Tata Steel has outlined proposals to build a stronger and more sustainable business in Europe, which include cutting up to 3,000 jobs, the company said on Monday November 18.The programme is needed to "ensure the business can thrive despite severe market headwinds which have led to a sharp decline in profitability", the company said.In the first six months of its current financial year, which comm...Read More
Brazilian miner Vale has diversified its iron ore sales to yuan-denominated futures contract pricing, which is the first time for global miners to use such pricing.Vale's Shanghai branch has signed a deal with the trading arm of Shandong Laigang Yongfeng Steel for a Qingdao-port-delivered cargo of Brazilian Blend fines to be priced against the May 2020 iron ore futures contract on China's Dalian C...Read More
Improved sentiment has taken hold in the European hot-rolled coil market, but so far domestic prices have recovered only in Italy while those in the the North of the region remain largely unchanged, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday November 20.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel HRC, domestic, exw Northern Europe, was ?,?420-425 ($465-471) per tonne on November 20, unchanged over t...Read More
The three-month nickel price on the London Metal Exchange continued to fall at the close of trading on Wednesday November 20, with continued selling pressure and supportive forward spreads prompting the metal's lowest close since July.Nickel's outright price on the LME closed at $14,360 per tonne in the afternoon, falling by just over 2% from an intraday high of $14,695 per tonne. Turnover was at...Read More
Prices for hollow steel sections in Northern and Southern Europe were unchanged this week although mills continued to make higher offers, market sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday November 20.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?560-580 ($620-642) per tonne on Wednesday, unchanged week on week."The market is on the positiv...Read More
The Iranian steel market was gripped by uncertainty this week after violent protests erupted across the country following a government decision to increase petrol prices. "There are lots of strikes, [many] banks [and petrol stations] have been burned down and many government buildings destroyed," one market source said adding that trading activity had been limited this week.The coun...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday November 20 that are worth another look.Export prices for Chinese cold-rolled coil and hot-dipped galvanized coil rose during the week to November 19 due to improved buying interest amid gains in upstream hot-rolled coil prices, market participants told Fastmarkets.Aluminium premiums in Europe and the United States declin...Read More
If you are a producer or consumer, or are active in the physical markets, then you had better be aware of a new set of regulations that will make it all the more important for you to choose the right logistics partner from next year.The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has ruled that from January 1, 2020, the marine sector will have to reduce sulfur emissions by more than 80% by switching...Read More
Most major aluminium producers agree that tackling the carbon intensity of the smelting process is one of the biggest challenges facing their industry. What they cannot agree on is how to deal with the situation, as a lively panel hosted by Fastmarkets during LME Week at the end of October showed. Aluminium smelting is an energy-intensive business and the market is starting to differentiate b...Read More
Bearish macroeconomic signals and oversupply have put minor metals and ferro-alloys prices variously under pressure over 2019; the structure and terms of contracts agreed over the coming weeks will show how market participants are accounting for those signals ahead of 2020. A slowing global economy alongside uncertainty over the China-United States trade dispute and Brexit have slowed minor metals...Read More
The three-month nickel price on the London Metal Exchange continued to fall at the close of trading on Wednesday November 20, with continued selling pressure and supportive forward spreads prompting the metal's lowest close since July.Nickel's outright price on the LME closed at $14,360 per tonne in the afternoon, falling by just over 2% from an intraday high of $14,695 per tonne. Turnover was at...Read More
Fastmarkets' US zinc premium was unchanged in the week to Tuesday November 19 from a week earlier due to the persistent backwardation in the metal's forward curve despite record lows in the stocks registered to the London Metal Exchange in the United States.US lead premiums remained flat as well but may rise in the coming weeks due to the fallout from the closure of Glencore's New Brunswick lead s...Read More
China continued to account for the bulk of the transactions in the seaborne coking coal market, with cargoes being traded in a tight price range.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $132.29 per tonne, up $0.38 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $144.07 per tonne, down $0.07 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $120.70 per tonne, unchangedHard coking coal, cfr Jingta...Read More
Copper has attempted to rebound since early September following a marked sell-off in the summer months where macro and fundamental forces have been prevalent.On the macro front, copper has benefited from a slight easing in US-China trade tensions and more monetary policy easing across the globe - including China, where copper consumption is the most exposed - that has shored up investor sentiment....Read More
The spot tin market is reportedly slow in all regions despite talk of forthcoming production cuts to tackle excess supply. 99.9% European tin premium declines for the first time in five months Trade in the United States holds in range but some say floor is moving lower Asian premiums hold in thin tradeEuropean premiums decline on excess supply, soft demandFastmarkets' tin 99.9% ingot premium, in-...Read More
Steel H-beam prices in Europe remained unchanged on Wednesday, November 20, despite feedstock costs continuing to rise, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel beams, domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?530-560 ($586-620) per tonne on November 20, unchanged week on week."Prices will remain stable until end of year, and this will support January prices,"...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday November 20 that are worth another look.Export prices for Chinese cold-rolled coil and hot-dipped galvanized coil rose during the week to November 19 due to improved buying interest amid gains in upstream hot-rolled coil prices, market participants told Fastmarkets.Aluminium premiums in Europe and the United States declin...Read More
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday November 20.Please click...Read More
Fastmarkets' US zinc premium was unchanged in the week to Tuesday November 19 from a week earlier due to the persistent backwardation in the metal's forward curve despite record lows in the stocks registered to the London Metal Exchange in the United States.US lead premiums remained flat as well but may rise in the coming weeks due to the fallout from the closure of Glencore's New Brunswick lead s...Read More
The nickel briquette premium in the United States rose for the second consecutive week amid enlivened spot activity in the week to Tuesday November 19, while premiums for all other grades in China and Europe remained unchanged on slack demand. United States briquette premiums increase at the top end of the range with sales moving higher week on weekChina full-plate premiums hold firm while appeti...Read More