Reinforcing bar prices in the United States have hit a more than 14-month low, with market sources expecting lackluster demand, abundant supply, falling scrap costs, trade-related uncertainties and slowing business conditions to weaken prices further. Fastmarkets' price assessment for domestic rebar fell to $33.50-34 per hundredweight ($670-680 per short ton) fob mill on Wednesday June 5, its lowe...Read More
International metals group Liberty House is unlikely to bid for troubled UK long steel producer British Steel, Fastmarkets has heard.Liberty House declined to comment on the subject at the time of publication."British Steel doesn't really fit in with their business model, which is based on recycling steel scrap rather than primary steel production," an industry source told Fastmarkets on Thursday...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil prices weakened again on Thursday June 6 on thin trading amid bearish sentiment and rising inventory levels.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,840-3,850 yuan ($556-557) per tonne, down 30 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,790-3,800 yuan per tonne, down 10 yuan per tonneTransaction prices fell nationwide despite mills keeping their offers steady, with buyers being r...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices retreated on Thursday June 6 on softer demand amid losses in the futures market. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,890-3,930 yuan ($563-569) per tonne, down 30 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,840-3,890 yuan per tonne, down 10 yuan per tonneStockists cut their prices to secure more sales ahead of the long weekend, with China observing a public holiday on F...Read More
The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for hot-rolled coil, cold-rolled coil, hot-dipped galvanized coil, pre-painted galvanized iron, steel plate, steel sheet and other flat steel products.Latest transaction: hot-rolled coilHot-rolled coilEast China, domestic, commercial-grade...Read More
The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for steel billet, slab and bloom.Latest transaction: billetBillet China,...Read More
The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for iron ore, pig iron, direct-reduced iron and other steelmaking raw materials.Latest transactions: iron oreIron oreBHP, Global Ore, 90,000 tonnes of 58% Fe Yandi fines, traded at the July average of two 62%...Read More
The cfr China segment of the seaborne coking coal market continued to weaken on Thursday June 6, with a cargo of premium materials being traded below prevailing levels.A cargo of a top Australian brand scheduled for loading over July 10-24 was sold to a Chinese trader at $204.67 per tonne cfr China, various sources told Fastmarkets.The same brand had changed hands at $212.77 per tonne cfr China mo...Read More
Vale has lowered the alert level at its Vargem Grande dam following a series of structural improvements made since January in the wake of a deadly breach of another."The Vargem Grande dam, located in the Ab??boras mine in Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, Brazil, had its emergency action plan for mining dams level reduced from 2 to 1," Vale said on Wednesday June 5.Vale did not announce any related changes...Read More
Zinc's three-month price on the London Metal Exchange climbed by more than 2% during morning trading on Thursday June 6, breaching its nearby $2,500 per tonne resistance level while the metal's forward spreads begin to show signs of easing. Volumes traded in the galvanizing metal were strong over the morning, topping the complex with more than 6,500 lots exchanged as at 9.45am London time. Prompti...Read More
One disappointment after another in the world of trade and economic data, with the only relief coming in the form of potential for easier monetary policy, makes for a gloomy outlook.The outlook could be saved if a trade deal arrives soon, otherwise it looks like the global economy is being wounded as it suffers one blow after another.International Monetary Fund cuts its 2019 economic growth foreca...Read More
Key data from the Wednesday June 5 pricing session in China. Key driversChinese cobalt sulfate price stabilizes due to producers' efforts to keep their offer prices steady. Consumer demand remains weak amid uncertainty surrounding electric vehicle (EV) sales in the second half of 2019. Chinese battery and battery materials manufacturers have slowed their operations while they await greater clarity...Read More
Key data from the Wednesday June 5 pricing session in Europe.Key drivers Thin demand in Europe for both grades of the material.A call from the antimony branch of the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association asking major producers in the country to reduce output in a bid to reverse price weakness could...Read More
Trade log for cobalt sulfate in China including transactions, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets MB. Fastmarkets MB prices Click here for Fastmarket MB's price assessment for cobalt sulfate, Co 20.5% basis, China ex-works, yuan/tonne Click here for Fastmarket MB's price assessment for the cobalt sulfate, Co 20.5% basis China ex-works, adjustment to the standard-grade cobalt low-end price,...Read More
Import prices for stainless steel in East Asia declined slightly over the past week amid lackluster demand and expectations of further price decreases later this month."Demand for stainless steel in China usually falls in the summer months starting in June, possibly due to weaker downstream demand," a trader in East China said."With the price of nickel trending downward, stainless steel prices are...Read More
Domestic stainless steel prices in China decreased over the past week amid softer demand. The Fastmarkets MB domestic price assessment for benchmark 304 stainless cold-rolled coil in the major market of Wuxi was 13,850-14,250 yuan ($2,004-2,062) per tonne including value-added tax for the week ended Wednesday June 5, down 100-150 yuan per tonne from a week earlier. Buyers expecting a further price...Read More
Despite the world of trade and economic weakness still very much in focus, markets have generally managed to do some consolidating, although with the gold price holding above $1,320 per oz, haven assets remain in demand. We still see the global economy as wounded and it will need a US-China trade deal to see it recover.Base metals Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were fo...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 5 points in pre-opening trade.Index futures moved lower following release of the May employment report released at 8:30 AM EDT. Consensus for May Non-farm Payrolls was 180,000 versus 263,000 in April. Actual was 75,000. Consensus for May Unemployment Rate was unchanged from April at 3.6%. Actual was 3.6%. Consensus for...Read More
The benchmark copper price London Metal Exchange ended 1.5% lower on Wednesday June 5, leading the rest of the base metals lower.The three-month copper price closed at $5,807 per tonne, not far above its 2019-to-date low of $5,725 per tonne. "Our technical indicators suggest LME copper is still in a prevailing downtrend. We would not be surprised by renewed selling pressure," Fastmarkets base...Read More
Tin flows into the London Metal Exchange late in May and June are beginning to put pressure on tin premiums basis the regions we follow, with the US ingot premiums narrowing downward on Tuesday June 4. An additional influx to LME Baltimore warehouses pressured US premium down. European premiums hold with futures prices closer to today's. Chinese premiums extend lengthy flatline trend....Read More