The collapse of the iron ore market and market turbulence over Chinese property developer Evergrande Group are adding to the economic woes caused by the Delta variant of Covid-19 for much of this year.It is hard to find bright sparks in the months ahead for the ferrous supply chain, which has been buffeted repeatedly in a short span of few months, starting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's comment...Read More
Aluminium scrap prices in the United States continued to be underpinned by robust demand domestically and overseas, while futures prices on the London Metal Exchange remained high.Healthy business activity, particularly in the non-automotive side of the sector, pushed up some secondary smelter grades week on week, with the Fastmarkets assessment of 1-1-3 sows edging a penny either side to a range...Read More
Since mid-September, a swathe of provincial governments in China have imposed power cuts and rationing on local industrial users, which could cast a bigger influence on downstream fabricating sectors than previous curbs, sources said.This is the second time that industrial users have received power rationing orders in the year. The first was in July, when hot weather strained the country's grid. P...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key North American steel forecast highlights:US prices for hot-rolled coil moved in line with our forecasts in August, averaging $1,910 per ton, within 1% accuracy of our forecast of $1,925 per ton. The market has achieved much-needed stability in recent weeks, with prices fluctuating in the range of $1,900-1,94...Read More
Canadian lithium miner Millennial Lithium Corp has entered into a definitive arrangement agreement with Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology's (CATL), the former said on Tuesday September 28.Under the terms of the deal, CATL will acquire all outstanding shares of Millennial for some C$377 million ($296.5 million), it said.Millennial said it had terminated its arrangement agreement...Read More
The European Commission (EC) has started an anti-dumping investigation into flat electrolytic chromium-coated steel (ECCS) imports from China and Brazil, the EC said in the official journal of the European Union on September 24.The case was opened after European steel association Eurofer lodged a complaint on August 13, 2021.The product...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday September 30 that are worth another look.Temporary steel export duties in Russia, which have been in effect since August 1, have not impacted export volumes significantly so far, sources have told Fastmarkets.Australia-based mining company South32 have announced...Read More
Fastmarkets has corrected the pricing rationales for MB-CO-0004 cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $ per lb, and MB-CO-0005 cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $ per lb, which were published incorrectly on Thursday September 30 due to reporter and editor errors.The rationale for the cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $ per lb has been corrected to state that the assessed range move...Read More
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) investors should be reducing exposure to plug-in hybrid- and fuel cell-weighted automotive supply chains and focusing instead on battery electric vehicles (BEV), according to a report by Jefferies. Ford's recent announcement of record-setting investment in electric vehicles (EVs) gives a clear signal to the market: BEVs are the future, with hybrids a...Read More
Temporary steel export duties in Russia, which have been in effect since August 1, have not impacted export volumes significantly so far, sources have told Fastmarkets.Export duties on 340 steel and non-ferrous metals sold outside the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), with a base rate of 15% and specific minimum rate for each product, will remain in effect until December 31, 2021.It is mainly m...Read More
Mills in Bangladesh have dipped into the containerized import scrap market for a handful of bookings at largely stable prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday September 30.Bangladesh books small tonnage in containersChina import market activity thin ahead of holidayPrices in Taiwan weaken after restocking endsBangladeshSteelmakers in Bangladesh booked a handful of deals for containers of heav...Read More
Turkish steel mills returned to the deep-sea scrap market on Thursday September 30 for November shipment cargoes, market participants told Fastmarkets.A steel mill in the Iskenderun region booked a Baltic Sea cargo, comprising 12,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $435 per tonne, along with 8,000 tonnes of shredded and 12,000 tonnes of bonus at $450 per tonne cfr.A mill in the Izmir region also book...Read More
Steel beam prices rose in the United States' domestic and import markets on Thursday September 30 in response to a third round of mill increases. Fastmarkets' monthly assessment for steel beams 8- x 8-in, fob mill US rose to $68 per hundredweight ($1,360 per short ton) on Thursday September 30, up 3.82% from $65.50 per cwt on August 26, and up 7.94% from $63 per cwt on July 29.Fastmarkets' as...Read More
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) investors should be reducing exposure to plug-in hybrid- and fuel cell-weighted automotive supply chains and focusing instead on battery electric vehicles (BEV), according to a report by Jefferies. Ford's recent announcement of record-setting investment in electric vehicles (EVs) gives a clear signal to the market: BEVs are the future, with hybrids a...Read More
Key data from the Wednesday September 29 pricing session in London and China.Key driversCobalt hydroxide payables widened upward in the first half of this week, with a deal reported at a higher level. But most buyers were still cautious and unwilling to accept higher offers considering the thin...Read More
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) investors should be reducing exposure to plug-in hybrid- and fuel cell-weighted automotive supply chains and focusing instead on battery electric vehicles (BEV), according to a report by Jefferies. Ford's recent announcement of record-setting investment in electric vehicles (EVs) gives a clear signal to the market: BEVs are the future, with hybrids a...Read More
The European market for steel hot-rolled coil remained quiet on Thursday September 30, with buyers continuing to hold back from trading in expectation of more substantial price declines amid slower end-user demand, sources told Fastmarkets.Buyers in Europe have been waiting for the new quota period to begin on October 1before assessing the "real volumes that will enter the market," they said."The...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday September 30 that are worth another look.Temporary steel export duties in Russia, which have been in effect since August 1, have not impacted export volumes significantly so far, sources have told Fastmarkets.Australia-based mining company South32 have announced...Read More
Nickel's three-month price was at its lowest since late June on the afternoon of September 30; all other London Metal Exchange prices were down across the board by 2-4%."Commodities are being pressured by a surge in the dollar, coupled with supply chain pressures that are having a growing impact on demand, particularly out of China where power has become the latest bottleneck," ED&F Man's head of...Read More
Base metals prices were mostly slightly up on the LME but weaker on the SHFE this morning, Thursday September 30, but overall the markets seem to be consolidating while they await big-picture developments.China's power rationing weighs on the official manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI)The Thursday economic agenda is busyUS dollar rallying stronglyBase metalsAfter price weakness on Wedne...Read More