Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were trading in positive territory at the close on Tuesday April 7, bolstered by reports that daily-reported Covid-19 cases were abating, giving rise to a spate of short-covering. Other market participants attributed today's gains to a risk-off rally induced by China's gradual return to market amid a fresh slew of supply disruptions to ke...Read More
Marex Spectron has created the new role of head of steel and ferrous derivatives and has hired Sam Mehew to fill the post, the company announced on Tuesday April 7.Mehew will be responsible for driving liquidity in all ferrous markets and aluminium premium products.Marex Spectron is a category I member of the London Metal Exchange, and trades across the various base, precious and ferrous...Read More
The aluminium premium in Italy declined by 26.8% this week, which market sources attributed to "non-existent" demand while countries battle with the Covid-19 outbreak and falling premiums in Rotterdam.Fastmarkets assessed the aluminium P1020A premium, fca dp Italy at $120-140 per tonne on Tuesday from $175-180 per tonne a week ago. Although shipments are not being sent to Italy, participants...Read More
First Quantum Minerals has put its Cobre Panama operation into care and maintenance following orders from the government to suspend activities to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Mining and processing operations will be halted, but the company said it is expected that the port and power plant will continue operations to supply electrical power into the Panama national grid as well as t...Read More
Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States have plunged below $25 per hundredweight ($500 per short ton) on fears that demand won't recover in the first half of 2020.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil price, fob mill US, was calculated at $24.68 per cwt ($493.60 per ton) on Tuesday April 7, down by 3.6% ($0.93 per cwt) from $25.61 per cwt on Monday April 6 and down by 8% ($2.15 per cwt) fro...Read More
Romanian flat steel producer Liberty Galati has reduced production and implemented "partial technical unemployment" due to the economic slowdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the company told Fastmarkets on Tuesday April 7."The purpose of the measure is both to protect the interests of employees and ensure the long-term sustainability of the steel plant's operations," Liberty said. "We look for...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Uncertainty and a near complete stop of economic activity in numerous countries around the world froze steel markets and seaborne trade. This has led to sharp price falls or created expectations that prices will drop as soon as markets reopen. The fast-moving nature of events made forecasting particularly challenging, and th...Read More
Flat steel import prices in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia were stable this week after the sharp fall last week, with the market very slow amid concerns about the Covid-19 pandemic, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday April 7.Only one hot-rolled coil booking was heard, with nobody wanting to place new orders because of the current situation in around the world and sharply falling prices...Read More
Turkish deep-sea scrap import prices have gone up strongly, as expected, with news of fresh cargo deals, sources said on Tuesday April 7.A steel mill in the Iskenderun region booked a European cargo, comprising 10,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (75:25) at $235 per tonne, 20,000 tonnes of shredded at $243 per tonne, 4,000 tonnes of a mixture of HMS 1 and plate and structural scrap (P&S) at $248 per tonne, a...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices went down on Tuesday April 7 from the levels seen at the end of last week, but high-grade ore performed well in portside trading. The Chinese markets had been closed on Monday for the Qingming Festival holiday.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $82.73 per tonne, down by $0.57 per tonne.62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $84.11 per tonne, down by $0....Read More
Improved market sentiment due to the containment of Covid-19 across the United States and Europe boosted buying momentum in copper and pushed the three-month copper price higher during morning trading on Tuesday April 7. Copper's outright price was recently at $5,074.50 per tonne, climbing more than 3% from an intra-morning low of $4,937 per tonne, while trading volumes topped 10,000 lots as of 9:...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange were up across the board this morning, Tuesday April 7, with gains averaging 1.2% and 1.4% respectively.Broader markets are in a firmer tone following a 7.7% rise in the Dow Jones Industrial Average on Monday and after this morning's announcement of a record breaking 108 trillion yen ($990 billion) stimulus package by Ja...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 28 points in pre-opening trade. The Canadian Dollar was virtually unchanged at U.S. 71.30 following release of March Canadian Housing Starts report at 8:15 AM EDT. Consensus was a drop to 180,000 from 210,100 units in February. Actual was 195,200 unitsGeneral Motors added $0.19 to $21.49 despite a downgrade by Deutsche...Read More
Vehicle production in Brazil fell by 21.1% year on year in March due to lockdowns introduced to contain the Covid-19 pandemic in the last 15 days of the month, car manufacturer association Anfavea said on Monday April 6. Output was 189,958 units during the month, compared with 240,763 units a year before. Production also fell by 7% in comparison with February data, which was 204,200 units. Over th...Read More
Moon Iron and Steel (Misco) started production of billet at its facility in Sohar, Oman in the week starting March 30, sources close to the company told Fastmarkets.Misco has an electric arc furnace, ladle furnace and a five-strand continuous billet caster with a production capacity of 1.2 million tonnes per year.The company will also...Read More
The price of steel rebar in Russia's Central Federal District around Moscow declined over the past week with trading limited by concerns related to the Covid-19 pandemic, sources told Fastmarkets on Monday April 6.Last week, Severstal and Tula Steel, key suppliers to the region, tried to push rebar prices to 36,000 roubles per tonne cpt, citing better seasonal demand.Rebar demand in Russia slows i...Read More
British Steel is adjusting and pausing production at various sites due to a drop in demand, the company said on Friday April 3. British Steel chief executive Ron Deelen detailed some of the actions the company had taken during the Covid-19 virus outbreak, which included reducing production at various sites. "As we manage the internal and external challenges coronavirus brings, we'll take decisive...Read More
Turkish deep-sea scrap import prices have started to rebound on tightening supply, although no transactions have been made, sources told Fastmarkets on Monday April 6.Several sources reported a Baltic Sea offer at $240 per tonne cfr for HMS 1&2 (80:20), while mills' bids were no higher than $220 per tonne.The most recent deep-sea transactions were heard at the start of last week and put the HMS 1&...Read More
The Turkish domestic scrap market was stable over the past week but prices are expected to increase soon due to tightening supply, sources said on Monday April 6.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel scrap, auto bundle scrap, domestic, delivered Turkey, was 1,380-1,515 lira ($206-226) per tonne on Monday, unchanged week on week.Long and flat steelmaker ??olakoglu maintained its buy price...Read More
Global ferrous scrap prices continued to move downward in the week ended Friday April 3, with reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic responsible for further lockdowns around the world, bringing trading to a halt in key export markets.Turkish import prices plungeUS export market pausesTaiwan import price dips on lower demandTrading remains at a halt in India.TurkeyPrices for scrap imported into Turkey f...Read More