Vale expects Chinese demand for iron ore pellets and pellet feed to rise by 50 million tonnes per year with mills in China increasing the usage of pellets in their blast furnaces.It estimates that pellet consumption could increase its proportion of the total raw material mix in blast furnaces from 11% in 2015 to 19% in 2025, according to a presentation that the Brazilian miner showed to investors...Read More
The import price for steel billet in the United Arab Emirates has narrowed over the past week and both import and domestic prices for rebar have fallen slightly, with demand for products only moderate, sources said on Tuesday October 8.New domestic prices for rebar for the month were announced by the country's producers on September 26. Both Emirates Steel and Conares reduced their prices.Billet i...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices moved down on Tuesday October 8 on heightened selling interest and weak futures on the first working day after the country's Golden Week. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,740-3,780 yuan ($525-530) per tonne, down 20-30 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,590-3,630 yuan per tonne, down 10 yuan per tonneStockists who built up their inventories late in Septembe...Read More
In a series of complaints, US steel and aluminium companies - among others - have alleged that four rail-service providers fixed their prices, overcharging customers by billions of dollars over a five-year period."In 2003, the four largest United States-based Class I railroads engaged in an extraordinary series of meetings, phone calls and email communications through which they embarked on a cons...Read More
The Brazilian automotive association, Anfavea, has lowered its forecast for production and sales in 2019, mainly due to a weak export market.Production is now estimated to reach a total of 2.94 million vehicles, compared with January's forecast of 3.14 million units, Anfavea said on Monday October 7.This would represent a growth of 2.1% from last year, when Brazil produced 2.88 million vehicles.An...Read More
Vale expects Chinese demand for iron ore pellets and pellet feed to rise by 50 million tonnes per year with mills in China increasing the usage of pellets in their blast furnaces.It estimates that pellet consumption could increase its proportion of the total raw material mix in blast furnaces from 11% in 2015 to 19% in 2025, according to a presentation that the Brazilian miner showed to investors...Read More
Brazilian domestic flat steel prices fell in October, when discounts became more widespread and steelmakers were announcing price increases to try to reverse the trend.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel hot-rolled coil, domestic, monthly, exw Brazil, was at 2,245-2,425 Reais ($546-590) per tonne on Friday October 4, down from 2,250-2,470 Reais per tonne on September 6.The assessment for&...Read More
A summary of base metals premiums from across the globe for the week to Tuesday October 8.Please click...Read More
The London Metal Exchange three-month copper price fell by 0.6% at the close of trading on Tuesday October 8 to $5,682 per tonne compared with $5,722 per tonne the previous day despite a doubling of lots traded from this morning, with just shy of 16,500 lots having changed hands by the afternoon kerb. The red metal's LME three-month price has ignored a 4,800 tonne outflow from LME-approved warehou...Read More
Turkish steel mills continued to stay out of the deep-sea scrap markets on Tuesday October 8 with prices unchanged on a lack of fresh bookings, according to market sources. Market participants told Fastmarkets that mills in Turkey booked a lot of cargoes for November shipment and can now take a break and focus on finished steel markets. But market participants believe...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Tuesday October 8 that are worth another look.The world's largest copper producer, Codelco, has offered customers in Asia 2020 copper cathode supply with premium levels unchanged from current levels, three informed sources told Fastmarkets.Export prices for Chinese cold-rolled coil and hot-dipped galvanized coil were unchanged duri...Read More
The whole battery supply chain will benefit from lithium benchmark pricing, Fastmarkets head of battery raw materials research William Adams says as he explores what is driving auto manufacturers to support this pricing mechanism. The auto industry is going through a period of unprecedented change due to companies introducing electric vehicles (EV) into their portfolios alongside internal combusti...Read More
The London Metal Exchange three-month copper price fell by 0.6% at the close of trading on Tuesday October 8 to $5,682 per tonne compared with $5,722 per tonne the previous day despite a doubling of lots traded from this morning, with just shy of 16,500 lots having changed hands by the afternoon kerb. The red metal's LME three-month price has ignored a 4,800 tonne outflow from LME-approved warehou...Read More
Physical iron ore prices rose on Tuesday October 8 on likely easing production restrictions in north China.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $94.77 per tonne, up $1.39 per tonne. 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines, cfr Qingdao: $94.05 per tonne, up $1.14 per tonne.62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $93.50 per tonne, up $1.78 per tonne. 58% Fe fines high-premium, cfr Qingdao...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil prices weakened on Tuesday October 8 after the market resumed trading following the country's Golden Week amid expectations of rising supply.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,610-3,620 yuan ($505-506) per tonne, down 10 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,560 yuan per tonne, down 20 yuan per tonneSellers lowered their prices in response to a declining futures marke...Read More
The increasing consumption of scrap and a potential shift toward the electric-arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking route from the basic oxygen furnace (BOF) route in China are medium- to long-term threats to demand for steelmaking raw materials, while in the near team coking coal import volumes will continue to be affected by iron ore procurement strategies.This was the basis of Fastmarkets research team...Read More
Poor demand continues to weigh on Indian silico-manganese prices. Indian silico-manganese prices now down for six weeks runningEuropean alloy prices hold steady in thin tradingManganese ore prices keep sliding on poor demand, plentiful supplyUS prices remain flat in inactive market. Indian silico-manganese export prices dropped for a sixth consecutive week due to persistent weak demand domesticall...Read More
The import price for steel billet in the United Arab Emirates has narrowed over the past week and both import and domestic prices for rebar have fallen slightly, with demand for products only moderate, sources said on Tuesday October 8.New domestic prices for rebar for the month were announced by the country's producers on September 26. Both Emirates Steel and Conares reduced their prices.Billet i...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Tuesday October 8 that are worth another look.The world's largest copper producer, Codelco, has offered customers in Asia 2020 copper cathode supply with premium levels unchanged from current levels, three informed sources told Fastmarkets.Export prices for Chinese cold-rolled coil and hot-dipped galvanized coil were unchanged duri...Read More
In a series of complaints, US steel and aluminium companies - among others - have alleged that four rail-service providers fixed their prices, overcharging customers by billions of dollars over a five-year period."In 2003, the four largest United States-based Class I railroads engaged in an extraordinary series of meetings, phone calls and email communications through which they embarked on a cons...Read More