CIS export billet prices increased on Tuesday June 2, with China resuming bookings and accepting higher prices, sources told Fastmarkets.The increased cost of iron ore, an upswing in China's domestic rebar market and production cuts planned in Tangshan province supported interest in imported billet.Fastmarkets' daily index for iron ore 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao was $101.32 per tonne on June 2, up...Read More
The prices for steel billet and rebar in the United Arab Emirates have increased over the past week, with demand improving after the Eid Al-Fitr holiday, as well as the easing of restrictions under the Covid-19 pandemic, market sources said on Tuesday June 2.Market participants in the UAE were expecting demand to improve in late May, when the Islamic holy month of Ramadan ended with the Eid al-Fit...Read More
Indonesian state-owned steel producer PT Krakatau Steel recorded its first profit in over a decade in the first quarter of 2020, aided by considerable cost cutting, the company announced.$74.1-million net profit for Q1 2020 (vs $62.3-million net loss in Q1 2019)Operating costs fell 31% year on year to $46.8 million.$130 million of spending cuts (cost reductions in energy, consumables and utilities...Read More
Bulk alloys markets in Europe are coming under sustained pressure from weak demand, with prices for manganese alloys dropping through May, while ferro-silicon prices have been falling since April, sources said.Elsewhere, silico-manganese export prices have also been dropping in India, where recent restarts in production may be short-lived while producers consider cuts to stem or even reverse price...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 EU's plan to make electric vehicles a centerpiece of the continent's economic recovery has injected significant confidence into the global cobalt market, and has also renewed momentum for responsible sourcing across the whole supply chain, according to the head of Eurasian Resources Group (ERG).Recent government and industry association initiatives across the EU may also provide the boost requ...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
Indonesian state-owned steel producer PT Krakatau Steel recorded its first profit in over a decade in the first quarter of 2020, aided by considerable cost cutting, the company announced.$74.1-million net profit for Q1 2020 (vs $62.3-million net loss in Q1 2019)Operating costs fell 31% year on year to $46.8 million.$130 million of spending cuts (cost reductions in energy, consumables and utilities...Read More
Brazil's iron ore exports in May fell by over a quarter compared with the same period a year earlier.It exported 21.50 million tonnes of the steelmaking raw material last month, which is 28.2% lower than the 29.87 million tonnes it shipped out in May last year, according to figures released by the country's economy ministry on Monday June 1.Iron ore prices have been on the rise amid concerns about...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Tuesday June 2 that are worth another look.The Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) has initiated an inquiry as to whether imports of heavy steel plate from four nations and the island of Taiwan cause injury to domestic producers.Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) has signed a provisional power supply agreement with Zambian state-owned uti...Read More
A summary of base metals premiums from across the globe for the week to Tuesday June 2.Read More
Ferrous scrap prices in Mexico were stable or down in the steelmaking regions of Bajio and Monterrey during the week to Tuesday June 2 due to currency moves and the weak performance of the steel sector.At least two steel plants in the Baj?-o region announced a cut of 100 pesos ($4.50) per tonne in scrap values, which was reflected in lower prices for most grades assessed by Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets...Read More
Atlantic Nickel's Santa Rita mine in Brazil is on track to ramp up to 105,000 tonnes by the end of 2020 and has seen strong market demand for sulfide concentrate throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, its owner said. According to Appian Capital Advisory LLP, the mine has produced over 30,000 tonnes of nickel concentrate to date and has successfully completed its second and third shipments ahead of the...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Tuesday June 2 that are worth another look.The Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) has initiated an inquiry as to whether imports of heavy steel plate from four nations and the island of Taiwan cause injury to domestic producers.Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) has signed a provisional power supply agreement with Zambian state-owned uti...Read More
Seaborne and portside manganese ore prices for low- and high-grade material in China declined in May, despite previous expectations that prices would rise, driven by tightening supplies from South Africa and falling port inventories. Strict Covid-19 restrictions in South Africa were expected to have a significant impact on deliveries, resulting in fewer deliveries to Chinese ports and putting upwa...Read More
The London Metal Exchange three-month lead price was the standout performer at the close on Tuesday June 2 on continued optimism over easing pandemic concerns, while continued unrest in the United States did little to cap upward price action across the complex.LME lead's outright price closed at $1,719.50 per tonne on Tuesday afternoon in a 2.5% rally that pushed the price to its highest settlemen...Read More
Chinese buyers say they are no longer looking to import aluminium, with the fading arbitrage potential ending what was an unusual and profitable trade. The arbitrage for bringing aluminium into China reopened for the first time since 2016 on May 6, with a marginal profit of $4.22 per tonne, according to Fastmarkets' calculations. It widened to $61.82 per tonne on May 20 before slipping to a loss f...Read More
Seaborne premium hard coking coal cfr China price rose on Tuesday June 2 after a transaction was signed at $120 per tonne, while prices for other segments remained relatively flat. Fastmarkets indices Premium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $108.97 per tonne, down $0.05 per tonne Premium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $116.88 per tonne, up $0.95 per tonne Hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $89.57 per tonne,...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 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