China's domestic rebar prices held steady on Monday April 29 despite a strengthening of the billet and futures markets ahead of the Labor Day holiday from Wednesday until the end of the week.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 4,050-4,100 yuan ($602-609) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Beijing): 3,950-4,000 yuan per tonne, unchangedRebar futures strengthened during the day after the price of bi...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil prices rebounded on Monday April 29 with trading activity picking up in comparison with last Friday, though there is not much optimism for further growth.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 4,000-4,010 yuan ($594-596) per tonne, up 20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,910-3,920 yuan per tonne, up 20 yuan per tonneTrading activity, though higher than at the end of last...Read More
Tata Steel Europe restarted blast furnace production at its Port Talbot plant in South Wales, UK, on Saturday April 27. Production was temporarily stopped after a liquid iron spillage caused a massive explosion early in the morning of Friday April 26. Two workers were injured as a result of the incident but were said to be recovering after treatment on Friday."Supply...Read More
Low availability prevented a sharp decline in US pig iron prices last week.Fastmarkets' import price assessment for pig iron in the US was unchanged week on week at $360-365 per tonne cfr on Friday April 26.One cargo of 60,000 tonnes of pig iron was booked from Russia at $365 per tonne cfr New Orleans earlier in the week. Deals for CIS-origin pig iron reduced slightly as a result, from...Read More
Turkish domestic ship scrap prices have fallen slightly over the past week, while a number of steel mills raised their buy prices for auto bundle scrap due to the continual weakening of the lira against the US dollar, sources said on Monday April 29.Three steel mills continued to buy ship scrap at $315-320 per tonne delivered, but a fourth mill reduced its buy price to $310 per tonne delivered.So...Read More
The Turkish steel producers have continued their deep-sea scrap bookings after achieving lower prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Monday April 29.Three deep-sea cargoes were heard traded late on April 27 and on April 28.A steel mill in the Izmir region booked a US cargo, comprising HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $307 per tonne, shredded at $312 per tonne and bonus at $317 per tonne...Read More
Physical iron ore prices advanced on Monday April 29 amid gains in China's futures market.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $94.05 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $0.47 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $92.83 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $0.47 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $97.10 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $1.07 per tonne. MB 58% Fe Premium Index: $84.64 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $...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 transaction: iron oreIron oreVale, Beijing Iron Ore Trading Center (Corex), 100,000 tonnes of 65% Fe Iron Ore Carajas, traded at $109.30 per tonne cfr China, laycan...Read More
Spot prices for seaborne coking coal sold to China fell on Monday April 29 despite a strengthening metallurgical coke market.A cargo of a top Australian brand that is already headed for China was sold to a mill in the country's northeastern region at $205.95 per tonne cfr China, various sources confirmed.This is around $2 per tonne below a transaction involving the same brand that was concluded at...Read More
Trading activity involving both seaborne iron ore concentrate and pellets thinned last week, which resulted in softer prices.Concentrate The weekly Fastmarkets MB 66% Fe Iron Ore Concentrate Index stood at $105.35 per tonne cfr China last Friday April 26, down $2.49 per tonne from a week earlier.The daily Fastmarkets MB 65% Fe Iron Ore Index averaged $107.64 per tonne cfr China last week, down $0....Read More
Three-month copper and aluminium prices on the London Metal Exchange were subdued across morning trading on Monday April 29, with price sentiment dampened by sizable inflows into various LME-registered locations, while scheduled US-China trade talks this week could boost buying sentiment. Over 37,000 tonnes of copper was delivered into LME-registered warehouses in Asia, Europe and North America th...Read More
The latest selenium transactions, bids, offers and assessments in Europe reported to Fastmarkets.Unless otherwise stated, all prices are per lb and on an in-warehouse Rotterdam basis. Delivered prices are netted back.To view the latest price assessment, click here.To see all Fastmarkets' pricing methodology and specification documents, go to: www.metalbulletin.com/prices/pricing-methodologyWednesd...Read More
Key data from the pricing session in Europe on Friday April 26.Key drivers Several producers of chromium metal are already destocking ahead of the summer lull, according to sources; this destock usually does not happen before late May-June. Sources see this as a clear sign of slow demand. The chromium market has been following a...Read More
Eramet increased its manganese output by 14% year on year in the first quarter of 2019, while also increasing sales volumes by 7% despite lower prices, the French mining and metallurgical group said on Thursday April 25.The company produced a record quarterly volume of 1 million tonnes of manganese ore and made ?,?434 million ($483.63 million) in product sales.The performance shows a healthy manga...Read More
Key data from the pricing session in London on Friday April 26.ChinaKey drivers-The Chinese grade-553 silicon export price moved down on ample supply and weak demand.- Some traders cut offers to attract buying interest on expectations that prices could slide further after Sichuan producers resume operations in May, with cheaper hydroelectric power available to the region at that time. - Most silic...Read More
Chinese imports of cobalt intermediates rose quickly in March after the price, as well as that of the international cobalt benchmark price, accelerated downward in January, which stimulated buying of the raw material. China imported 21,210 tonnes of cobalt intermediates in March, up by almost 83% from 11,596 tonnes in February, according to official but unconfirmed data. Prior to March, Chinese im...Read More
Fastmarkets MB has corrected its monthly alloy surcharges for Europe domestic grade-304 and grade-316 stainless steel cold-rolled sheet (2mm) for April, which were published incorrectly on March 29, 2019 due to an error.The incorrect ranges were published because one of the stainless steel mills - whose surcharges comprise the ranges - was late in publishing them for April. The range for grade-304...Read More
With LME Asia Week fast approaching, Fastmarkets MB takes an in-depth look at one of the topics likely to dominate discussions at this year's event: the growing risk of supply-side headwinds for nickel prices.Nickel prices face considerable downside pressure from increasing supply of two nickel-containing stainless steel raw materials - nickel pig iron (NPI) and nickel plate - as well as an abunda...Read More
Price weakness contained for now Base metal prices have been slipping in recent weeks. Given that the whole group is suffering, the drivers are likely to be broad and macro-related rather than metal-specific. Since speculative positioning is neutral and recent price weakness has not irreversibly damaged the technical picture, the complex could turn higher again on the back of dollar weakness, furt...Read More
LME aluminium price was marginally higher last week The weekly average LME aluminium price was marginally stronger last week, on the back of the positive sentiment following the fresh lifetime high in the S&P 500 Index but capped by continued strength in the US dollar index, which reached its highest level since 2017 last Thursday. The weekly average LME cash price was $1,848 per tonne last week,...Read More