The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Tuesday February 27.Lead prices on the London Metal Exchange continued to strengthen, closing 1.4% higher at 5pm London time on Monday February 26 with its cash/three-month spread moving into backwardation. Read more in our live futures report.Here are how LME prices looked at Monday's close:The price difference between lead and zinc on the...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mostly lower at the close on Tuesday February 27, with the dollar index surging to its highest since the start of the month. The three-month copper price closed 1.2% lower and only just held above $7,000 per tonne. Copper's healthy contango and a lack of market tightness are putting pressure on prices. "We think that copper prices are vulnerable...Read More
Historic payment structures are enabling zinc smelters to raise primary output even as market-related terms such as metal premiums and concentrate treatment charges remain low; but the opposite is true for lead. Zinc smelters which process concentrates into refined metal only have to pay for 85% of the zinc metal contained in concentrate they purchase, but generally utilize 97% or more. Lead smelt...Read More
Primary aluminium production at Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) rose 4% to a record 2.6 million tonnes in 2017, the aluminium producer said on Tuesday February 27. EGA sells about 10% of its production to customers in the United Arab Emirates. It sold 268,000 tonnes of aluminium metal to customers in the UAE in 2017, compared with 262,000 tonnes - including sales of hot liquid metal to customers l...Read More
Tungsten miner W Resources has agreed offtakes for tungsten concentrate produced at its La Parrilla mine in Spain. From early 2019, W Resources will supply 66% WO3 tungsten concentrate to Wolfram Bergbau und H? 1/4 tten and a "leading supplier to the USA tungsten markets," W Resources said. The offtake agreements will account for around 80% of output from the T2 production phase at La Parrilla, an...Read More
The Chinese vanadium market remained sluggish after the Lunar New Year holiday came to an end last week, but the European and US markets continued to strengthen amid supply concerns. China market sluggish after holiday, prices steady Tightness in European market bolsters prices once again US market continues to strengthen on thin supplyChinese vanadium participants were slow in returning to the ma...Read More
Tungsten miner W Resources has agreed offtakes for tungsten concentrate produced at its La Parrilla mine in Spain. From early 2019, W Resources will supply 66% WO3 tungsten concentrate to Wolfram Bergbau und H? 1/4 tten and a "leading supplier to the USA tungsten markets," W Resources said. The offtake agreements will account for around 80% of output from the T2 production phase at La Parrilla, an...Read More
Historic payment structures are enabling zinc smelters to raise primary output even as market-related terms such as metal premiums and concentrate treatment charges remain low; but the opposite is true for lead. Zinc smelters which process concentrates into refined metal only have to pay for 85% of the zinc metal contained in concentrate they purchase, but generally utilize 97% or more. Lead smelt...Read More
Brazil's environment secretariat in Par?? state says it will order Norsk Hydro to halve production at its Alunorte alumina refinery due to non-compliance with a resolution issued late last week, the Norwegian aluminium producer said on Monday February 26. The Secretariat of Environment and Sustainability in the Brazilian state of Par?? (SEMAS) said Alunorte, which is located in Par??, Brazil, does...Read More
Ferroglobe plc reported improved revenues for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2017, which the company attributed to higher prices for silicon metal. London-based Ferroglobe reported revenue of $468.2 million in the fourth quarter, up 3.7% from $451.6 million in the third quarter. Meanwhile, revenue for the year 2017 was $1.7 billion, up 10.5% from $1.6 billion the previous year. The ferro-alloy...Read More
Cobalt prices made further gains last week, but the rally was kept in check by buyers able to satisfy some of their requirements by purchasing scrap and pulling forward contracted volumes. Metal Bulletin's benchmark price assessment for low-grade cobalt was $38.50-39.30 per lb, in-warehouse, on Friday February 23, up from $38.15-39.30 per lb midweek, and $38-39.30 a week earlier. High-gr...Read More
Turkish scrap import prices continued to climb on Tuesday February 27 with news of another Baltic Sea cargo sold at the end of last week.Market participants, however, expected prices to go up even further, while suppliers have already increased their offers, Metal Bulletin was told.A steel mill in the Izmir region booked the Baltic Sea cargo late on February 23, comprising 28,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2...Read More
Import prices for steel billet in Southeast Asia edged up over the past week while those for slab in the wider region including East Asia experienced sharp gains amid limited offers.Metal Bulletin's assessment of import prices for billet in Southeast Asia was $540-555 per tonne cfr for the week ended Monday February 26, up $5 per tonne from a week earlier.Prices increased after trading activity pi...Read More
Base metals traded on the London Metal Exchange are up across the board by an average of 0.4% this morning, Tuesday February 27.Aluminium prices lead the way with a gain of 0.7%, while the rest are up between 0.1% for zinc and 0.4% for tin, with copper prices up by 0.3% at $7,136 per tonne. Volume has been average with 6,677 lots traded as of 07.12 am London time. This follows a day of general str...Read More
The import markets for flat steel products in South American countries were very muted this month because of the Chinese new year holiday, which took place February 15-21.The lack of trading has prevented import values from showing any major changes in the past few weeks, but prices are expected to rise in late February/early March with the arrival of fresh China-origin offers in the market.The la...Read More
Some flat steel import offer prices in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia decreased this week despite the strong demand in the UAE, sources told Metal Bulletin on Tuesday February 27.UAEHot-rolled coil was being offered to the UAE at $620-630 per tonne cfr from China and $650-660 per tonne cfr from India.Buyers were bidding $630 per tonne cfr for India-origin HRC.Ukraine offered the product...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil export prices exceeded the $600-per-tonne mark on Tuesday February 27 while the domestic market stabilized after Monday's surge.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 4,170-4,190 yuan ($660-663) per tonne, narrowed upward by 10 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 4,100-4,130 yuan per tonne, unchangedThe paper market made up for early losses in the afternoon, enabling spot pr...Read More
Mexican steelmaker Grupo Simec increased its earnings by 6% year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2017, amid lower costs and expenses, but did not manage to keep itself in profit for the three months.Earnings before interests, taxes, depreciation and amortization amounted to 1.13 billion pesos ($61 million) during the period, up from 1.06 billion pesos in the fourth quarter of 2016, the company sa...Read More
Local and imported rebar prices in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia remained unchanged this week although the price of billet imports into the UAE increased, sources told Metal Bulletin on Tuesday February 27.Demand for locally produced rebar in the UAE was still strong.Domestic rebarThe major rebar producers in the UAE rolled over their prices for March and April production last week.The...Read More
Russian steelmakers have announced their prices for March-rolled rebar to the domestic market, cutting the offer prices only to selected trading companies, Metal Bulletin has heard.Metal Bulletin's price assessment for Russian domestic 12mm A500C rebar was 35,000 roubles ($625) per tonne cpt Moscow, including VAT, on Monday February 26. This compared with 35,000-35,500 roubles per tonne cpt Moscow...Read More