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
Import prices for stainless steel in East Asia have declined over the week ended on May 22 because of limited buying interest amid the heightened trade tensions between China and the United States.China declared that it would impose duties on $60 billion worth of US goods from June 1 in retaliation to US president Donald Trump's announcement that the US would raise tariffs on $200 billion worth of...Read More
European Metal Recycling (EMR) has sold parts of specialty scrap recycler Metal & Waste Recycling (M&W) to UK-based Recycling Lives following a competition inquiry. As part of the transaction, the two London-based sites of M&W will be retained by EMR. The sale will complete on Thursday May 30, EMR said. The disposal comes following an intervention by...Read More
The following Fastmarkets UK non-ferrous scrap and foundry ingot prices changed on Wednesday May 22:Aluminium scrapBaled old rolled: ?720-740 per tonne from ?730-750Commercial cast: ?750-780 per tonne from ?750-800Group 7 turnings: ?430-450 per tonne...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
A decline in output from the automotive market in Europe has negatively affected demand in the vanadium and ferro-chrome markets, with prices for both materials falling to multi-month lows.From January to April 2019, demand for new cars in the European Union decreased by 2.6% year on year to 5.3 million units registered in total, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 25 points in pre-opening trade.Index futures were virtually unchanged following release of the Weekly Jobless Claims report at 8:30 AM EDT. Consensus was an increase to 215,000 from 212,000 last week. Actual was 211,000Best Buy added $1.97 to $71.14 after reporting higher than consensus first quarter earnings. Target...Read More
A summary of base metals premiums from across the globe for the week to Tuesday May 21.Please click...Read More
The majority of London Metal Exchange base metals prices continued to trade up during the afternoon session on Tuesday May 21, with the complex largely following the equities markets on their upward trajectory.LME base metals prices largely ignored relatively thin trading volumes, shrugging off the potential suppressing influence of a strengthening US dollar, with the Dow Jones index climbed...Read More
News that Hydro's Alunorte alumina refinery will return to full capacity, after the production embargo was removed, did little to stop the recent increase in alumina prices.Fastmarkets' benchmark alumina price settled at $366.25 per tonne on May 21, up from $362.88 per tonne day on day and a 6% increase from $345.01 per tonne on May 10 when the index fell to its lowest since August 24, 2017. "Alun...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Tuesday May 21 that are worth another look.The United States' removal of Section 232 tariffs on Mexican steel products is likely to underpin a slow recovery in Mexico's ferrous scrap market, market participants said. News that Hydro's Alunorte alumina refinery will return to full capacity, after the production embargo was removed, did l...Read More
A summary of base metals premiums from across the globe for the week to Tuesday May 21.Please click...Read More
News that Hydro's Alunorte alumina refinery will return to full capacity, after the production embargo was removed, did little to stop the recent increase in alumina prices.Fastmarkets' benchmark alumina price settled at $366.25 per tonne on May 21, up from $362.88 per tonne day on day and a 6% increase from $345.01 per tonne on May 10 when the index fell to its lowest since August 24, 2017. "Alun...Read More
The recent downtrend in Chinese domestic ferro-silicon prices continued in the week ended Friday May 17 amid an abundance of the material, while sentiment remained bearish due to weak demand from the country's steel and magnesium markets. Chinese market extends losses amid ample supply. Sluggish demand compounds weakness in China. European market steady, further cements price floor. US market flat...Read More
The Turkish deep-sea scrap market remained quiet on Tuesday May 21, while steel mills continued to negotiate rebar sales to the United States and scrap merchants awaited signs of a clearer market direction.The US reduced its tariff on steel imports from Turkey to 25%, from 50%, on May 17, bringing the country back in line with other prospective suppliers to the US market.F...Read More
Prices for flat steel products imported into the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have decreased again over the past week, due to demand being limited by observance of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday May 21.Observance of Ramadan among Muslim communities typically results in shorter working days and reduced demand for materials. The month began this year...Read More
Export prices for Chinese cold-rolled coil and hot-dipped galvanized coil were down during the week to Tuesday May 21 after Chinese producers adjusted their offers to remain competitively priced amid declining domestic demand and the weakening Chinese currency, market sources said.The Chinese currency slid to 6.91 yuan to $1 on Tuesday May 21, compared with 6.73 yuan per $1 on Sunday May 6, one da...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil prices rose on Tuesday May 21 after trading turned more active following gains in the futures market.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 4,000-4,040 yuan ($578-584) per tonne, widening upward 30 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,900-3,920 yuan per tonne, widening upward 10 yuan per tonneWhile sellers started with prices of around 4,000 yuan per tonne in Shan...Read More
The import price for steel billet in the United Arab Emirates has widened upward in new deals over the past week, but the price of rebar has decreased, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday May 21.Domestic rebarLocal demand was weak in the country because of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which started earlier in May, and the expectation that prices could fall further.The observance of Ramadan i...Read More
UK steel trade unions have renewed their calls for the government and British Steel's owners Greybull Capital to reach an agreement to save the troubled long steel producer."It is vital now that cool heads prevail and Greybull and the [British] government continue to focus on finding a solution that maintains employment and keeps the business trading," Alasdair McDiarmid, operations director for U...Read More