Key data from the June 3 pricing session in London and Shanghai.Key drivers: - Cobalt hydroxide payables were steady in the first half of the week - fresh inquiries were relatively fewer than in late May, but buyers are still finalizing their latest round of spot top-ups. So far, suppliers have refused to compromise and accept lower bids. - Suppliers indicate they are holding their offers firm for...Read More
Key data from the pricing session in London on Wednesday June 3.Key drivers: Standard-grade cobalt prices drifted further on the low-end of the quote, on continuing good availability, despite the suspension of production at Ambatovy. Offers were being revised to the low side, and sellers opened to bids, in light of thin demand refently, and uncertain...Read More
The cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb 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 applies. Fastmarkets assessed...Read More
Demand for flat steel products in Turkey was moderate in May because of low stocks in the country and the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, market participants told Fastmarkets on Wednesday June 3.Turkish flat steel producers were fully booked until late July and have started to accept orders for August production.Steel trading was limited in May because of various curfew orders and national holida...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in Europe have inched down over the past week due to a lack of buying activity, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday June 3.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, was calculated at ?,?402.00 ($448.48) per tonne on Wednesday, down by ?,?1.00 per tonne from ?,?403.00 per tonne on Tuesday.Wednesday's index was calculated bas...Read More
Domestic prices for cold-rolled coil have moved down over the past week in Northern Europe due to poor trading activity in the region, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday June 3.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel cold-rolled coil, domestic, exw Northern Europe, was ?,?490-500 ($547-558) per tonne on June 3, down by ?,?10 per tonne week on week from ?,?500-510 per tonne ex-works.The a...Read More
Prices for mesh-quality steel wire rod in Europe declined over the past seven days on pressure from buyers, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday June 3.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh-quality), domestic, delivered Southern Europe, was ?,?420-440 ($470-493) per tonne on Wednesday, narrowing down by ?,?10 per tonne over a week.ItalyThe Italian market have today af...Read More
Prices for hollow steel sections in Europe were unchanged this week due to various public holidays reducing the amount of trading activity, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday June 3.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?550-570 ($614-636) per tonne on Wednesday, unchanged week on week.The market was quiet this week due to p...Read More
The price for steel H-beams in Europe remained flat on Wednesday June 3 due to various public holidays and the start of the regular monthly price negotiations, sources have told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel beams, domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?530-550 ($591-614) per tonne on Wednesday, unchanged week on week.The market was quiet this week due to public h...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday June 3 that are worth another look.Mills in India and Pakistan have returned to the market for bulk scrap and have booked cargoes from the United States over the past few days, sources told Fastmarkets on June 3.Primary aluminium stocks at the three main Japanese ports (MJP) of Osaka, Nagoya and Yokohama rose by 4% mont...Read More
Turkish steel producers have continued to book more deep-sea scrap cargoes at steady prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday June 3.A steel mill in the Izmir region booked a US cargo, comprising shredded scrap at $259.50 per tonne and plate & structural scrap (P&S) at $264.50 per tonne cfr late on Tuesday June 2. The cargo's composition and volumes were not clear at the time of publicat...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices were mostly flat at a high price level on Wednesday June 3 with the seaborne market continuing to be active in low-grade and mid-grade iron-ore fines trading, sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $101.22 per tonne, down $0.10 per tonne. 62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $104 per tonne, down $0.13 per tonne. 58% Fe fines high-grade premi...Read More
Iranian export billet prices narrowed upward in the week to Wednesday June 3 with more mills managing to achieve higher sales prices.Last week, Khouzestan Steel, the country's major billet exporter, sold several cargoes scheduled for delivery in July at $364 per tonne fob Iranian ports.Some market participants said that such a level would be accepted only for position cargoes, estimating the worka...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices strengthened further on Wednesday June 3 on market participants' positive outlook for demand over the next few months. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,610-3,640 yuan ($508-512) per tonne, up by 20 yuan per tonneThe Chinese finance ministry said that the country had issued 3.2 trillion yuan of local bonds in the first five months of 2020, up by 65.1% year on year....Read More
British Steel will suspend production at its Skinningrove site for three weeks from June 13, the company said on Tuesday June 2. The company said trading conditions remain challenging, including for products manufactured at the special profiles business in Skinningrove and they have now taken the...Read More
Prices for hollow steel sections in Europe were unchanged this week due to various public holidays reducing the amount of trading activity, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday June 3.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?550-570 ($614-636) per tonne on Wednesday, unchanged week on week.The market was quiet this week due to p...Read More
Demand for flat steel products in Turkey was moderate in May because of low stocks in the country and the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, market participants told Fastmarkets on Wednesday June 3.Turkish flat steel producers were fully booked until late July and have started to accept orders for August production.Steel trading was limited in May because of various curfew orders and national holida...Read More
British Steel will suspend production at its Skinningrove site for three weeks from June 13, the company said on Tuesday June 2. The company said trading conditions remain challenging, including for products manufactured at the special profiles business in Skinningrove and they have now taken the...Read More
Spain's steel production declined in April due to Covid-19-related restrictions, with output sinking below the figures reached over the "worst months of the financial crisis in 2008," Unesid, the country's steel association, said.Last week, the Spanish government extended its Covid-19 lockdown for the fifth time until June 7, discarding the original end date of May 24.The steel sector was allowed...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday June 3 that are worth another look.Mills in India and Pakistan have returned to the market for bulk scrap and have booked cargoes from the United States over the past few days, sources told Fastmarkets on June 3.Primary aluminium stocks at the three main Japanese ports (MJP) of Osaka, Nagoya and Yokohama rose by 4% mont...Read More