A weak US aluminium market kept market participants away from undertaking arbitrage activities between Southeast Asia and the United States despite plummeting freight rates. Sustained pressure on aluminium premiums in the US was one of the main factors preventing viable aluminium arbitrage opportunities between London Metal Exchange sheds in Southeast Asia to the US Midwest. Fastmarkets assessed t...Read More
The coronavirus outbreak has not yet affected buying demand in China for imported alumina, with material from Western Australia still being shipped to China and fresh deals concluded, market participants told Fastmarkets. A deal was concluded on Tuesday February 4 for 30,000 tonnes of Western Australian alumina at $299.50 per tonne on a cif China basis.The cargo is for March loading and to either...Read More
China's copper smelters face limited scope to slash production even as diminished demand on virus-related lockdowns raises concerns refined inventories could grow. Daye Nonferrous, based in Huangshi at the heart of the novel coronavirus outbreak in Hubei province, plans to operate at just a moderately reduced rate of 70-80% of capacity for the first quarter, a company source said. A market source...Read More
An overview of the minor metals markets and their latest price moves.Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday February 5.Key drivers The price range for ferro-titanium has narrowed over the past week, with increased trading activity resulting in higher-priced deals in Europe. There was an increase in traded volumes reported, with sources saying higher-priced sales from Europe to Asia had spurred domestic European buying inte...Read More
Turkish deep-sea scrap markets went quiet on Wednesday February 5 after cargoes from the United States and the Baltic Sea sent prices down by about $10 per tonne, sources told Fastmarkets.News of two fresh cargoes on Tuesday February 4, caused a $10.38-10.54 per tonne drop in Fastmarkets' daily scrap indices. The drop in prices was expected by market participants because of wea...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday February 5.Key drivers The price range for ferro-titanium has narrowed over the past week, with increased trading activity resulting in higher-priced deals in Europe. There was an increase in traded volumes reported, with sources saying higher-priced sales from Europe to Asia had spurred domestic European buying inte...Read More
The Asian scrap market is resting in a mid-week slump on Wednesday February 5 on the back of a string of Wuhan coronavirus-related fears.Shippers are now awaiting more announcements of mandatory quarantine periods - of up to 14 days - for vessels inbound to discharge ports.Key northern Vietnam port Hai Phong has stipulated that any vessels that have visited Chinese ports (excluding Hong Kong) in t...Read More
A broad base of markets are rebounding after China's move to boost liquidity and stabilize the market convinced many investors that the measures being taken will help cushion the economic impact of the Wuhan coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Given that it is still early days in terms of discerning the medium-term impact of the Wuhan coronavirus will have on the China and, indeed, the global econo...Read More
Fastmarkets has discontinued the calculation and publication of its MB-CO-0022 - China cobalt sulfate, Co 20.5% min, ex-works, adjustment to the low-grade cobalt low-end price.The discontinuance of the China cobalt sulfate, exw standard-grade adjustment, which is calculated against Fastmarkets' assessment of the all-in exw China cobalt sulfate price and the low end of the standard-grade cobalt pri...Read More
Turkey exported 5,609,697 tonnes of flat steel products in 2019, a decrease of 6.43% compared with 5,995,470 tonnes in 2018, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK).Strong demand for flat steel, especially in Europe and North Africa, was the main factor behind the increase in the country's flat steel exports.In addition, local demand for steel in the Middle Eastern country was not st...Read More
European buyers have been reluctant to accept the higher prices now being asked for hot-rolled coil, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday February 5.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, ex-works Northern Europe, was ?,?475.91 ($525.88) per tonne on Wednesday, down by ?,?3.81 per tonne day on day from ?,?479.72 per tonne a day earlier.The index was based on deals heard at ?,?4...Read More
Fears over a possible price slump for Chinese hot-rolled coil have led some traders to issue export offers that are significantly lower than those of mills.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,600 yuan ($514) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,270-3,300 yuan per tonne, widening downward by 30 yuan per tonneSellers in Shanghai kept their offers stable on Wednesday February 5, with trad...Read More
The price of steel rebar in Europe moved downward this week following a continued decrease in the price of feedstock materials, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday February 5.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?480-490 ($530-541) per tonne on Wednesday, down from ?,?490-500 per tonne one week earlier."Prices are goin...Read More
Prices for steel mesh-quality wire rod in Europe were flat this week although feedstock costs continued to fall, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday February 5.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh-quality), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, remained at ?,?460-470 ($508-519) per tonne on February 5, the third consecutive week of stability.Feedstock prices rose sharply...Read More
The price of hollow steel sections prices in Europe remained flat this week, with many waiting for the import quotas to be exhausted which will support the domestic market, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday February 5. Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe was ?,?620-640 ($685-707) per tonne on Wednesday, unchanged week on week. F...Read More
Iron ore export volumes from Brazil decreased by 19.33% year-on-year in January, according to figures released earlier this week by the country's economy ministry.The country shipped 26.73 million tonnes of iron ore last month, compared with 33.14 million tonnes a year before, the economy ministry said on Monday February 3.Volumes, however, increased by 8.34% from December's level of 24.67 million...Read More
Turkish deep-sea scrap markets went quiet on Wednesday February 5 after cargoes from the United States and the Baltic Sea sent prices down by about $10 per tonne, sources told Fastmarkets.News of two fresh cargoes on Tuesday February 4, caused a $10.38-10.54 per tonne drop in Fastmarkets' daily scrap indices. The drop in prices was expected by market participants because of wea...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices retreated on Wednesday February 5 while the market reacted to high steel inventories.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $81.31 per tonne, down $2.45 per tonne.62% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, cfr Qingdao: $80.15 per tonne, down $2.45 per tonne. 62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $82.54 per tonne, down $2.56 per tonne.58% Fe fines high-premium, cfr Qingda...Read More
Iranian export steel billet and slab prices increased in the week to Wednesday February 5, but no new deals have been heard.In the wider market in the region, the steel billet index, export, fob Black Sea, CIS, has slipped by $1 per tonne over the week, and was calculated at $392 per tonne on February 4 amid weakening scrap prices.And Fastmarkets' daily index for steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix),...Read More