Canadian mineral exploration and development company Turquoise Hill Resources (THR) has announced its 2019 second-quarter financial results, reporting a $600 million impairment at its Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold-silver project in Southern Mongolia amid company losses amounting to $736.7 million. Oyu Tolgoi, the company's principal mining project located in the Gobi Desert, is 66% owned by THR and 34% b...Read More
Equities sold off after the US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) suggested that its rate cut was simply a mid-cycle adjustment rather than the start of monetary easing.Metals followed them lower but better Chinese manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) data may provide support.The US Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down by 1.23%China's Caixin PMI climbed to 49.9 in July from 49.4 in...Read More
Key data from the Wednesday July 31 pricing session in Shanghai and London. Key drivers Cobalt hydroxide payables recover slightly in the second half of July alongside a slight recovery in cobalt sulfate prices in the last week of the month. Greater optimism in China comes from falling standard grade cobalt prices, which eases production margins. Inquiries and business both...Read More
A summary of ArcelorMittal's financial results for the second quarter of 2019.In briefSecond-quarter earnings dropped due to combination of declining steel prices and higher raw material costs, the world's largest steelmaker said on Thursday August 1.Fastmarkets' price assessment of steel HRC, domestic, exw Northern Europe averaged ?,?492.69 ($548.34) per tonne in the second quarter of 2019...Read More
The energy sector will play a major role in bolstering steel plate prices in the remaining months of 2019, a source close to a leading Japanese steelmaker told Fastmarkets this week. "There has been a surge in demand from end users in the energy sector, including major oil and gas companies," the source said. The demand for steel plates is coming from oil and gas projects in the Sea of Mexico, Aus...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil exporters lowered their offers on Thursday August 1 amid a declining domestic market.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,810-3,820 yuan ($553-555) per tonne, down 20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,810 yuan per tonne, down 10 yuan per tonneSpot prices dropped even though mills kept their official ex-works prices steady, with trading activity reported as being thi...Read More
The prices of steel billet and rebar in Egypt were stable in the week ended Thursday August 1 on weak demand, due to continuing uncertainty over the country's import duties."Offer prices are high, but nobody wants to book [material] before the duty situation is finalized," a local market source told Fastmarkets.In April, Egypt imposed a temporary additional import duty on rebar and billet in respo...Read More
Turkish domestic rebar and wire rod prices have gone down on the strengthening of the country's lira, although demand was very poor in the summer holiday period, sources said on Thursday August 1.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, exw Turkey, was TRY2,980-3,020 ($536-544) per tonne on Thursday, down from last week's TRY3,080-3,100 per tonne.The price...Read More
The Turkish long steel export markets have been very slow over the past seven days due to weak summer demand and trade protection measures, sources said on Thursday August 1.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar) export, fob main port Turkey, was $450-460 per tonne on an actual weight basis on Thursday, unchanged from last week.The mills in Turkey were offering reba...Read More
Steel mills in Turkey continued to stay out of the deep-sea scrap markets because of limited trading activity in the finished long steel and billet markets, sources said on Thursday August 1.Despite offers for Baltic Sea- and US-origin HMS 1&2 (80:20) at around $290-295 per tonne cfr levels, mills have been unwilling to pay those prices before selling some of their own products. "There are Baltic...Read More
A summary of ArcelorMittal's financial results for the second quarter of 2019.In briefSecond-quarter earnings dropped due to combination of declining steel prices and higher raw material costs, the world's largest steelmaker said on Thursday August 1.Fastmarkets' price assessment of steel HRC, domestic, exw Northern Europe averaged ?,?492.69 ($548.34) per tonne in the second quarter of 2019...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices fell on Thursday August 1, tracking a downtrend in the futures market.Fastmarkets' index for iron ore 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $115.68 per tonne, down $1.47 per tonne. Fastmarkets' index for iron ore 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines, cfr Qingdao: $114.18 per tonne, down $1.47 per tonne. Fastmarkets' index for iron ore 62% Fe low alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $115.88 per tonne, d...Read More
The prices of steel billet and rebar in Egypt were stable in the week ended Thursday August 1 on weak demand, due to continuing uncertainty over the country's import duties."Offer prices are high, but nobody wants to book [material] before the duty situation is finalized," a local market source told Fastmarkets.In April, Egypt imposed a temporary additional import duty on rebar and billet in respo...Read More
Weakening demand coupled with declining futures weighed on China's rebar prices on Thursday August 1. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,880-3,920 yuan ($562-568) per tonne, down 20-40 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,820-3,850 yuan per tonne, widened downward by 10 yuan per tonneRebar demand in the construction sector continued to drop due to bad weather. Rain has been forecast over la...Read More
Stainless steel prices in East Asia declined over the past week with demand remaining sluggish after producers raised their offers in response to a strengthening nickel market.For instance, Yieh United Steel Corp (Yusco) and Tang Eng Iron Works - two major mills in Taiwan - announced at the end of July that they would increase their offers for grade 304 stainless hot-rolled and cold-rolled product...Read More
The energy sector will play a major role in bolstering steel plate prices in the remaining months of 2019, a source close to a leading Japanese steelmaker told Fastmarkets this week. "There has been a surge in demand from end users in the energy sector, including major oil and gas companies," the source said. The demand for steel plates is coming from oil and gas projects in the Sea of Mexico, Aus...Read More
The iron ore market continued to trend upward in July, with prices for 62% Fe materials rising to $120-per-tonne levels, which have not been seen since February 2014. Steady demand for steel products sustained prices for iron ore, and even production curbs in China's steelmaking hub of Tangshan implemented last month to improve air quality did not reverse the direction of the market, several sourc...Read More
Zinc was lower at the close of trading on the London Metal Exchange on Thursday August 1, falling by some 1.3%, although nickel eked out some gains above $14,500 per tonne. Zinc and lead futures were the day's underperformers, closing at $2,404 per tonne while and below resistance at $2,000 per tonne respectively. The zinc-lead price differential, or switch, continues to narrow from earlier this y...Read More
Shanghai-bonded copper stocks hit an eight-month low at the end of July due to a fall in refined copper imports so far this year, while nickel and aluminium inventory rose due to arbitrage losses that are discouraging traders from delivering materials out of the bonded zone. Copper stocks hit their lowest level since mid-November Zinc stocks declined amid long-contract clearance, transshipme...Read More
Steel mills in Turkey continued to stay out of the deep-sea scrap markets because of limited trading activity in the finished long steel and billet markets, sources said on Thursday August 1.Despite offers for Baltic Sea- and US-origin HMS 1&2 (80:20) at around $290-295 per tonne cfr levels, mills have been unwilling to pay those prices before selling some of their own products. "There are Baltic...Read More