Troubled UK long steel producer British Steel entered compulsory liquidation on May 22. Fastmarkets examines the reasons behind the company's recent struggles, from uncertainty about Brexit and a slump in orders, to rising costs for raw materials.Brexit uncertaintyThe future of British Steel remains uncertain, with the UK's Insolvency Service approaching "more than 80 potential trade purchasers" t...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
Nickel market analysts were resolutely bearish during a pricing panel at the Fastmarkets' seventh International Nickel conference in Amsterdam on Wednesday June 5, forecasting that the London Metal Exchange three-month nickel price is unlikely to breach $13,000 per tonne this year. The LME three-month price is currently trading below $12,000 per tonne, hitting an intraday high of $11,860 per...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil prices slid further on Wednesday June 5 amid persistently thin trading, though some exporters showed little willingness to sell any lower.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,870-3,880 yuan ($561-562) per tonne, down 10 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,800-3,810 yuan per tonne, narrowing downward 10 yuan per tonnePrices continued to drop, with trading being thinner...Read More
Prices for rebar produced and delivered in Southern Europe widened upward by ?,?5 per tonne on Wednesday June 5 on limited trading, but weak demand continued, market participants told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic rebar in Southern Europe rose to ?,?495-515 ($557-579) per tonne delivered on Wednesday from ?,?495-510 per tonne delivered on May 29."The price has...Read More
Key data from the Wednesday June 5 pricing session in Europe.Key drivers- The European ferro-titanium price fell for the second consecutive week after six weeks of stability. - Demand for ferro-titanium was muted short term, although one source said it had picked up over the past week.- One...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday June 5 that are worth another look.Nickel market analysts were resolutely bearish during a pricing panel at Fastmarkets' seventh International Nickel conference in Amsterdam on Wednesday June 5, forecasting that the London Metal Exchange three-month nickel price is unlikely to breach $13,000 per tonne this year. ArcelorMittal...Read More
The London Metal Exchange hopes to drive nickel stocks back onto the exchange with new warehouse proposals to be announced in the summer, vice-president of sales Alberto Xodo said on Wednesday June 5.LME nickel stocks dropped to around 160,000 tonnes on June 3-4 this year, compared with 446,676 tonnes in January 2016, when the LME warehouse reform to end delivery queues was implemented."The wareho...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
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday June 5. Please click...Read More
The global alumina market has become more sentiment-driven over the past year and knee-jerk reactions have become more common, market sources told Fastmarkets.A significant part of this change was a consequence of the chaos that developed in the market after producer Norsk Hydro was compelled to declare force majeure at its Alunorte alumina refinery in Brazil in March 2018."If I look back, this is...Read More
Nickel premiums worldwide were predominantly lower during the week ending on June 5, with heightened trade tensions pushing nickel briquette premiums in the United States down for the third consecutive week.European nickel premiums held steady while market participants gathered at Fastmarkets' 7th International Nickel Conference in Amsterdam. US briquette premiums weaken Import window in China clo...Read More
The refined nickel market deficit is expected to nearly halve to around 80,000 tonnes this year from almost 150,000 tonnes in 2018, the International Nickel Study Group said on Wednesday June 5. "The nickel market has been in deficit since 2016. This year, the deficit is expected to be smaller than in 2018 at around 80,000 tonnes," Richardo Ferreira, director of market research and statistics, tol...Read More
ArcelorMittal Italia, formerly known as Ilva, will lay off 1,395 workers from its plant in Taranto for a period of 13 weeks beginning in early July, the company said on Wednesday June 5."It's a difficult decision but market conditions are really critical throughout Europe. These are temporary measures [and] steel is a cyclical market," the chief executive officer of ArcelorMittal Italia, Matthieu...Read More
Voestalpine has blamed lower earnings for its 2018/2019 financial year on an economic slowdown caused by trade wars between the United States, China and Europe, as well as Brexit, chairman Wolfgang Eder said. Looking forward, macroeconomic developments will depend on the extent to which these external factors continue to affect consumer spending patterns in Europe and beyond, the Austria-based ste...Read More
Domestic prices for hollow steel sections in Europe were unchanged this week, but feedstock costs have begun to recover from recent losses, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday June 5.Fastmarkets' domestic price assessment for commodity-size, grade-S235 square hollow sections made in Northern Europe was unchanged week on week at ?,?600-630 ($675-709) per tonne delivered on Wednesday.Some market p...Read More
Steel H-beam prices in both Northern and Southern Europe were unchanged this week but sentiment was negative due to the low levels of demand, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday June 5.Fastmarkets' price assessment for domestic S235-grade, 200x200mm, category-2 H-beam in Northern Europe was unchanged week on week at ?,?585-615 ($658-692) per tonne delivered on Wednesday.One European mill was hop...Read More
The stainless scrap market in the United States has continued to deteriorate, with prices falling further this week."There has been no improvement in demand, no improvement in the London Metal Exchange [cash nickel price], and there is no shortage of scrap to meet the current demand," one domestic dealer source said."Seems like May was a lost month, and unless the market unexpectedly jumps......Read More
Turkish mills continued their absence from the deep-sea scrap market on Wednesday June 5 while the country was on the week-long Eid al-Fitr public holiday, sources told Fastmarkets.The market will remain subdued for the remainder of the week while Turkey marks the end of the period of abstinence for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.As a result of the lack of...Read More
Nickel market analysts were resolutely bearish during a pricing panel at the Fastmarkets' seventh International Nickel conference in Amsterdam on Wednesday June 5, forecasting that the London Metal Exchange three-month nickel price is unlikely to breach $13,000 per tonne this year. The LME three-month price is currently trading below $12,000 per tonne, hitting an intraday high of $11,860 per...Read More