Brazilian steelmaker Companhia Sider??rgica Nacional (CSN) will increase domestic prices by 10.5% on July 1, it told distribution clients this week, sources with knowledge of the move told Fastmarkets.Rising iron ore prices and a steep discount to domestic steel over imports support the action CSN has taken, the sources added. The company had already considered an increase in June but weakening de...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday June 18 that are worth another look.Workers of Tata Steel's Dutch operations have planned another strike during the night shift, which will affect the hot zone, the trade union FNV Metaal said on June 18.Brazilian iron ore and metals producer Vale has scheduled the reopening of its Canada-based Voisey's Bay nickel unit to early Ju...Read More
Mexican steelmakers Altos Hornos de Mexico (Ahmsa) and Villacero have entered into a non-binding agreement to merge their assets under a new company, Ahmsa said in a Mexican Stock Exchange filing on Thursday June 18.A financial injection of an undisclosed magnitude into Ahmsa is part of the agreement, the company noted. This was necessary to cover part of its debt and to allow it to raise funds th...Read More
On Thursday June 18, Fastmarkets launched two trade logs covering battery-grade lithium prices. The battery-grade lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide trade logs cover the following prices: Lithium hydroxide monohydrate 56.5% LiOH.H2O min, battery grade, spot price cif China, Japan & Korea, $/kg ...Read More
Glencore has embarked on a thorough review of the sustainability of its chrome facilities in South Africa in response to weak chrome prices and high electricity costs. The company has triggered Section 189 of South Africa's labor relations act for all employees at each of its chrome ore and alloy facilities there. Section 189 is a South African legal requirement representing an intention to retren...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday June 18 that are worth another look.Workers of Tata Steel's Dutch operations have planned another strike during the night shift, which will affect the hot zone, the trade union FNV Metaal said on June 18.Brazilian iron ore and metals producer Vale has scheduled the reopening of its Canada-based Voisey's Bay nickel unit to early Ju...Read More
Brazilian sellers have ramped up containerized exports of steel scrap into South Asian markets over the past year but this explosion in export sales is unlikely to be a long-term trend, sources have told Fastmarkets. Scrap collectors and processors in the country have traditionally sold the vast majority of their stocks in the domestic market, with only the excess being exported. But waning Brazil...Read More
The three-month zinc price on the London Metal Exchange was the top performer at the close of trading on Thursday June 18, with steady buying prompting its highest close since February, while copper futures consolidated above nearby support levels over the afternoon.Zinc's underlying price on the LME closed at $2,052 per tonne at 5pm London time, climbing from an intraday low of $2,012.50 pe...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices fell on Thursday June 18 after Vale announced the gradual resumption of operations at its Itabira complex in southern Brazil. Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $102.40 per tonne, down $1.69 per tonne. 62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $105.17 per tonne, down $1.26 per tonne. 58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $92.78 per...Read More
The London Metal Exchange three-month copper price rose during morning trading on Thursday June 18, breaching nearby resistance levels after a sizable fresh cancellation, while zinc futures maintained Wednesday afternoon's gains in a steady consolidation above $2,000 per tonne.LME copper's outright price was recently at $5,847.50 per tonne, climbing by over 1% from Wednesday's closing price of $5,...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Aluminium: Demand outlook revisedWe are not surprised to see aluminium prices retreat from last week's high after flagging up in recent reports that they had become overbought. 'Sell-the-rally' traders will be targeting the April high now, down at $1,534 per tonne. This week we have reviewed our aluminium demand forecasts fo...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.US prices continue to hold Seamless oil country tubular goods (OCTG) and line pipe prices remained unchanged for the third straight month in June, and we expect them to remain stable through the summer before edging higher on the back of a measured rise in drilling rates.The lack of price movement in recent months does not i...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key North American steel forecast highlights:?EUR?On the back of US steelmakers' $50- to $60-per-ton price hikes in late April, domestic hot-rolled coil prices improved to a monthly average of $493 per ton in May, up from $488 per ton in April. In contrast, both cold-rolled coil and hot-dipped galvanized sheet p...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Iron ore prices climbed further last week and we expect the elevated levels to remain into the next month. In particular, further upside will come from blast furnace (BF) capacity, which was reduced in Europe, Japan and the United States and has now come back online after restrictions started to be removed. With Covid-19 spr...Read More
The three-month zinc price on the London Metal Exchange was the top performer at the close of trading on Thursday June 18, with steady buying prompting its highest close since February, while copper futures consolidated above nearby support levels over the afternoon.Zinc's underlying price on the LME closed at $2,052 per tonne at 5pm London time, climbing from an intraday low of $2,012.50 pe...Read More
Brazilian iron ore and metals producer Vale has scheduled the reopening of its Canada-based Voisey's Bay nickel unit to early July, following the end of care and maintenance status into effect since March 16 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the company said on Thursday June 18.Production at the site is expected to ramp up through July and reach full capacity by the beginning of August, Vale added. Th...Read More
Aluminium producer UC Rusal has announced the commissioning of a new foundry complex at its Bogunchansky (BoAZ) smelter to serve the automotive sector, it said. The new fully automated foundry will produce high-silicon aluminium alloys used for the manufacture of wheels, engine units and various spare parts, the company said on Thursday June 18. Japan, Indonesia, Turkey, South Korea, Germany and t...Read More
The London Metal Exchange three-month copper price rose during morning trading on Thursday June 18, breaching nearby resistance levels after a sizable fresh cancellation, while zinc futures maintained Wednesday afternoon's gains in a steady consolidation above $2,000 per tonne.LME copper's outright price was recently at $5,847.50 per tonne, climbing by over 1% from Wednesday's closing price of $5,...Read More
Markets were mixed again this morning, Thursday June 18; equity indices were weighing up the possible impact of second waves of Covid-19 against the supportive measures governments continue to provide and pledge. Asian-Pacific equity markets were mainly weaker this morning, as were pre-market major western equity index futures; the exception was China's CSI 300 Index. Developing Asian countries to...Read More
Chinese traders of stainless steel reduced both their domestic and export prices over the past week to generate more sales, though the nickel market regained its strength in the past couple of days.The three-month nickel contract on the London Metal Exchange ended Wednesday June 17's official trading session at $12,948 per tonne. While this is $4 per tonne lower than a week earlier, it marks a $37...Read More