Copper smelters and fabricators in some Chinese provinces are facing limits on power usage. The impact on production has been limited so far, but the threat may grow once winter arrives.China started introducing power-consumption limits in some provinces in July this year due to power shortages. The curbs have been extended recently into a larger area of the country, including Jiangsu, Shandong an...Read More
Fastmarkets proposes changes to the name and specifications of its UG2 chrome ore price index.Fastmarkets proposes to change the specification for its chrome ore South Africa UG2 concentrates index basis 42%, cif China to include MG material and to amend some qualities, including to clarify a base chrome iron ratio and to implement a normalization process to meet this base level. Fastmarkets...Read More
Fastmarkets proposes to amend the publication timing of its ferro-chrome benchmark indicator and its ferro-chrome cif China price.For its ferro-chrome lumpy Cr benchmark indicator, charge basis 52% (and high carbon), Europe and ferro-chrome 50% Cr import, cif main Chinese ports price assessment, Fastmarkets proposes changing the publication time.The proposed specifications would be (proposed...Read More
The latest data for the global manganese ore market for the week ended September 27, 2021.Read More
Swiss trading firm SiderAlloys has hired Matteo Chareun this month as manager of its commercial division, Chareun told Fastmarkets.Prior to this role, Chareun spent seven years as commercial division manager at Swiss trading house Euromet SA, a position in which he...Read More
Tin's futures contract fell by 3.9% on Monday September 27, and most other London Metal Exchange prices were also lower on the day, with somewhat bearish sentiment still holding in the complex.Tin's three-month price was at $35,100 per tonne on Monday at 5pm in London, decreasing from $36,539 per tonne at the same time on Friday.Amid concerns surrounding the supply of the metal given ongoing...Read More
For aluminium market participants globally, the global energy shortage is one of the many shortages producers of the light metal are facing.Market participants say the energy crunch, caused by a lack of incentive to produce additional supply when energy prices hit lows in 2020, will particularly be felt by producers who have large exposures to the spot energy markets, although many say that most s...Read More
Silicon prices hit their highest-ever prices worldwide in the week to Friday September 24 on reduced supply, especially out of China - the biggest global supplier - where a power shortage is limiting production of all metals.Chinese silicon prices shot up by 65.2% in the week to Friday, following a 47% increase the week before. In the United States, silicon metal gained 12.3% in the week to Thursd...Read More
Base metals prices were mainly lower on the London Metal Exchange and mixed on the Shanghai Futures Exchange on Monday September 27, while the broader markets looked more positive.Higher oil prices are adding to inflationary concerns......US 10-year treasuries yields rise to levels not seen since JulyBase metalsThree-month base metals prices on the LME were mainly weaker this morning, with the exc...Read More
Australian miner AVZ Minerals Limited has signed a transaction implementation agreement with China's Suzhou CATH Energy Technologies to jointly develop the Manono Lithium and Tin Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Australian miner said on Monday September 27.CATH is a private investment entity jointly owned by Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) and Shenzhen-listed Suzhou TA...Read More
Brazil's Usiminas is halting its No2 blast furnace at Ipatinga for another 90-150 days after an incident on Friday, the flat steel producer said on Monday September 27.The 660,000-tonnes-per-year furnace was only restarted in June after nearly 14 months out of action during the Covid-19 pandemic.Usiminas did not provide any further details of the incident, but confirmed that, depending on the natu...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday September 27 that are worth another look.Brazil's Usiminas is halting its No2 blast furnace at Ipatinga for another 90-150 days after an incident on Friday, the flat steel producer said on Monday September 27.For aluminium market participants...Read More
Tin's futures contract fell by 3.9% on Monday September 27, and most other London Metal Exchange prices were also lower on the day, with somewhat bearish sentiment still holding in the complex.Tin's three-month price was at $35,100 per tonne on Monday at 5pm in London, decreasing from $36,539 per tonne at the same time on Friday.Amid concerns surrounding the supply of the metal given ongoing...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday September 27 that are worth another look.Brazil's Usiminas is halting its No2 blast furnace at Ipatinga for another 90-150 days after an incident on Friday, the flat steel producer said on Monday September 27.For aluminium market participants...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil (HRC) in Northern Europe and Italy were broadly stable on Monday September 27, with buyers holding back from trading after prices fell the week before, sources told Fastmarkets.Spot buyers have refrained from making deals due to high stocks. They expect domestic prices to decrease further and supply to remain sufficient.Automotive manufacturers, which typically...Read More
Brazil's Usiminas is halting its No2 blast furnace at Ipatinga for another 90-150 days after an incident on Friday, the flat steel producer said on Monday September 27.The 660,000-tonnes-per-year furnace was only restarted in June after nearly 14 months out of action during the Covid-19 pandemic.Usiminas did not provide any further details of the incident, but confirmed that, depending on the natu...Read More
Spot zinc concentrate processing charges fell in the second half of September, with Chinese smelters stocking up for winter production and power curbs expected to limit smelting operations until early October.Fastmarkets assessed the zinc spot concentrate treatment charge, cif China at $75-88 per tonne on Friday September 24, narrowing downward by $4 from $75-92 per tonne two weeks prior. Prime br...Read More
European long steel makers who produce via electric-arc furnaces (EAF) have expressed growing concerns over rising energy costs, which could worsen ahead of higher demand in the winter, sources told Fastmarkets.One EAF mill source in Southern Europe said that on average, energy accounts for 15% of steel production costs."The latest energy price rises will add about ?,?40-50 ($46.8-58.6) per tonne...Read More
Brazil's Usiminas is halting its No2 blast furnace at Ipatinga for another 90-150 days after an incident on Friday, the flat steel producer said on Monday September 27.The 660,000-tonnes-per-year furnace was only restarted in June after nearly 14 months out of action during the Covid-19 pandemic.Usiminas did not provide any further details of the incident, but confirmed that, depending on the natu...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday September 27 that are worth another look.Brazil's Usiminas is halting its No2 blast furnace at Ipatinga for another 90-150 days after an incident on Friday, the flat steel producer said on Monday September 27.For aluminium market participants...Read More