Canadian junior miner Lithium Americas has increased its resource estimate and capacity of its lithium mine project at Thacker Pass, in the US state of Nevada.The new resource estimate is 13.7 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE), more than double the estimate in 2018, Lithium Americas said on Thursday October 7.Phase 1 capacity increased to 40,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate annually, up...Read More
The congestion at major ports that has affected shipping operations for metals and minerals on the China-to-Europe route is set to worsen in the next three or four months, sources told Fastmarkets during last week's International Colloquium on Refractories conference in Aachen, Germany.Lead times for cargo shipping from China to European ports have increased in recent months because of a series of...Read More
South American flat steel import prices were mostly stable or moved slightly in the week to Friday October 8 amid China's National Day holiday and few offers from other origins.There was no activity from China during the October 1-7 period due to week-long national holiday there, which paved the way for material from other countries to be offered to South American clients. However, with the market...Read More
Brazil's domestic hot-rolled coil prices have declined in October, with some producers heard giving discounts amid pressure from distributors and clients, although the movement was not yet widespread in the market.Two steel producers were offering material above the market average but are now granting discounts due to the difficult market, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' monthly price assess...Read More
Import prices for cargoes of steel billet to China were unchanged on Friday October 8, but a growing sense of bullishness from the sell-side was reflected in offer prices, sources have told Fastmarkets.Chinese market participants returned from their week-long Golden Week holiday on Friday to higher domestic steel billet prices, with the material traded at 5,310 yuan ($823) per tonne ex works...Read More
Surging spot spodumene prices following aggressive bids in the latest Pilbara Minerals' spodumene concentrate auction has elevated negotiated prices for fourth-quarter term contracts, market sources told Fastmarkets.Bids for SC 5.5% units reached a high of $2,240 per dry metric tonne (dmt), fob Hedland, during the Australian miner's second spodumene auction on its Battery Metals Exchange on Tuesda...Read More
The Cobalt sulfate 20.5% Co basis, exw China, yuan/tonne trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday October 7 that are worth another look.Steel producer Feralpi Group is to invest ?,?100 million ($115 million) in renewable power at its Italian sites, it announced on Thursday October 7.Vale has resumed activities at its On??a...Read More
Hot-rolled coil prices decreased in Turkey during the week ended Friday October 8, while buyers were uncertain about the direction of prices, sources told Fastmarkets.Buyers were uncertain because China returned back to business after its National Day holidays with higher prices.Furthermore, sources expect higher energy costs to increase the cost of steel production and to push up prices, alt...Read More
Most base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange closed higher day on day in Friday's session.The three-month nickel price led the base metals complex, closing at $19,221 per tonne, up by more than 5% on Friday compared with Thursday's close at $18,264 per tonne."We view the recent price weakness in LME nickel as a buying opportunity and...Read More
Global ferrous scrap prices increased in the week ended October 8 in response to improving downstream demand for billet and rebar.Turkish mills pay higher prices on improving downstream demandUnited States sells a bulk cargo to Turkey at a $5-per-tonne increaseVietnamese buyers opt for bulk HMS 1&2 (80:20) cargoes from US, AustraliaTaiwanese buyers continue to purchase containerized cargoesIndian...Read More
Indian domestic secondary billet prices fell by 300 rupees ($4) per tonne week on week, despite the price of other key raw materials such as direct-reduced iron (DRI) continuing to rise.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel billet domestic, ex-works India was down by 300 rupees per tonneat 46,300-46,500 rupees ($619-623) per tonne, compared with last week's 46,600-46,800 rupees per tonne ex...Read More
The zinc concentrate market was broadly stable in the fortnight to Friday October 8, with Chinese buyers mostly away for the National Day holidays.Fastmarkets assessed the zinc spot concentrate treatment charge (TC), cif China at $75-88 per tonne on Friday, unchanged from two weeks prior.An offer of Antamina material was reported at low-to-mid $60s per tonne, with suppliers citing the seasonal pro...Read More
Iron ore prices went up on Friday October 8 with improved trading liquidity after the Chinese holiday, sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $123.38 per tonne, up $6.36 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $126.95 per tonne, up $7.08 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $95.86 per tonne, up $4.64 per tonne65% Fe Brazil-origin fines, cfr Qi...Read More
The Brazilian automotive association, Anfavea, has cut its forecast for production and sales in 2021, due to a shortage of semiconductors and logistics issues.Vehicle production is now expected to reach between 2.13-2.22 million units this year, an increase of 6-10% from the 2.01 million units produced in 2020, the association said on Wednesday October 6.The new forecast is 10-13% lower than the a...Read More
Import prices for cargoes of steel billet to China were unchanged on Friday October 8, but a growing sense of bullishness from the sell-side was reflected in offer prices, sources have told Fastmarkets.Chinese market participants returned from their week-long Golden Week holiday on Friday to higher domestic steel billet prices, with the material traded at 5,310 yuan ($823) per tonne ex works...Read More
Rebar prices in Poland continue to fall due to weak buying interest but the downtrend is likely to reverse in October, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday October 8.Trading activity in the local rebar market remained subdued over the past week, with distributors still refraining from purchasing amid expectations of lower prices."End-user demand is not so bad - only distributors don't buy anything,"...Read More
Prices for imports of steel scrap to South Korea have risen sharply over the past week amid a rise in export prices from Japan and the United States, market participants told Fastmarkets on Friday October 8.South Korea buys Japanese scrap at higher pricesLimited scrap import interest in China due to electricity rationingChina local scrap prices hold firm after holidaySouth KoreaSouth Korean import...Read More
Trading activity in the United States' pig iron import market was low in the week to Friday October 8 due to uncertainty about the direction of prices.Fastmarkets' assessment of the price for pig iron, import, cfr Gulf of Mexico, US was $540 per tonne on Friday, narrowing upward by $10 from $530-540 per tonne a week earlier. The only deal in the...Read More
Brazilian slab export prices decreased in the week ended Friday October 8 amid continuing weak buying activity and strong competition from other regions.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel slab, export, fob main port Brazil was down to $760-780 per tonne on Friday, down by $20 from $780-800 per tonne on October 1.Bids for Brazilian material were heard close to $720 per tonne fob in...Read More