Ganzhou Tungsten Association (GTA) has raised its tungsten price forecasts for May in response to the recent rebound in prices on concerns of supply disruptions following a new round of environmental checks in major tungsten production hub, Jiangxi province, from mid-April.GTA forecast average prices for black tungsten concentrate 65% and ammonium paratungstate (APT) in May at 112,500 yuan ($17,70...Read More
Chinese ferro-vanadium and vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) offers softened on limited export activity this past week, while the European markets were stagnant on a lack of spot market demand. Chinese vanadium export activity limited, offering prices slideEuropean vanadium markets inactive, prices flat US ferro-vanadium spot market activity picks up, prices narrow The Chinese ferro-vanadium export market...Read More
Chinese ferro-silicon prices were stable last week, but shortened supply and more active trading suggest an uptick in pricing ahead. Chinese domestic market sees active trading, short supplyEuropean prices slide on thin trading activity US spot market stable amid spot inactivity Chinese domestic ferro-silicon market supported by tight supplyChinese domestic ferro-silicon prices were stable last we...Read More
Chilean copper miner Antofagasta estimates that export sales of copper concentrates from its Los Pelambres mine will be affected after a pipeline blockage halted transportation of material from the mine to the port of Los Vilos.Sales for the first six months of the year are expected to be down by 15,000 tonnes of copper contained in concentrates, but overall guidance for the year is unchanged...Read More
Chinese ferro-silicon prices were stable last week, but shortened supply and more active trading suggest an uptick in pricing ahead. Chinese domestic market sees active trading, short supplyEuropean prices slide on thin trading activity US spot market stable amid spot inactivity Chinese domestic ferro-silicon market supported by tight supplyChinese domestic ferro-silicon prices were stable last we...Read More
Turkish steel producers have resumed their deep-sea scrap purchases, trading two US shipments and a UK cargo in the past few days, sources said on Tuesday May 8.The mills in the country were waiting until the International Rebar Producers & Exporters Association (Irepas) conference in Warsaw, which ends today, to see which direction the market moves, and decided to pay slightly higher prices for d...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were for the most part stronger on the morning of Tuesday May 8, with all the metals, except tin (-0.7%), up by an average of 0.7%. Zinc led the advance with a 1% gain and copper was up by 0.2% at $6,858 per tonne.Volume on the LME has been average, with 7,927 lots traded as at 07.06 am London time. The precious metals were more diverse this morning...Read More
Exporters of hot-rolled coil (HRC) and cold-rolled coil (CRC) from the Commonwealth of Independent States have not cut offers further citing a slight improvement in the global market. CIS producers cut their offer prices in early April and again later in the month.Metal Bulletin's weekly price assessment for CIS-origin HRC exports was $580-590 per tonne fob Black Sea on Monday May 7, nar...Read More
China's domestic hot-rolled coil prices ran flat on Tuesday May 8 and demand remained stable as the futures market traded in a tight range throughout the day. DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 4,200-4,220 yuan ($660-663) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Tianjin): 4,050-4,070 yuan per tonne, unchangedHRC futures moved in a narrow range between 3,726 yuan per tonne and 3,764 yuan per tonne today,...Read More
Chinese ferrous futures mostly increased during morning trading on Tuesday May 8, with the exception of the coking coal and coke contracts, which fell slightly.Futures closing prices - morning session Shanghai Futures Exchange October rebar: 3,658 yuan ($575) per tonne, up 3 yuan per tonneOctober hot-rolled coil: 3,752 yuan per tonne, up 10 yuan per tonneDalian Commodity Exchange September iron or...Read More
The global construction sector will grow at an average of 3.7% per year over the next five years, reaching an annual value of $12.4 trillion by 2022, compared with $10.4 trillion in 2017, a rebar producers' conference has heard.This growth will in turn provide solid long-term fundamentals for the long steel products market, Jose Angel Ray, international commercial director for the Celsa Group, tol...Read More
Prices for steel rebar in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia were stable this week while demand remained weak, sources told Metal Bulletin on Tuesday May 8. The market also was expected to remain slow in the coming weeks because of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which begins in mid-May, when working hours are reduced.Domestic rebar The major rebar producers in the UAE announced new pric...Read More
Turkish steel producers have resumed their deep-sea scrap purchases, trading two US shipments and a UK cargo in the past few days, sources said on Tuesday May 8.The mills in the country were waiting until the International Rebar Producers & Exporters Association (Irepas) conference in Warsaw, which ends today, to see which direction the market moves, and decided to pay slightly higher prices for d...Read More
Physical iron ore trading and prices stayed tepid on Tuesday May 8 despite gains in the futures market.Metal Bulletin 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $66.80 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down by $0.46 per tonne Metal Bulletin 58% Fe Premium Index: $55.54 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down by $0.02 per tonne Metal Bulletin 65% Fe Iron Ore Index: $85.20 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down by $0.10 per tonneMetal Bulletin 62% Fe C...Read More
Chinese ferrous futures mostly increased during morning trading on Tuesday May 8, with the exception of the coking coal and coke contracts, which fell slightly.Futures closing prices - morning session Shanghai Futures Exchange October rebar: 3,658 yuan ($575) per tonne, up 3 yuan per tonneOctober hot-rolled coil: 3,752 yuan per tonne, up 10 yuan per tonneDalian Commodity Exchange September iron or...Read More
Global steel slab prices decreased in April, but trading remained weak in all regions due to poor demand and uncertainty about how the market will develop after the Section 232 trade investigation in the United States.Southeast AsiaIn Southeast Asia, slab offers started to come down early in May, but market participants believe that the current prices are still high.Despite lower offers, no large...Read More
Eastern China's domestic rebar prices maintained their downward trend on Tuesday May 8 due to softer demand, while in northern China prices were flat in stable trading.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai)): 3,980-4,030 yuan ($625-633) per tonne, down 20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,890-3,940 yuan per tonne, unchangedIn eastern China, demand decreased for a second day because end use...Read More
Chinese ferrous futures mostly increased during morning trading on Tuesday May 8, with the exception of the coking coal and coke contracts, which fell slightly.Futures closing prices - morning session Shanghai Futures Exchange October rebar: 3,658 yuan ($575) per tonne, up 3 yuan per tonneOctober hot-rolled coil: 3,752 yuan per tonne, up 10 yuan per tonneDalian Commodity Exchange September iron or...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 7 points in pre-opening trade. First quarter reports continue to pour in. Reporting companies since yesterday's close included AMC Entertainment, Crocs, Dean Foods, Discovery, Dish, George Weston, Hertz, Jacobs Engineering, Mosaic, Nutrien, SeaWorld, Valeant, WestJet and Zillow.The Canadian Dollar was virtually unchan...Read More
SHANGHAI, May 8 (SMM) – Nonferrous metals futures rose for the most part on Tuesday May 8 but at slower rates from the previous day. SHFE zinc led the gains with an increase of 1.34%, lead grew over 1% and aluminium and copper inched up. Nickel fell from highs to close nearly 1% higher. Tin dipped nearly 0.9% from Monday.The ferrous complex saw mixed&n...Read More