Freeport-McMoRan is considering ways it could develop the Kisanfu cobalt project in the Democratic Republic of Congo following the sharp rise in prices of the raw material, the company's top executive said. Since Freeport opted to reassess its 2016 decision to sell Kisanfu, the miner started to consider alternatives - including taking a joint venture partner for the project, according to company p...Read More
Comex copper prices softened in the US morning on Monday February 26 amid a dollar reversal, although market action should be more volatile this week with Chinese investors back from their Lunar New Year holidays. Copper for May settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 1.95 cents or 0.6% to $3.1930 per lb. "The bulls now have a platform...Read More
The largest zinc smelter in Europe has sealed an offtake agreement with the operator of Century Zinc Mine for up to 600,000 tonnes of zinc concentrates over five and a half years, Nyrstar said on Monday February 26. Nyrstar, which has long been an offtaker of Century concentrate will receive 250,000 tonnes of zinc concentrates for the first three and a half years of the agreement, rising to 3...Read More
Good morning from Metal Bulletin's London office, bringing you the latest news and pricing stories on Monday February 26.Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were on strong footing at the start of the week - with prices trading higher across the board and being supported by a weaker dollar. Here's how base metals prices looked at 11:50 London time:Read our live futures report here. ...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were higher across the board during morning trading on Monday February 26, with the dollar on weak footing once again. "Not unexpectedly, the markets have opened in positive territory as China returns from its New Year holidays and the metals will be taking encouragement from the Asian equity markets that are all in positive numbers," Malcolm Freeman...Read More
Prices for Asia-origin steel commodities could remain elevated for April- and May-shipment cargoes, although this will depend on further policy changes in China and the United States, market sources have told Metal Bulletin.Bullish sentiment on near-term spot prices is prevalent because production cuts in China could yet be extended all the way into May-June."Many market participants think that pr...Read More
CIS export rebar and wire rod prices continued to rise in the week ended Monday February 26 amid reduced availability of the materials, although customers were refraining from bookings because they considered the offered prices to be too high.Metal Bulletin's weekly price assessment for CIS rebar exports narrowed upward to $570-580 per tonne fob Black Sea on February 26, from $565-580 per tonne fo...Read More
CIS export prices for steel billet products continued to climb in the week ended Monday February 26 with customers accepting the higher prices.In addition, the availability of the material was reduced because some mills were holding back volumes in expectation of another round of price increases after China's return from the week-long lunar new year celebration.Metal Bulletin's weekly export CIS B...Read More
United Brothers Holding of Iraq has ordered all the equipment for construction of a billet-making plant, equipment supplier Danieli said on Friday February 23.It will be installed within an existing building located in the industrial area of Khor Al Zubair, near Bassora, and will produce steel in a 70-tonne electric-arc furnace (EAF) and a 70-tonne ladle furnace.The...Read More
Chinese ferro-silicon prices were unchanged on Friday February 23, with suppliers awaiting the return of consumers after the Lunar New Year holiday, while the European and US markets are pausing for quarterly delivery talks to discover the state of availability and demand in the next few months. Chinese market awaits consumers' return Chinese trading reduced to inter-merchant activity ...Read More
China's ferro-chrome market was stable just after Lunar New Year, while market participants predicted prices will rise in the coming week as a result of the country's strengthening stainless sector. Ferro-chrome prices hold in China after Lunar New YearUG2 chrome ore prices edge higher in ChinaHigher ferro-chrome tender prices expected for MarchAlloy prices rise in all other regions Ferro-chrome...Read More
Summary of China's ferro-alloys imports in January 2018.Chrome ore Month total: 1.24 million tonnes On month: +3.13% On year: -18.85% * Ferro-chrome Month total:...Read More
Turkish steel producers have continued to book deep-sea scrap, now buying for April, and prices have gone up slightly, sources said on Monday February 26.Market participants believed that the strong finished steel market was supporting the steel mills' scrap purchases."Turkish mills are still showing interest in deep-sea scrap. This is mostly because of the strong finished steel market," a source...Read More
China's imports of iron ore rebounded to the second highest ever in January while those for coking coal fell to a seven-month low. Exports of scrap surged on the year, while those for coke, which include semi coke, contracted.Read More
Iron ore prices strengthened further on Monday February 26 following big gains in China's steel market. Metal Bulletin's 62% Fe Iron Ore Index Today: $79.36 per tonne cfr Qingdao Daily change: up by $0.54 per tonne Month-to-date average: $77.18 per tonne Metal Bulletin's 58% Fe Premium Index Today: $61.74 per tonne cfr Qingdao Daily change: up...Read More
There was little movement in the seaborne coking coal market on Monday February 26 with participants waiting for Chinese buyers to set the tone for prices.Cargoes of premium hard coking coal were heard offered around $245 per tonne fob Australia while bids were indicated around $20 per tonne below that level, sources told Metal Bulletin. Both buyers and sellers are waiting for Chinese market parti...Read More
Seaborne iron ore market saw higher fixed-price transactions on Monday February 26 amid a strengthening Chinese steel market, but premiums have fallen compared with pre-holiday levels due to a higher availability of cargoes.Key drivers The Tangshan government's plan to extend steel production caps beyond the winter heating season, though still yet to be decided, continued to bolster steel prices b...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 oreRio Tinto, tender, 190,000 tonnes of 61% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, sold at...Read More
Silicon prices in China and Europe were stable over the past week amid a lull in trading activity, with a number of Chinese participants yet to return to the market following the weeklong Lunar New Year break which ended on Wednesday February 21.Metal Bulletin's Chinese grade 553 silicon metal export price stood at $2,000-2,050 per tonne on February 23, unchanged from the previous week's assessmen...Read More
First impressions are that we are off to a bullish start to the week, with the base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange up by an average of 0.6% this morning, Monday February 26.Nickel and lead prices lead the way with gains of 0.9%, followed by zinc and copper prices that are up by 0.6%, with the latter at $7,155 per tonne, while tin and aluminium prices are up 0.4% and 0.3% respectively....Read More