Prices for hollow steel sections in Europe moved downward this week, with demand not yet showing any sign of rebounding, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday April 29.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?580-595 ($629-645) per tonne on Wednesday, down from ?,?585-600 per tonne one week before.Demand in Northern and Southern...Read More
The price for steel H-beams in Europe remained flat on Wednesday April 29, with demand remaining at low levels because of the lockdown measures related to the Covid-19 pandemic, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel beams, domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was unchanged at ?,?535-570 ($580-618) per tonne on Wednesday."Beams and sections have the lowest act...Read More
Fastmarkets will publish its Poland rebar price assessment a day early this week, on Thursday April 30, because of the Labor Day holiday on Friday May 1. In accordance with the Fastmarkets holiday pricing schedule, weekly and monthly EMEA, CIS and Turkey ferrous prices will not be published during UK public holidays and holidays that take place in the country where the price in question is based....Read More
A summary of Brazilian mining company Vale's financial results for the first quarter of 2020.In brief Pro forma adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) down by 26% year on year due to depreciation of Brazilian Real.Net income of $239 million, compared with a net loss of $1.6 billion in the first quarter of 2019. Investments totaled $1.12 billion, up by...Read More
Turkish steel mills continued to stay away from the deep-sea scrap market on Wednesday April 29, holding out for lower prices, sources told Fastmarkets.After about 10 days of silence, on April 27 one Turkish steel mill booked a Baltic Sea cargo at $242 per tonne cfr for 26,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) and $252 per tonne cfr for 6,00 tonnes of bonus scrap, sending the daily scrap in...Read More
Export prices for Japan-origin plate and structural (P&S) grades of ferrous scrap rose by ?500 ($5) per tonne week on week on Wednesday April 29, with tighter supplies over recent weeks keeping the values up, sources have told Fastmarkets.Japanese scrap collection has decreased over recent months, and was now affecting both prime and obsolete grades of material.Plant closures among car manufactur...Read More
Iranian export billet and slab prices dipped in late April as lower offers and bid prices were heard in the market.A few offers for Iran-origin billet were heard at $345 per tonne fob southern ports, compared with the $350-355 per tonne fob targeted by mills a week earlier.However, even with the discount, the price was considered to high by market participants. Bids...Read More
China's domestic traders kept prices for rebar unchanged on Wednesday April 29 despite rising futures in an attempt to generate more sales.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,400-3,430 yuan ($481-485) per tonne, unchangedRebar futures picked up during the day, but traders in the spot market refrained from raising prices in the hope of drawing down their stock levels more ahead of the May 1-5 Labo...Read More
Prices for hollow steel sections in Europe moved downward this week, with demand not yet showing any sign of rebounding, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday April 29.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?580-595 ($629-645) per tonne on Wednesday, down from ?,?585-600 per tonne one week before.Demand in Northern and Southern...Read More
United States-based car manufacturer Ford will restart production at various sites in Europe in a phased approach from May 4, the company said on Tuesday April 28.Vehicle and engine production will restart at continental European sites following the implementation of health and safety precautions agreed with trade unions, which will include personal body-temperature checks and the use of facemasks...Read More
A summary of Brazilian mining company Vale's financial results for the first quarter of 2020.In brief Pro forma adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) down by 26% year on year due to depreciation of Brazilian Real.Net income of $239 million, compared with a net loss of $1.6 billion in the first quarter of 2019. Investments totaled $1.12 billion, up by...Read More
A summary of Latin American steel group Ternium's financial results for the first quarter of 2020.In brief Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) down by a third year on year due to restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic. Net loss of $19.40 million, compared with a net profit of $224.90 million in the first quarter of 2019. Higher sales volumes in Mexico, Te...Read More
BHP is consulting with relevant stakeholders on options to increase its licensed iron ore export capacity to over 290 million tonnes per year from Hedland, the shipping hub in Western Australia, it told Fastmarkets on Tuesday April 28.Tim Day, BHP acting asset president for Western Australia iron ore, said BHP's focus remains on reaching 290 million tonnes per year in the medium term, but improvem...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday April 29 that are worth another look.Export prices for Japan-origin plate and structural (P&S) grades of ferrous scrap rose by ?500 ($5) per tonne week on week on April 29, with tighter supplies over recent weeks keeping the values up, sources have told Fastmarkets.Brazilian mining company Vale expects to find a potential invest...Read More
Malaysia Smelting Corp (MSC), the world's second-largest tin exporter, has resumed production following a hiatus related to the Covid-19 pandemic, the company told Fastmarkets."At the moment, MSC has commenced its smelting and mining activities and is operating at approximately 50% capacity," company spokeswoman Mei-Lynn Keow said.MSC had been under a Malaysian government lockdown that began on Ma...Read More
Brazilian mining company Vale expects to find a potential investor to exit its South Pacific nickel asset Vale New Caledonia (VNC) in the next one to two months, base metals director Mark Travers said in a conference call on Wednesday April 29.The company confirmed it was looking to divest from the business in December last year, while talks with interested parties began in November, Travers added...Read More
A summary of Brazilian mining company Vale's financial results for the first quarter of 2020.In brief Pro forma adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) down by 26% year on year due to depreciation of Brazilian Real.Net income of $239 million, compared with a net loss of $1.6 billion in the first quarter of 2019. Investments totaled $1.12 billion, up by...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday April 29 that are worth another look.Export prices for Japan-origin plate and structural (P&S) grades of ferrous scrap rose by ?500 ($5) per tonne week on week on April 29, with tighter supplies over recent weeks keeping the values up, sources have told Fastmarkets.Brazilian mining company Vale expects to find a potential invest...Read More
The Covid-19 pandemic may well provide Freeport-McMoRan with a silver lining it had never expected. The US copper producer is discussing with the government of Indonesia what should be done with the planned smelter in the Gresik region in the province of East Java. It has been forced to delay the completion timeline of December 2023 for the plant, due both to Covid-19-related disruptions to the wo...Read More
When the oil price fell into negative price territory at the start of the week ended April 24, it fueled fears that a similar situation could materialize in metals. The good news for users of the London Metal Exchange is the exchange's delivery mechanism that makes it virtually implausible, while its contract structure makes it even more unlikely. Here's why. The reason the West Texas In...Read More