The global alumina market may tighten in the coming month after around 1.7 million tonnes of Chinese alumina production was suspended on environmental infringements this month, sources told Fastmarkets on Monday May 13. Xinfa Group has closed two production lines out of four at its Jiaokou alumina plant, removing 1.3 million tonnes per year of alumina output after the local authorities launched a...Read More
Zinc's three-month price on the London Metal Exchange fell by more than 2% at the close of trading on Monday May 13 following the fresh inflow of more than 8,000 tonnes into LME-registered warehouses in Europe. Total on-warrant LME zinc stocks are now above 90,000 tonnes for the first time since January and are trending higher after falling to a record-low of 41,900 tonnes in March. More than 30%...Read More
Fastmarkets reporters present 12 key things we learned at LME Asia Week 2019 in Hong Kong during May 6-9. 1. LME is in talks with Guangdong local authority to establish warehouses in China Charles Li, chief executive officer of Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing (HKEX), said the London Metals Exchange is in talks with the Guangdong government to pilot establishing LME warehouses in mainland China. Li...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices softened on Monday May 13 amid weaker steel markets and an appreciation of the United States dollar against the Chinese yuan.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $96.10 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $1.14 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $94.78 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $1.14 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $99.92 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $0.58 per...Read More
Fastmarkets reporters present 12 key things we learned at LME Asia Week 2019 in Hong Kong during May 6-9. 1. LME is in talks with Guangdong local authority to establish warehouses in China Charles Li, chief executive officer of Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing (HKEX), said the London Metals Exchange is in talks with the Guangdong government to pilot establishing LME warehouses in mainland China. Li...Read More
Turkish steel producers continued to book deep-sea scrap cargoes with the help of falling prices, sources said on Monday May 13.A steel producer in the Izmir region booked a Baltic Sea cargo, comprising 10,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $286 per tonne, 12,000 tonnes of shredded at $291 per tonne and 3,000 tonnes of bonus at $296 per...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Monday May 13 that are worth another look.China will implement import tariffs on more than 5,000 types of goods from the United States starting June 1, 2019, marking an escalation in the trade war between the two countries, the government announced on Monday May 13. Fastmarkets reporters present 12 key things le...Read More
The International Copper Study Group (ICSG) has estimated that the global balance between output and consumption of refined copper will widen to a deficit of 190,000 tonnes in 2019.This forecast figure was up from an earlier forecast deficit of 65,000 tonnes, published by ICSG in October 2018, as a result of global trade uncertainty, economic weakness and static levels of mine production.The group...Read More
The global alumina market may tighten in the coming month after around 1.7 million tonnes of Chinese alumina production was suspended on environmental infringements this month, sources told Fastmarkets on Monday May 13. Xinfa Group has closed two production lines out of four at its Jiaokou alumina plant, removing 1.3 million tonnes per year of alumina output after the local authorities launched a...Read More
The International Wrought Copper Council (IWCC) has elected Dr Erwin Mayr, chief executive officer of the Wieland Group, to serve as chairman of the group, which is the international association for the copper and copper-alloy fabricating industry.Mayr succeeds Stefan Boel, formerly of Aurubis, who was the longest serving chairman in...Read More
Copper concentrates treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) in the Asia-Pacific region continued to fall last week, attributed to copper smelters rushing to make spot purchases during LME Asia Week in a tight global concentrate market and amid a number of major refined production expansions. Fastmarkets' Asia-Pacific TC/RC index dropped to $59.60 per tonne/5.96 cents per lb on Friday May 10,...Read More
The current trading environment would support higher domestic steel prices in Brazil, but low demand and a decrease in the cost of ferrous scrap were being considered before any adjustments were announced, steelmaker Gerdau has said."We will continue to watch how consumption evolves in the country to decide whether or not to increase prices," chief executive officer Gustavo Werneck told investors...Read More
The price range for CIS export slab has narrowed downward by $5 per tonne fob week on week, amid a weak market for finished steel, Fastmarkets heard on Monday May 13.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for CIS export slab was $450-460 per tonne fob on May 13, down from $450-465 per tonne fob a week earlier.CIS-origin slab offers to Europe were heard at $480 per tonne fob, market participants said...Read More
China's domestic hot-rolled coil market fell further on Monday May 13 after trading activity fell, while exporters too lowered their prices.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 4,020-4,030 yuan ($589-590) per tonne, down 10-20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,890-3,900 yuan per tonne, down 10 yuan per tonneHRC prices in China's major markets fell on Monday after mills lowered their offers by...Read More
Import prices for steel slab in Southeast Asia and East Asia declined over the past week due to sluggish trading activity in the spot market. Fastmarkets MB's weekly import price assessment for slab in Southeast Asia and East Asia was $460-470 per tonne cfr on Monday May 13, down $10 per tonne from a week earlier. One shipment of slab produced in Iran was booked at $420 per tonne cfr to Thail...Read More
The weak Turkish lira and renewed trade tensions between the United States and China have dampened demand for imported hot-rolled coil in Vietnam.The Fastmarkets MB weekly import price assessment for HRC in Southeast Asia - which mainly looks at Chinese 2-3mm re-rolling-grade SAE1006 HRC and equivalent products sold into Vietnam - was $530-540 per tonne cfr for the week ending Monday May 13, uncha...Read More
Chile's Compa???-a de Acero del Pac?-fico (CAP) posted a nearly 50% year-on-year decline in first-quarter iron ore shipping volumes due to the suspension of iron ore at the Puerto Guacolda II port, the steel and iron ore producer said last week.CAP was forced to halt operations at the Puerto Guacolda II port, in Huasco, a city in Chile's Atacama Region, after a deadly accident...Read More
Vale plans to invest around $2.5 billion in iron ore dry processing during the next five years in a move that is estimated to switch 70% of output to this method, the Brazilian mining company said on Monday May 13.Over the past 10 years, capital expenditures in Brazil aimed at reaching this goal have totaled $17.5 billion, Vale said. Roughly 60% of the miner's production is currently dry, usi...Read More
ArcelorMittal has discontinued operations at a blast furnace in the city of Divin??polis, in Brazil's south-eastern state of Minas Gerais, which produced pig iron.The blast furnace was stopped on May 8, the company said. The equipment was being leased by ArcelorMittal and will now be returned to the owner, which will decide about future operations, the company said.ArcelorMittal had been operating...Read More
The depreciation of the Turkish lira has continued to drive the prices for domestic ship scrap and auto bundle scrap in opposite directions over the past week, sources said on Monday May 13.All four steel producers in the Izmir region have reduced their buy prices for domestic shipbreaking scrap by $10 per tonne over the past seven days.Three steel mills cut their buy prices for the material to $2...Read More