The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key ferro-alloy forecast highlights:While the ferro-alloy industry's initial response to the Covid-19 outbreak was marked by rising prices primarily in response to supply-side concerns, focus has now shifted somewhat. As Chinese activity slowly returns to more normal levels, for alloys with a strong Chinese prod...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Ferrous scrap consumption rates of Chinese integrated mills appear to have declined this year on a per-tonne basis. This year has seen the ratio of pig iron to steel output tighten, leaving increasingly less room for scrap consumption. Over the first four months of 2020, the pig iron-to-steel ratio has been above the pr...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Lockdowns and restrictions of movement in several cities in Brazil have increased worries about the potential impact on iron ore export volumes. The situation has already had an impact on the market sentiment. These concerns, combined with strong demand from China, have boosted iron ore prices. The fall in shipments from Bra...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Activity in China has picked up, and although the impact from the Covid-19 did not spare the country with its gross domestic product contracting at its largest rate since recording began in the 1990s, the latest crude steel output figures for April from China's National Bureau of Statistics show a strong recovery, albeit sti...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.The first quarter continued the trend of 2019 - for China to actively import relatively cheap metallics and semi-finished steel - but can this be sustained? The answer to this question will come down to the price competitiveness of the products, we believe. One additional incentive to continue to import metallics this year -...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices are on the increase in June. As far as this market is concerned, it appears as though the Covid-19 pandemic has had little impact so far, with prices on the most common grades of stainless steel just 2-4% lower than they were at the turn of the year in most markets.Even in Asia, a region often talked ab...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices have fared relatively well over the past couple of months in the face of the threat from the Covid-19 pandemic.In grade-304 material, the most common grade of stainless steel, prices were down by about 5-7% since the turn of the year - not bad, when compared with the falls in prices of other assets so f...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Having first hit Asia during early 2020, the Covid-19 viral outbreak is now having an even bigger impact on European countries and the US. Widespread lockdown measures have been put in place on people and industry, and economic activity has slowed markedly.For now, stainless steel markets in Europe and the US are yet to show...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 lead and zinc scrap were largely flat this week while businesses slowly ramp up to pre-Covid-19 capacity.Fastmarkets' assessment for the lead scrap whole batteries buying price, delivered smelters US, which narrowed upward to 31-33 cents per lb from 29-33 cents per lb, was the only assessment...Read More
The closure of the arbitrage window between London and Shanghai prompted a drop in Chinese zinc premiums in the week to Tuesday June 2, while broad stagnancy in European and US demand kept premiums firm, although some market participants anticipate that demand could further weaken in the coming months. Cif Shanghai premium dipped as demand diminished in line with arbitrage window's close Sout...Read More
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday June 3.Please click...Read More
Base metals price on the London Metal Exchange had moved sideways at the close of trading on Wednesday June 3, with most of the complex maintaining gains made earlier in the week against a steady improvement in risk-appetite.Copper's outright price on the LME closed at $5,524 per tonne on Wednesday afternoon, while turnover was moderate at just over 15,000 lots exchanged by the close. Similarly, L...Read More
Fastmarkets is launching a two-month consultation on the launch of new copper material price and the potential discontinuation of its monthly assessment of the No2 copper scrap discount on a cif China basis.Under a new categorization policy being introduced in China, most No2 scrap could be traded as renewable copper materials starting from July 2020. Background to the consultationA...Read More
Global nickel premiums were mostly static in the week to Tuesday June 2, with the exception of the delivered Midwest premium in the United States, where oversupply and weak demand saw the range soften, while a strong London Metal Exchange three-month nickel price kept consumption limited.Cheaper global supply caps US domestic briquette interestThin liquidity limits European marketArb losses hamper...Read More
An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 has hit the Antofagasta region of Northern Chile, which is home to a cluster of major copper mines, Fastmarkets understands.The US Geological Survey said the earthquake occurred in the early morning local time on Wednesday June 3, with the epicentre of the quake reportedly in the southwest of San Pedro de Atacama. Major copper mines close to the epicentre incl...Read More
Prices for hot-rolled coil in the United States have remained largely unchanged, but pressure from higher raw materials costs may lead to a third price increase by domestic sheet mills, sources said.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $25.32 per hundredweight ($506.40 per short ton) on Wednesday June 3, up by 0.9% from $25.10 per cwt on Tuesday J...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
Domestic prices for heavy steel plate moved down again in Southern Europe over the week due to poor demand, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday June 3.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel domestic plate, 8-40mm, exw Southern Europe, was ?,?415-425 ($463- 474) per tonne on June 3, down by ?,?10 per tonne week on week from ?,?425-435 per tonne. The assessment was down by ?,?30-35 per ton...Read More