Key data from the July 4 pricing session in London and Shanghai.Fastmarkets' benchmark daily fob Australia alumina index declined to $318.10 per tonne on Thursday July 4 from $319.28 per tonne on the previous day. It remains at its lowest since August 2017 and is down by 12% from $363.08 per tonne on June 4.Chinese free market, metallurgical grade alumina fell to 2,700-2,750 yuan ($400.20) per ton...Read More
Growth in South African manganese ore exports continued to slow in the first six months of 2019, shipping data shows. Manganese ore exports from South Africa climbed by about 8% to 8.97 million tonnes in the first six months of the year from the same period in 2018.This compares with an increase of 17% year on year between January-June 2017 and January-June 2018. In the relevant period of 2017, ex...Read More
Cobalt trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets. Cobalt trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets. Unless otherwise stated, all prices are per lb on an in-warehouse basis. Delivered prices are netted back. Fastmarkets prices Click here for Fastmarkets' price assessment for standard-grade cobalt, in-warehouse, $ per lb Click here for Fastmark...Read More
While US equities remain upbeat on expectations for looser monetary policy, the base metals continue to reflect the soft economic conditions brought about by the lack of a United States-China trade deal.The strong rebound in gold after the recent correction suggests some investors remain nervous about what lies round the corner.US stocks close at record levels with the S&P 500 closing in on the 3,...Read More
Cobalt trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets. Cobalt trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets. Unless otherwise stated, all prices are per lb on an in-warehouse basis. Delivered prices are netted back. Fastmarkets prices Click here for Fastmarkets' price assessment for standard-grade cobalt, in-warehouse, $ per lb Click here for Fastmark...Read More
The European Commission (EC) should remove its 5% import quota increase as it makes safeguard measures ineffective and puts jobs in the EU steel segment at risk, the European steel association (Eurofer) said on July 3."We call on the EC to heed our call and those of member states that have already expressed concerns about the rise - and to respond by undoing this out-of-step expansion before it fu...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil prices were unchanged on Thursday July 4 although trading activity dropped in the afternoon after futures declined amid chatter that a group of Chinese steelmakers has planned a working group to study the import iron ore market where prices have hit record highs this year.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,890-3,900 yuan ($565-567) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Tianj...Read More
Turkish authorities are considering whether to launch a trade defense case against imports of hot-rolled coil (HRC) from the EU, market sources have told Fastmarkets.European mills have increased their HRC export volumes recently, particularly to Turkey, due to the weak demand in their home markets."The start of an anti-dumping case against EU-origin HRC will entirely depend on the attitude of the...Read More
Steel import volumes into Spain fell to 3.51 million tonnes in January-April 2019, down by 3.1% from 3.62 million tonnes in the corresponding period in 2018, according to Unesid, the country's steel association.Import volumes from non-EU countries fell by 5.8% to 1.17 million tonnes in the first four months of 2019, from 1.24 million tonnes in January-April 2018, with Unesid noting the swift exhau...Read More
The European Commission (EC) has re-adopted a cartel ruling against five Italian rebar producers and imposed fines totalling ?,?16.07 million ($18.14 million), it said on Thursday July 4.The decision related to the companies' participation in a price-fixing cartel between December 1989 and July 2000.The five steelmakers named by the EC were Alfa Acciai, Feralpi, Ferriere Nord (Pittini), Partecipaz...Read More
The price of steel billet imported into Egypt increased in the week to July 4 on higher offers, despite poor domestic demand."Higher offers are because of high scrap and iron ore prices," a local market source told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' daily index for Northern Europe-origin HMS 1&2 (80:20) scrap was calculated at $291.88 per tonne cfr on July 4, up from $273.88 per tonne...Read More
The market for pig iron exports from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) has strengthened over the past week following rises in the prices for iron ore and ferrous scrap.Fastmarkets' price assessment for low-manganese pig iron exports, fob main port Baltic Sea, CIS, was up by $5 per tonne to $355-360 per tonne on July 4.Offers of material from Russia's Tulachermet to Europe were reported...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices fell on Thursday July 4, while futures prices on the Dalian Commodity Exchange plunged after hitting a five-year high earlier this week.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $122.03 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $2.72 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $122.03 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $2.72 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $124 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $...Read More
Turkish billet prices have increased over the past week on the back of an uptick in imported scrap costs, sources said on Thursday July 4.Billet suppliers in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) raised their offers to $440-445 per tonne cfr levels for Turkish customers. However, there was no significant trading activity heard so far this week.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for...Read More
The price of steel billet imported into Egypt increased in the week to July 4 on higher offers, despite poor domestic demand."Higher offers are because of high scrap and iron ore prices," a local market source told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' daily index for Northern Europe-origin HMS 1&2 (80:20) scrap was calculated at $291.88 per tonne cfr on July 4, up from $273.88 per tonne...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices were relatively steady on Thursday July 4 amid mild movements in the futures market, though the export segment continued to weaken on soft demand.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,970-4,000 yuan ($577-581) per tonne, up 10 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,920-3,950 yuan per tonne, widened downward by 10 yuan per tonneSellers in eastern China raised their p...Read More
Stainless steel prices in Europe were likely to remain under pressure due to a longer-than-usual summer slowdown and the renewal of the region's safeguarding quota allocations, while in the United States the determining factor was likely to be the level of alloy surcharges.Meanwhile, the resumption of trade talks between the US and China was likely to boost market activity in Asia.EuropeParticipan...Read More
Import prices for stainless steel in East Asia rose over the past week following a surge in the price of nickel.Producers will attempt to sustain the upward trend in stainless steel prices going forward under the pretext of higher nickel costs, a trader in Taiwan said.But a trader in northern China said the jump in the price of nickel had been too abrupt and buyers are likely to be unwil...Read More
The European Commission (EC) should remove its 5% import quota increase as it makes safeguard measures ineffective and puts jobs in the EU steel segment at risk, the European steel association (Eurofer) said on July 3."We call on the EC to heed our call and those of member states that have already expressed concerns about the rise - and to respond by undoing this out-of-step expansion before it fu...Read More
Turkish authorities are considering whether to launch a trade defense case against imports of hot-rolled coil (HRC) from the EU, market sources have told Fastmarkets.European mills have increased their HRC export volumes recently, particularly to Turkey, due to the weak demand in their home markets."The start of an anti-dumping case against EU-origin HRC will entirely depend on the attitude of the...Read More