A summary of base metals premiums from across the globe for the week to Tuesday October 29.Please click...Read More
Brazilian company Atlantic Nickel has resumed operations at its Santa Rita mine in the northeastern state of Bahia, and is producing concentrates at the site, owner Appian Capital Advisory said on Monday October 28.At the same time, Atlantic Nickel is finishing the drilling campaign for an underground mine phase, and is expected to update its reserve calculation statement during the first quarter...Read More
The copper market is largely shrugging off the positive price effects of supply constraints and is focusing its attention on the negative consequences on growth of the trade wars, the chief executive officer of Freeport-McMoRan has said.As long as this remains the case, copper prices appear unlikely to strengthen significantly, although a return to a more stable and positive relationship between C...Read More
Indonesian officials said on Tuesday October 29 that their country's ban on the export of nickel ore will begin in January 2020, as previously scheduled, once a review of irregular ore exporting practices is concluded.This reverses reports on October 28 that the ban would begin with immediate effect.The review is likely to be finished in a week or two, Luhut Pandjaitan, Indonesia's coordinating mi...Read More
Most flat steel import prices in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia were stable this week amid limited demand, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday October 29.Buyers were reluctant to book large tonnages due to falling prices as well as weak end-user demand, they said.UAEOffer prices for hot-rolled coil (HRC) from China were heard in the UAE at $440-450 per tonne cfr this week, wit...Read More
Import prices for steel billet in the United Arab Emirates increased over the past week, while domestic and import rebar values decreased, market sources said on Tuesday October 29.Domestic prices for rebar for the month were announced by the country's producers on October 21. Both Emirates Steel and Conares Steel kept their prices unchanged.Billet importsOne billet booking was made from Oman at a...Read More
Export prices for hot-rolled and cold-rolled coil from the Commonwealth of Independent States continued to fall during the week ended Monday October 28, although market sources told Fastmarkets they doubted the market could decline much further. Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel HRC export, fob Black Sea, CIS was $360-375 per tonne on October 21, down from $375-385 per tonne a week ear...Read More
A new Singapore Steel Forum will kick off for the first time next year as part of Singapore Iron Ore Week (SIOW) 2020.Fastmarkets will drive the forum together with the Singapore Exchange (SGX) and Enterprise Singapore as part of an expanded SIOW, which will be held on May 18-21 2020 at Sands Expo & Convention Centre. The Singapore Steel Forum will be held on May 20 and will include global steelma...Read More
Chinese steelmakers kept their export offers for hot-rolled coil unchanged on Tuesday October 29 amid a stable domestic market.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,500-3,520 yuan ($495-498) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,500 yuan per tonne, unchangedSteady demand kept domestic prices unchanged during the day.A Shanghai-based trader thinks demand will be sustained for several days...Read More
The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for hot-rolled coil, cold-rolled coil, hot-dipped galvanized coil, pre-painted galvanized iron, plate, sheet and other flat steel products. Latest transaction: hot-rolled coilHot-rolled coilEast China, domestic, commercial-grade...Read More
The decline in Asian hot-rolled coil prices has continued to apply downward pressure on slab prices in the region, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel slab imports, cfr Southeast Asia and East Asia, was $375-380 per tonne on Monday October 28, as compared with $370-385 per tonne from a week earlier.During the week to Monday, a Russian producer...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices were down on Tuesday October 29 amid market uncertainty about demand levels in winter.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $86.64 per tonne, down $1.34 per tonne.62% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, cfr Qingdao: $86.46 per tonne, down $1.34 per tonne.62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $85.25 per tonne, down $1.40 per tonne.58% Fe fines high-prem...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices remained steady on Tuesday October 29, although spot market activity emerged in the pulverized coal injection (PCI) sector.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $146.40 per tonne, unchangedPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $161.53 per tonne, unchangedHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $129.36 per tonne, unchangedHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $141.14 pe...Read More
The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions against producer UC Rusal was potentially deadly for a company so heavily reliant on international trade, Lord Greg Barker, executive chairman of EN+ Group said.Speaking at the LME Week seminar on Monday October 28, Barker said working to find a way for the sanctions to be lifted was 'do or die' for the company."...Read More
The aluminium industry needs to be transparent about its carbon emissions and the London Metal Exchange has a key role to play in ensuring this happens, Lord Greg Barker said in an interview at LME Week 2019.Being interviewed by LME chairman Sir Brian Bender on Monday October 28, the executive chairman of EN+ Group said that, to ensure this happens, the LME should publish the carbon...Read More
The three-month nickel price on the London Metal Exchange increased during morning trading on Tuesday October 29, with news of Indonesia's imposition of a ban on exporting raw ore bolstering its price action. Although the news of the ban did little to boost price action on Monday, nickel futures were recently trading 1.1% higher at $16,735 per tonne. Correspondingly, nickel's traded volumes w...Read More
U.S. equity indices were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 2 point in pre-opening trade. Investors are waiting for news from the Federal Reserve on the Fed Fund rate to be released at 2:00 PM EDT. Consensus is that the Federal Reserve will lower the Fed Fund rate by another 0.25%.Index futures were virtually unchanged following release of economic news prior to opening. Consensus fo...Read More
The three-month nickel price on the London Metal Exchange was lower at the close of trading on Monday October 28, falling by a little less than 2% against high turnover, while copper's outright price breached nearby resistance.Nickel's outright price closed at $16,640 per tonne, while some 9,730 lots were exchanged by the close. The metal reached an intraday high of $17,025 per tonne, its highest...Read More
The premium for aluminium billet in the United States fell to a record low on Friday October 25 due to to continued sluggish demand, while premiums in Europe and Brazil remained under pressure. US premium at record lowEuropean traders holding onto $300 per tonne levelLow spot demand in BrazilThailand premium falls US billet premium drops to all-time lowFastmarkets' aluminium 6063 extrusion billet...Read More
Responsible sourcing is top of the agenda for many companies in the metals space, partly driven by the LME's push for an industry standard, yet an LME Week panel discussion suggested the industry could do so much more. Speaking at an LME Week 2019 discussion on environmental sourcing on Monday October 28, panelists from APG Asset Management, Trafigura and the World Economic Forum set out...Read More