Turkish steel billet prices have remained stable over the past week although demand for both domestic and imported material was still sluggish, sources said on Thursday May 9.Steel-producing mills in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) kept their offers steady at around $440-450 per tonne cfr, but their potential customers in Turkey were only interested in paying $420 per tonne or less.As...Read More
India is likely to be the rising star of the Asian steel markets longer term due to the expected growth in its steel demand, delegates at the Singapore Iron Ore Forum - the anchor event of Iron Ore Week - said on Thursday May 9."India's steel demand is expected to increase by 200 million tonnes in 20 years, with domestic production capacity likely to rise to match it," Wood Mackenzie bulks researc...Read More
International steel trading group Stemcor is cautiously optimistic about steel product prices further ahead in 2019, with key regional steel markets reaching their peak construction periods, it said this week."We began the second quarter with cautious optimism, entering peak construction periods in key markets and noting that central banks have largely discontinued raising interest rates for the f...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, 80,000 tonnes of 62% Fe Newman fines, traded at the June average of a...Read More
Iron ore prices were generally little changed on Thursday May 9, while the low-alumina Yandi fines traded actively at stronger prices.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $95.38 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $0.19 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $94.06 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $0.19 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $98.23 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $0.06 per tonne. MB 58% Fe...Read More
Prices for seaborne cargoes of premium coking coal sold to China retreated on Thursday May 9, though sentiment among Chinese market participants remains positive, at least for the near term.A June-loading cargo of a top Australia brand was traded at $211.55 per tonne cfr China during the day, slightly lower than a transaction involving similar materials a day earlier.A Capesize cargo of another br...Read More
Chinese steel demand in 2019 will likely exceed that in 2018, according to the China Iron & Steel Association (Cisa).The growth will likely come from the housing and infrastructure markets, coupled with relatively stable demand for steel from other downstream industries, the association's deputy director Wu Jingjing told delegates at the Singapore Iron Ore Forum, the anchor event of the Iron Ore W...Read More
Chinese hot-rolled coil prices dropped further on Thursday May 9 amid thin trading, with market participants getting spooked by rising concerns over deteriorating trade relations between China and the United States.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 4,050-4,060 yuan ($597-599) per tonne, down 10 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,910-3,920 yuan per tonne, down 10-30 yuan per tonneAlthough pr...Read More
Chinese rebar prices weakened further on Thursday May 9 after United States President Donald Trump toughened his stance against China a day earlier and threatened to begin imposing higher tariffs on Chinese products as early as on Friday.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 4,060-4,100 yuan ($599-605) per tonne, down 20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,930-3,980 yuan per tonne, down 10-20 y...Read More
Fastmarkets will host a free web seminar on Tuesday June 18 at 9.30am London time to discuss recent price moves in the cobalt market and how industry developments might affect the market going forward.Click here to register for the webinar. Date Tuesday June 18, 2019 Time 9.30am Join members of our cobalt price reporting and research team for: - An update on price assessment specifications, method...Read More
Spot demand for cobalt sulfate in China following the Labor Day holiday (May 1-4) has been weak, with consumers continuing to conduct "hand-to-mouth" procurement, Fastmarkets learned during the latest pricing session. Fastmarkets assessed the cobalt sulfate Co 20.5% min, ex-works China price at 50,000-52,000 yuan ($7,378-7,673) per tonne on Wednesday May 8, down 1% from 50,000-53,000 yuan per...Read More
Trade log for cobalt sulfate in China including transactions, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets MB. Unless otherwise stated, all prices are yuan per tonne on an ex-works basis. The cobalt sulfate, Co 20.5% min, China ex-works, adjustment to the low-grade cobalt low-end price is on a $ per lb basis. Fastmarkets MB prices Click here for Fastmarket MB's price assessment for cobalt sulfate, Co 2...Read More
While US-China trade talks continue, the market seems to be clinging on for an eleventh-hour deal this morning, Friday May 10, because key markets are holding up surprisingly well. But, if a deal does not miraculously emerge soon then further disappointment is likely to set in.US raises tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports to 25% China’s CSI 300 is up by 3.2%, other Asian equity m...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 20 points in pre-opening trade after the U.S. government raised its tariffs to 25% from 10% on Chinese goods valued at $200 billion. Talks with China continue. The Shanghai Composite Index gained 3.10% to 2,939.21 in overnight trading.Index futures were virtually unchanged following release of the April Consumer Price...Read More
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday May 8.Please click...Read More
Chinese nickel premiums were unchanged at a 14-month high as of Tuesday May 7, according to Fastmarkets' latest assessments, in a week of multiple holidays and subdued trading.Elsewhere, the premium on European cathodes stabilized while those of briquettes continued lower. In the United States, similarly, the briquette premium dipped slightly while that of 4x5 cut cathodes was unchanged. Briquette...Read More
The three-month price of zinc on the London Metal Exchange softened by a little less than 2% at the close of trading of Wednesday May 8, with continued inflows of material into LME-registered locations in European putting pressure on prices to move lower.Volumes traded for the galvanizing metal were particularly high over the afternoon, with more than 12,900 lots changing hands by the close.The th...Read More
Copper output by Chilean state-owned producer Codelco recovered in March 2019 but remained depressed when compared with last year's figures, national copper commission Cochilco said on Wednesday May 8.The company produced 128,600 tonnes of contained copper during March, down by 18.30% from 157,400 tonnes in the corresponding month in 2018.But this decline was less pronounced than the 19.30% year-o...Read More
Norsk Hydro will aim to create a more sustainable footprint through the life cycle of its low-carbon aluminium products and solutions, the company's new president and chief executive officer, Hilde Merete Aasheim, said this week.Aasheim took up her new position at the Norwegian aluminium producer on Wednesday May 8, replacing Svein Richard Brandtz??g whose departure was announced in Marc...Read More
An overview of the minor metals markets and the reasons for any price moves.Read More