The price of stainless-steel flat products in Europe increased this week because of higher monthly alloy surcharges for August, which themselves have increased on a spike in nickel costs this month, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday July 26. Fastmarkets' assessment of the stainless steel cold-rolled sheet 2mm grade 304 transaction domestic, delivered North Europe, price was ?,?2,190-2,250 ($2,440...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in China, Europe and the United States for the week ending Friday July 26. China Chrome ore prices continued to rise amid bullish sentiment and strong demand from downstream consumers even though some smelters are running at a loss. Chinese major stainless steel mill Tsingshan released its August tender price at 6,296 yuan...Read More
Producers of hot-rolled (HR) stainless flat steel in Europe have sufficient spare capacity to service the EU market, "with domestic deliveries having lost out to massive rises in import levels, despite the EU safeguard measures," European steel association Eurofer told Fastmarkets on Friday July 26.EU producers of stainless HR sheets and strips had average capacity utilization of 69-73% in the yea...Read More
Mill maintenancesin South Korea and weak demand from end users have caused ferrous scrap import prices in Asia to fall week on week.Two electric-arc furnace-based steel mills in South Korea have started mill maintenances, while another EAF-based mill and one major integrated mill in South Korea will start mill maintenances from end-July.Weak downstream steel markets and high inventory levels in ke...Read More
The three-month price of nickel on the London Metal Exchange continued its descent at the close of trading on Thursday July 25, falling by some 3.4% to close just above the $14,000 per tonne threshold, while lead futures climbed by 1.5% to breach nearby resistance levels.Three-month nickel futures closed at $14,075 per tonne in the afternoon, tumbling from an intraday high of $14,545 per tonne des...Read More
The London Metal Exchange has launched a consultation process on warehousing reforms that aims to attract higher stock levels, Matthew Chamberlain, LME chief executive, announced on Thursday July 25. The consultation began on Thursday and is open until September 2019. It includes changes to evergreen rent deals and the controversial queue-based rent capping (QBRC) rule as well as the introduction...Read More
Nickel's three-month price on the London Metal Exchange was lower during morning trading on Thursday July 25, selling off by some 3.8% across European trading hours against weak economic data from the region. The metal's three-month price fell to an intra-morning low of $13,995 per tonne in this morning's session, down by just under 4% from Wednesday's closing price of $14,550 per tonne. The...Read More
Canadian minor metals and specialty chemicals producer 5N Plus has "significantly" reduced the production of bismuth at its refining and recycling facilities and will increase procurement of the material due to low metal prices, the company said on Monday July 22. Until now, 5N Plus has relied on process technologies to extract bismuth from the various residues and secondary streams in its refinin...Read More
Turkish steel producers stayed out of the deep-sea scrap market on Thursday July 25 and are expected to remain absent until the end of the week, sources told Fastmarkets.Market participants reported "silence" in the market since a steel mill in the Marmara region of Turkey, bought a mixed cargo from the United States...Read More
There is some optimism in the markets because US-China trade talks are on the agenda again and expectations are running high for dovish talk from the European Central Bank (ECB) at its meeting later on Thursday July 25.Manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) data out on Wednesday was generally negative, apart from a pick-up in Japan's figure.Asian equities are showing strength with China's...Read More
Key data from the Wednesday July 24 pricing session in Shanghai. Key driversThe price of cobalt metal in China is steady so far this week after narrowing upward on July 19 against a backdrop of aggressive speculative buying. But the number of spot trades fell despite active inquiries after investors took a more cautious stance following the increase in prices. Spot availability...Read More
Domestic prices for heavy steel plate have been largely stable across Europe over the past week in the slow market, sources told Fastmarkets this week.Demand will decline further in August due to the traditional market slowdown over the summer period."The market is slow, which is normal at this time of the year," an Italian source said."Mills will try to increase offers [for plate] in Se...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil prices rebounded on Thursday July 25 in line with rising futures bolstered by expectations of stricter production curbs toward the end of the month.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,840-3,860 yuan ($558-561) per tonne, up 10 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,840-3,850 yuan per tonne, up 10 yuan per tonnePrices rebounded amid an increase in trading activity in the...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday July 25 that are worth another look.The United States' non-ferrous scrap export market was mixed through May, with year-to-date shipments of aluminium scrap rising while those of copper scrap fell versus the same period last year. Even after US President Donald Trump reduced the Section 232 tariff applied to US imports of Turki...Read More
Even after US President Donald Trump reduced the Section 232 tariff applied to US imports of Turkish steel back to 25%, rebar shipments from that country are unlikely to make a splash in the US market, given declining domestic prices and ongoing geopolitical tensions, Fastmarkets understands. When the decision to cut the previously doubled tariffs in half was announced in late May, sources anticip...Read More
The Brazilian steel association, A??o Brasil, has slashed its forecasts for steel production and consumption in 2019, because of a weak performance in the first half of the year, it said on Thursday July 25.Steel output was now expected to reach 35.55 million tonnes this year, growth of only 0.40% from the 35.41 million tonnes produced in 2018.This compared with the previous expectation for growth...Read More
Turkish steel producers stayed out of the deep-sea scrap market on Thursday July 25 and are expected to remain absent until the end of the week, sources told Fastmarkets.Market participants reported "silence" in the market since a steel mill in the Marmara region of Turkey, bought a mixed cargo from the United States...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices pushed up on Thursday July 25, with firmer spot trades supporting the increases, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets' index for iron ore 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $117 per tonne, up $2.03 per tonne. Fastmarkets' index for iron ore 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines, cfr Qingdao: $116.92 per tonne, up $2.03 per tonne. Fastmarkets' index for iron ore 62% Fe low alumina fines, cfr...Read More
The CIS export billet market has softened through the past week amid a lack of interest among customers in the major outlet regions, Fastmarkets heard on Thursday July 25.Fastmarkets' daily steel billet index, export, fob Black Sea, CIS, was $415 per tonne on July 25, down by $2 per tonne day on day.Offers of CIS-origin billet from mills and traders were heard around $415-425 per tonne fob Black S...Read More
The headwinds created by political uncertainties, on-and-off trade negotiations and the enactment of tariffs hurt mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity in the metals sector during the second quarter of this year, according to a quarterly report by consultancy group PwC. While overall deal volume remained relatively consistent with the trailing 12-month average, overall disclosed deal volume decl...Read More