Minera Escondida has ended early talks with its unionized workers aimed at agreeing a new labor deal, the Chilean copper producer said.The miner and the parties have been in direct talks since the end of March but they failed to meet the conditions for extending the process, the BHP-operated miner said on Thursday April 26."We have [been flexible], clearing from the beginning the main points that...Read More
Nickel intermediates could provide the most cost-effective means of bringing on-stream additional class one nickel units to serve the growing battery market, according to Frank Nikolic, head of base metals intelligence at Vale. Nickel demand from the battery sector could increase to 1.8 million tonnes by 2030 from 700,000 tonnes by 2025, according to Vale's upside forecast. Its more conservative f...Read More
Chinese alumina imports dropped to a record low of 8,145 tonnes in March, with zero inflows from Australia, China's largest alumina supplier, according to customs data. In addition, total alumina shipments to China in the first three months came to just 184,905 tonnes, a drop of 79.93% year on year. The import window has been closed since early this year, with import losses continuing to widen in...Read More
East Asia's stainless steel market continued to strengthen despite persistently soft regional demand due to nickel prices remaining at high levels.Metal Bulletin's assessment of prices for benchmark 304 stainless 2mm trimmed cold-rolled coil was $2,170-2,300 per tonne cif East Asian ports for the week ended Wednesday April 25, up $20-70 per tonne from a week earlier. Metal Bulletin's assessment of...Read More
Turkish steel mills continued to book deep-sea scrap for May deliveries on Thursday April 26, with prices remaining largely stable, Metal Bulletin has heard.The mills in the country booked four deep-sea cargoes on Thursday, totaling 130,000 tonnes, according to market sources.A steel mill in the Iskenderun region booked a European cargo, comprising 20,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (75:25), 5,000 tonnes of...Read More
Comex copper prices were once again trading in negative territory on Thursday April 26 morning in the US, with the bolstered dollar weighing on the complex.Copper for May settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange declined 1.50 cents or 0.5% to $3.1195 per lb. The contract has been unable to set a clear price direction in recent weeks. Over the past few days, the...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were weaker across the board by an average of 0.6% this morning, Thursday April 26. Aluminium, nickel and zinc led the decline with losses ranged between 0.7% and 1%, while the rest were all down by 0.3%, with the three-month copper price at $6,955 per tonne.This follows a mixed performance on Wednesday when consolidation set in following recent week...Read More
Nickel intermediates could provide the most cost-effective means of bringing on-stream additional class one nickel units to serve the growing battery market, according to Frank Nikolic, head of base metals intelligence at Vale. Nickel demand from the battery sector could increase to 1.8 million tonnes by 2030 from 700,000 tonnes by 2025, according to Vale's upside forecast. Its more conservative f...Read More
While not exactly a "State-Of-The-Union" address this week, the London Metal Exchange's Update Forum in London - open to all - was a useful pit-stop event on what is gearing up to be a busy few months in its unfolding Strategic Pathway. On a widespread and varied menu, LME decisionmakers outlined current thinking and plans across the board. Among these are a couple of potentially tricky initiative...Read More
Domestic prices for heavy steel plate in Europe have moved down slightly this week but are expected to recover in May, sources told Metal Bulletin on Thursday April 26."There is some resistance currently from buyers, and plate prices have weakened a bit, but I think this situation is temporary," an Italian source said.Plate prices are expected to be supported by a recovery in restocking activity a...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil (HRC) in Southern Europe fell this week, mainly due to lower import offers, sources told Metal Bulletin.In addition, the domestic prices moved down as end users continued to resist any price rises from distributors, having not fully absorbed the price increases from the first quarter of this year, according to market sources.Metal Bulletin's weekly price as...Read More
The Mexican government is analyzing whether to renew a 15% tariff against imports of various steel products from countries with which Mexico does not have free trade agreements, according to Latin American steel group Ternium."Mexico is on the path to renew the safeguard against steel imports," the company's chief executive officer, Maximo Vedoya, said on Thursday April 26.The measure, which acts...Read More
The price of steel billet imports into Egypt fell again this week while local rebar prices remained unchanged, sources told Metal Bulletin on Thursday April 26.The country's biggest producer, Ezz Steel, is still offering rebar at E ?12,528 ($706) per tonne ex-works, including 14% VAT, while Beshay Steel, also a...Read More
Turkish domestic long steel prices have gone down this week due to poor demand and falling prices for scrap and billet, sources said on Thursday April 26.Metal Bulletin's weekly price assessment for domestic rebar in Turkey was $555-570 per tonne ex-works, down from the $570-590 per tonne of last week.The local rebar price in...Read More
Vale's fall in iron ore production in the first quarter of 2018 will not affect the Brazilian miner's output guidance for the year, executive officer for ferrous minerals and coal Peter Poppinga said this week."We continue [to be] committed to the 390 million tonnes production target,"' he told analysts during a conference call on Thursday April 26.Vale's first quarter iron ore output&nb...Read More
Turkish steel mills continued to book deep-sea scrap for May deliveries on Thursday April 26, with prices remaining largely stable, Metal Bulletin has heard.The mills in the country booked four deep-sea cargoes on Thursday, totaling 130,000 tonnes, according to market sources.A steel mill in the Iskenderun region booked a European cargo, comprising 20,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (75:25), 5,000 tonnes of...Read More
India's largest iron ore miner NMDC lowered its domestic prices last week, in line with the softening overseas prices. The miner fixed its lump ore price at 2,990 rupees ($44.68) per tonne and iron ore fines price at 2,560 rupees per tonne, it said last week. Both prices are down 100 rupees per tonne from the level announced on April 4 when the miner had rolled over its prices set in March. NMDC's...Read More
The price of steel billet imports into Egypt fell again this week while local rebar prices remained unchanged, sources told Metal Bulletin on Thursday April 26.The country's biggest producer, Ezz Steel, is still offering rebar at E ?12,528 ($706) per tonne ex-works, including 14% VAT, while Beshay Steel, also a...Read More
Steel billet prices in Turkey continued to fall over the past week because of poor demand and low scrap prices, sources said on Thursday April 26.Offers from the CIS region fell to $525-535 per tonne cfr, from last week's $530-540 per tonne, although customers in Turkey were bidding $520 per tonne cfr or...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices retreated on Thursday April 26 after a weakening of the futures market. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,860-3,900 yuan ($611-617) per tonne, down 20 yuan per tonne Northern China (Beijing): 3,730-3,750 yuan per tonne, down 10-20 yuan per tonne Traders lowered their rebar prices on seeing the futures contract for the long steel product trade below Wednesday's sett...Read More