Industry talk centers on cheaper offer prices from China into Europe,...Read More
Spot availability for cobalt hydroxide remained tight in late June, with many suppliers sold out for July cargoes and taking time to gauge how much material they will be able to offer in August amid shipment uncertainties from South Africa, sources told Fastmarkets this week.Fastmarkets' cobalt hydroxide payable indicator, min 30% Co, cif China stood at 65-67% on Wednesday July 1, unchanged since...Read More
An overview of the minor metals markets and the reasons for their latest price moves.Read More
Turkish steel producers have resumed their deep-sea scrap purchases for August shipments after achieving lower prices, sources said on Wednesday July 1.A steel mill in the Iskenderun region booked a US cargo, comprising 16,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $256 per tonne, 6,000 tonnes of shredded at $261 per tonne and 8,000 tonnes of plate and structural scrap (P&S) at $266 per tonne cfr. The cargo...Read More
China will ban the import of all solid waste from 2021 for environmental reasons, but ferrous scrap will not be affected by the move.Well-placed sources with deep knowledge of government policy told Fastmarkets on Wednesday July 1 that the ban - announced by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment a day earlier - does not affect imports of the steelmaking raw material.Import restrictions imposed s...Read More
There are many crosswinds for the markets to contend with this morning, Wednesday July 1, with better manufacturing data in Asia and interest rate cuts in China, but a deteriorating Covid-19 situation - especially in parts of the Americas - and raised geopolitical tension over Hong Kong.China's Caixin and Japan's manufacturing purchasing managers' indices (PMIs) climbed to 51.2 from 50.7 and 40.1...Read More
Spot availability for cobalt hydroxide remained tight in late June, with many suppliers sold out for July cargoes and taking time to gauge how much material they will be able to offer in August amid shipment uncertainties from South Africa, sources told Fastmarkets this week.Fastmarkets' cobalt hydroxide payable indicator, min 30% Co, cif China stood at 65-67% on Wednesday July 1, unchanged since...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in London on Wednesday July 1. Key driversCobalt prices edge closer to $14 per lb while sellers revise price expectations in an effort to lock in spot sales after a protracted period of thin demand. Demand is still reportedly firmer than in April and May, on balance, made up of...Read More
From the low-price environment and lithium's extended supply chain to the emergence of standardized battery-grade compounds, here are the key themes that dominated the conversation among panelists during Fastmarkets' webinar on "How Covid-19 has affected lithium markets" on June 23.Lithium production unhinderedLithium production has been free from any significant disruptions caused by Covid-19, an...Read More