Base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were mostly down during morning trading on Thursday May 23, with nickel leading the charge lower amid persistent macroeconomic uncertainty and strength in the dollar.Ongoing trade tensions between China and the United States and concerns that a prolonged spat between the two may hamper global economic growth continued to exert downward pressure o...Read More
The Chinese domestic cobalt sulfate price hit a fresh low for 2019 mid-week amid persistent selling pressure among producers who are mostly struggling to break even, sources said.Fastmarkets' assessment of the price for Chinese cobalt sulfate fell to 44,500-45,500 yuan ($6,444-6,589) per tonne on Wednesday May 22, down from 46,000-48,000 yuan per tonne previously. This placed the assessment at its...Read More
China's domestic stainless steel prices widened upward over the past week amid continued strong demand fromend users. The Fastmarkets MB domestic price assessment for benchmark 304 stainless cold-rolled coil in the major market of Wuxi was 14,000-14,300 yuan ($2,027-2,070) per tonne including value-added tax for the week ended Wednesday May 22, widening up 200 yuan per tonne from a week earlier......Read More
The United States' reduction of tariffs on Turkish steel imports to 25% from 50% last week will only partially reopen the US market to Turkish mills, who should avoid raising prices if they are to successfully regain a share in that market, several sources told Fastmarkets this week. The US has lowered its tariffs on steel imports from Turkey to 25% effective Friday May 17. Duties had been at...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 14 points in pre-opening trade. Index futures were virtually unchanged following release of the April Durable Goods Orders report at 8:30 AM EDT. Consensus was a drop of 2.0% versus a revised gain of 1.7% in March. Actual was a drop of 2.1%. Excluding transportation orders, consensus was an increase of 0.2% versus a ga...Read More
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday May 22.Read More
The three-month copper's price on the London Metal Exchange fell by 1.3% at the close of trading on Wednesday May 22, with price pressure emerging from resurging trade tensions between the United States and China, while dollar strength is limiting commodity investment. Volumes were moderately high for the red metal by the close, totalling more than 18,000 lots traded, the most since May 13. Follow...Read More
Copper's fundamentals mean prices should be higher but much depends on the outcome of the US-China trade dispute, according to an executive at ED&F Man Capital Markets. Keith Gwozdz, vice president of metals at the LME brokerage firm, said that there are three potential outcomes when talks between the countries resume at the G20 summit of governments and central bank governors in Japan (June 28-29...Read More
The liquidation order issued by the government of Zambia, that would allow it to take control of the copper-producing assets held in the African country by global metals producer Vedanta, has sent shockwaves through the global industry.The order marked the first government takeover attempt in the country, which is Africa's second-largest copper-producing region.Customers of Konkola Copper Mines (K...Read More
Copper's fundamentals mean prices should be higher but much depends on the outcome of the US-China trade dispute, according to an executive at ED&F Man Capital Markets. Keith Gwozdz, vice president of metals at the LME brokerage firm, said that there are three potential outcomes when talks between the countries resume at the G20 summit of governments and central bank governors in Japan (June 28-29...Read More
Germany's Aurubis has agreed to acquire copper-tin recycler Metallo Group in a ?,?380 million ($424 million) share purchase deal, it said on Wednesday May 22.Fastmarkets reported in February that TowerBrook Capital Partners, Metallo's private equity owner, was close to agreeing a sale of the company, which operates plants in Belgium and...Read More
Glencore AG has signed an agreement to supply cobalt feedstock and financing to recommission the First Cobalt refinery in Ontario, Canada.The memorandum of understanding could result in annual production of roughly 2,000-2,500 tonnes of cobalt in sulfate from the plant, which is North America's only primary cobalt refinery.Glencore will evaluate making a loan to fund the capital requirements to re...Read More
An overview of the minor metals markets and the reasons for any price moves.Read More
The price for rebar produced and delivered in Southern Europe remained unchanged on Wednesday May 22, amid continuing weak demand, market participants told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic rebar in Southern Europe was ?,?500-510 ($559-569) per tonne delivered on Wednesday, unchanged from May 8."We are just hoping for the market to remain stable as the demand situa...Read More
The quietness in the deep-sea scrap markets has continued because market participants were still looking for clarity in the export markets for finished products such as rebar, sources said on Wednesday May 22.After the United States reduced its tariff on steel imports from Turkey to 25%, from 50%, on May 17, Turkey was again in a position to supply to the US market.But scrap suppliers pulled back...Read More
Glencore AG has signed an agreement to supply cobalt feedstock and financing to recommission the First Cobalt refinery in Ontario, Canada.The memorandum of understanding could result in annual production of roughly 2,000-2,500 tonnes of cobalt in sulfate from the plant, which is North America's only primary cobalt refinery.Glencore will evaluate making a loan to fund the capital requirements to re...Read More
Fastmarkets has amended the names and specifications of its China cobalt sulfate assessments, effective Wednesday May 22, 2019. Fastmarkets has assessed the price of cobalt sulfate, ex-works China, on a 20.5% Co basis since the assessment was launched in June 2018, but due to an error, the definition of cobalt purity for the assessment was incorrectly stated as "Co 20.5% min" instead of "Co 20.5%...Read More
China's export hot-rolled coil prices were largely stable on Wednesday May 22 amid sparse trading as domestic spot and futures prices fluctuated.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 4,020-4,050 yuan ($582-586) per tonne, up 10-20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,900-3,930 yuan per tonne, widening upward 10 yuan per tonneMills' offers were around 20 yuan per tonne higher than on Tue...Read More
China's plate producers lowered offer prices this week in sparse trading.Fastmarkets MB's export price assessment for June/July shipments of commercial-grade, chromium-added plate was $530-535 per tonne fob for the week ended Tuesday May 21, down $5-7 per tonne from $535-542 per tonne fob the week prior.A northern China-based mill is offering $535-540 per tonne fob this week, down from the of...Read More
The price for rebar produced and delivered in Southern Europe remained unchanged on Wednesday May 22, amid continuing weak demand, market participants told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic rebar in Southern Europe was ?,?500-510 ($559-569) per tonne delivered on Wednesday, unchanged from May 8."We are just hoping for the market to remain stable as the demand situa...Read More