Market participants have kept a close eye on the softening European selenium price over the summer for clues on how the market will perform from September when activity usually starts to pick up. Fastmarkets assessed the price of selenium in-whs Rotterdam at $7.50-9.50 per lb on Friday August 30, unchanged from the previous assessment but still under pressure with several offers pending at th...Read More
Fastmarkets presents five main takeaways from the Ferroalloynet 16th International Manganese Products conference in Ulanqab, in northern China's Inner Mongolia, on August 28-30. Growth of steel demand in China likely to slow in H2 2019... Both supply and demand for steel in China will maintain a relatively steady pace in the second half of the year, but the growth rate will be slower compared with...Read More
The Turkish steel producers have started the week quietly, and have not booked any new deep-sea scrap cargoes despite a heavy drop in prices last week, sources said on Monday September 2.The markets have been silent since August 27, when prices dropped by $11.55 per tonne day on day on news of the latest trades.Since then, however, traders have stepped back...Read More
While lack of progress on United States-China trade talks remains ever present, the potential removal of the logjam over Hong Kong seems to be providing some cheer across markets.Europe, Japan and the US are now suffering manufacturing contraction, but there are early signs that parts of China’s economy are starting to recover. Following a rebound in the Caixin manufacturing purchasing m...Read More
U.S. equity index futures moved higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 25 points in pre-opening trade. Index futures responded to news that the extradition bill in Hong Kong has been withdrawn. The Hang Seng Index gained 3.9% in overnight trade. Index futures were virtually unchanged following release of the July U.S. Trade Deficit at 8:30 AM EDT. Consensus was a deficit of $53.50 billio...Read More
Treatment charges for zinc and lead (TCs) rose in August with the arbitrage to bring material into China switching markedly to a negative value.TCs for lead concentrates in particular rose sharply, to levels not seen in the past two years. The arbitrage loss to bring refined lead into China hit 1,100-2,300 yuan ($154-321) per tonne at the end of the month, with the futures price rising on the Lond...Read More
The three-month nickel price on the London Metal Exchange closed higher on Monday September 2, just above the $18,000 per tonne level, despite losing 4% of morning gains, while tin's outright price also failed to maintain upward momentum. Volumes traded in nickel topped the complex over the afternoon, with just under 15,000 lots changing hands by the close, while turnover in tin reached 900 lots b...Read More
The ample availability of stock and poor demand for aluminium in Asia have led market participants to expect a downtrend for fourth quarter main Japan ports (MJP) premiums, Fastmarkets heard on Monday September 2.Widely considered Asia's main benchmark price level, Fastmarkets assessed the aluminium P1020A MJP spot premium, cif Japan at $85-95 per tonne on Friday August 30, flat for the third cons...Read More
Treatment charges for zinc and lead (TCs) rose in August with the arbitrage to bring material into China switching markedly to a negative value.TCs for lead concentrates in particular rose sharply, to levels not seen in the past two years. The arbitrage loss to bring refined lead into China hit 1,100-2,300 yuan ($154-321) per tonne at the end of the month, with the futures price rising on the Lond...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in London and Shanghai in the week ended Friday August 30. China Key drivers China's ammonium paratungstate (APT) export market was kept stable over the past week by limited spot trading.The announcement of the auction of all APT stocks held by the collapsed Fanya Metal Exchange is adding to already bearish sentiment in the market in China and Europe. ...Read More
Norwegian aluminium producer Norsk Hydro and the Brazilian federal prosecutors' office (MPF) have filed a joint petition to remove the embargoes on Alunorte's new bauxite residue deposit area. The petition has been sent to the Federal Court in Bel?(C)m, Brazil, who put an embargo in place at the Alunorte alumina refinery on March 1, 2018, to suspend the use of the solid waste deposit 2 (DRS2). Emb...Read More
Key data from the Friday August 30 pricing session in Shanghai and London. Key driversCobalt hydroxide payables rose in the second half of August following news that Glencore will close its copper-cobalt Muntanda mine by the end of this year.Demand increased when consumers intended to secure units before the hydroxide price...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in London and Shanghai in the week ended Friday August 30. China Key drivers The Chinese export silicon price moved up for the second consecutive week in response to tight supply in domestic market due to increased buying from Chinese secondary aluminum alloy producers who are ramping up production before China's National Day holiday (October 1-7) when prod...Read More
The Turkish steel producers have started the week quietly, and have not booked any new deep-sea scrap cargoes despite a heavy drop in prices last week, sources said on Monday September 2.The markets have been silent since August 27, when prices dropped by $11.55 per tonne day on day on news of the latest trades.Since then, however, traders have stepped back...Read More
Domestic prices for auto bundle steel scrap and shipbreaking scrap in Turkey have decreased because of poor demand, sources said on Monday September 2.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel scrap, auto bundle scrap, domestic, delivered Turkey, was TRY1,520-1,770 ($260-303) per tonne on September 2, widening downward from last week's TRY1,580-1,770 per tonne.A number of steel mills have dec...Read More
Fastmarkets proposes to discontinue five of its precious metals prices to focus attention on our core markets. The prices being proposed for discontinuation are as follows:Platinum min 99.9% Europe Free Market $ per troy oz in warehousePalladium min 99.9% Europe Free Market $ per troy oz in warehouseRhodium min 99.9% Europe Free Market $ per troy oz in warehouseIridium ingot min 99.9% Europe Free...Read More
While nickel is in the spotlight, the rest of the base metals are still being pulled and pushed by the combination of higher tariffs on US imports of Chinese goods and China's plans to support its economy with further spending on infrastructure.Chinese manufacturing data also showed mixed results with the official purchasing managers index (PMI) falling to 49.5 from 49.7, while the Caixin manufact...Read More
Key data from the Friday August 30 pricing session in Shanghai and London. Key driversCobalt hydroxide payables rose in the second half of August following news that Glencore will close its copper-cobalt Muntanda mine by the end of this year.Demand increased when consumers intended to secure units before the hydroxide price...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil prices gained some strength on Monday September 2 amid rising iron ore futures.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,640-3,660 yuan ($509-511) per tonne, up 20-30 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,630-3,640 yuan per tonne, up 20-30 yuan per tonneA pick-up in trading activity propped up prices in both Shanghai and Tangshan, trading sources said.The increases were larg...Read More
The price of rebar and wire rod exported from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) dropped in the week to Monday September 2, pressured by weak demand in the major sales outlets as well as in rival markets amid increased competition and slower projects realization.Falling scrap and billet costs were another negative factor affecting steel sales and prices in the global market.Recent wire r...Read More