Chilean state-owned copper producer Codelco has signed a labor agreement to last until 2024 with the No6 Benito Tapia Tapia trade union, which represents workers at its Salvador division, the company said on Wednesday September 15.The new agreement will be valid for 36 months. According to Codelco, 61% of the union's members voted in favor of taking no wage rise but having a settlement bonus of 4,...Read More
Imports of aluminium scrap into the United States fell by 6.22% month on month to 62,949 short tons in July compared with 67,130 short tons the month prior after a rise in deliveries of used beverage cans (UBCs) was outweighed by a drop in volumes of industrial and other aluminium scrap, according to the latest data from the US Commerce Department. But year-to-date aluminium scrap deliveries total...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices continued to fall on Thursday September 16 amid sustained demand weakness, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $107.21 per tonne, down $9.44 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $108.16 per tonne, down $9.64 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $79.65 per tonne, down $8.88 per tonne65% Fe...Read More
London Metal Exchange base-metals prices were mostly lower at the 5pm close of trading on Thursday September 16, with a rise in the US dollar and the intended release of more metal from China's reserves weighing on the complex.The US Dollar Index reached its highest on Thursday since August 27, with an intraday high of 92.97. The index was well bid, with investors expecting a hawkish view from the...Read More
Trading activity remained slow in the European hot-rolled coil market on Thursday September 16 because buyers held back from deals while they wait for a clearer price trend, sources told Fastmarkets.Buyers are waiting for the new quota period, which will start on October 1. Market sources said that large volumes of steel products are sitting in European Union ports awaiting customs clearance at th...Read More
An overview of the consumer electronics markets and their latest price moves in the week to Wednesday September 15.Read More
German steelmakers have settled their monthly steel scrap contracts for September at lower prices, following the trend in international markets and due to the increased availability of some scrap grades in the local market, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday September 15.The fall in prices of new scrap grades, including E8 grade, was less pronounced due to the continued short supply of material...Read More
Domestic prices for heavy plate in Europe declined in the week to Wednesday September 15 due to lower slab costs, sources told Fastmarkets.Sentiment in the market remains negative despite healthy demand."Demand is still good, whereas the sentiment is a bit more negative; everybody expects price reductions and has to state approximately ?,?100 per tonne loss on prices till now," a German distributo...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-dipped galvanized coil declined across Europe in the week to Wednesday September 15 due to weaker demand from the automotive segment, sources told Fastmarkets.The European Union automotive industry is unlikely to use as many coil products as the market expected because car manufacturers are working at reduced rates due to the global shortage of semiconductor chips for onboa...Read More
An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price moves.Alex Cook, Janie Davies...Read More
Fastmarkets has corrected the pricing rationale for MB-CO-0005 cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $ per lb, which was published incorrectly on Wednesday September 15 due to reporter errors.The range of offers was entered incorrectly for publication in the rationale as $24.30-24.80 per lb, and has been corrected to $24.60-24.80 per lb.One bid at $24.30 was discarded from the assessment due to...Read More
Chinese battery materials producer Xiamen Tungsten New Energy Materials (XTC) has struck a deal with CNGR Advanced Materials Co for the supply of cobalt tetroxide and ternary precursor materials, XTC announced on Wedmesday September 15.Under the agreement, which runs from September 14, 2021, to December 31, 2023, CNGR is expected to supply to XTC with 20,000-25,000 tonnes per year of cobalt tetrox...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange largely edged up on the morning of Wednesday September 15 after a day of weakness, but those on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were weaker because they followed movements in London on Tuesday and reacted to weaker Chinese economic data.China retail sales rose by just 2.5% in August after a 8.5% rise in JulyChinese industrial production climbed 5.3% in...Read More
Export prices for Japanese ferrous scrap received a boost after key local buyer Tokyo Steel said it would pay more for the steelmaking raw material, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday September 15.fob Japan scrap market participants expect further price increasesChina buyers remain wary amid production cutsJapanese H1&H2 scrap (50:50) loses appeal in TaiwanJapanTokyo Steel, Japan's largest oper...Read More
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday September 15.Please click...Read More
China's domestic spot market for high-carbon ferro-chrome went up in the week to Tuesday September 14, reflecting tight availability and an expectation of good consumer demand.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for ferro-chrome, spot, 6-8% C, basis 50% Cr, ddp China, rose by 100-200 yuan per tonne to 10,000-10,300 yuan ($1,553-1,599) per tonne on Tuesday, from 9,800-10,200 yuan per tonne previou...Read More
Producers continued to raise their offer prices for low-carbon ferro-chrome during the week to Tuesday September 14 amid tight supply, high costs and uncertain logistics.Fastmarkets' price assessment for ferro-chrome 0.10% C, average 65-70% Cr, delivered Europe was $2.78-3.10 per lb Cr on Tuesday, an increase of 5 cents, or 1.7%, from $2.73-$3.05 per lb Cr one week earlier."Several of the producer...Read More
Shanghai copper premiums rose in the week to Tuesday September 14 with the market becoming quieter ahead of a national holiday in China, while in the United States copper cathodes continued to trade at multi-year high prices.Chinese electro-refined (ER) cathode import premiums hit peak of $85-95 per tonne before decliningUS market continues to be strongShanghai premiums rise ahead of holidayChina'...Read More
London Metal Exchange prices bounced back on September 15, with lead the only metal under selling pressure. Aluminium had an intraday high of $2,924 per tonne. This is its highest price since it touched $3,000 per tonne on Monday prior to the sell-off on Monday afternoon. Its closing price was lower, at $2,893 per tonne, but still 2.2% higher than Tuesday's closing price. Similarly, nickel's...Read More
Negative sentiment is prevailing among European buyers of hot-rolled coil, but mills managed to keep prices fairly stable in Italy and Northern Europe on Wednesday September 15, sources told Fastmarkets.Reduced demand from the automotive sector and cheap import material booked earlier this year that has arrived in the European Union and is awaiting customs clearance have been supporting the bearis...Read More