Chrome ore prices are likely to remain strong over Lunar New Year due to comparatively stronger buying and restocking in China, according to Phoevos Pouroulis, chief executive officer of South African mining group Tharisa."On the back of demand, chrome ore prices are at a healthy, sustainable level. Whether there will be further appreciation depends on Chinese New Year but there's a strong case fo...Read More
The latest ferro-tungsten and ammonium paratungstate (APT) transactions, bids, offers and assessments in Europe, Vietnam and China, with blue tungsten oxide (BTO) and yellow tungsten oxide (YTO) deals taken into consideration.To view the latest price quotations, follow the links below:China- APT, fob China- Ferro-tungsten, fob ChinaEurope- APT, cif Rotterdam- Ferro-tungsten, in-warehouse Rotterdam...Read More
China's Ganzhou Tungsten Association (GTA) has lowered its price forecast for tungsten products in February, in anticipation of the thin buying interest traditionally seen ahead of and during the Chinese New Year holidays (February 15-21).GTA predicts that black tungsten concentrates 65% will average 111,000 yuan ($17,635) per tonne in February, a month-on-month decrease of 2,000 yuan per tonne. M...Read More
Good morning from Metal Bulletin's offices in Shanghai as we bring you the latest news and pricing stories on Tuesday February 6.Much like yesterday, most base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were under pressure during Asian morning trading on Tuesday, with sharp falls in the US stock market overnight damping market sentiment.Nickel prices continued their recent run of weakness as t...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices moved up on Tuesday February 6, alongside wider margins at Chinese steel mills. Metal Bulletin's 62% Fe Iron Ore Index Today: $75.92 per tonne cfr Qingdao Daily change: Up by $0.22 per tonne Month-to-date average: $74.72 per tonne Metal Bulletin's 58% Fe Premium Index...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices moved up on Tuesday February 6, with tightness in domestic Chinese supply heard to be fueling demand.A premium low volume cargo was heard to have traded at $231.5 per tonne cfr China this week, market sources said. "Chinese buyers have a good appetite for prompt cargoes but I am not convinced they would pay similar prices for cargoes with a laycan in March," a trader...Read More
Iron ore exports from Western Australia's Port of Port Hedland increased 1.9% in January 2018 from the previous year on returning customers and individual countries importing more, according to data released by the Pilbara Ports Authority on Tuesday February 6.The port shipped 41.06 million tonnes of the steelmaking raw material last month, compared with 40.3 million tonnes in January 2017.The vol...Read More
Premiums for index-linked cargoes of high-grade iron ore fines in the seaborne market are picking up strength with Chinese mills seeing their profitability improve ahead of the Chinese New Year.Key drivers Cargoes of the most-liquid Pilbara Blend fines sold against an index are carrying a premium of about $1.50 per tonne this week, compared with $1-1.20 per tonne last week.Several trading sources...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 oreBHP, Beijing Iron Ore Trading Center, 90,000 tonnes...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were lower across the board during morning trading on Tuesday February 6 on further profit-taking. "Given the LME's apparent love of sell-off Tuesdays the markets could be in for a very bumpy ride today," Malcolm Freeman of Kingdom Futures said. The three-month copper price retreated by $55.50 this morning but remains above $7,100 per tonne. "Copper...Read More
Metal Bulletin has reviewed the feedback received as part of its consultation on amendments to its international cobalt price specifications, launched on November 27, 2017. Feedback on stage one of the consultation was invited by Friday January 12. Broadly, Metal Bulletin's aims for stage one of the consultation were as follows:To gather feedback on the proposed removal of brands that are no longe...Read More
In light of feedback received as part of the consultation on its international cobalt price specifications, Metal Bulletin is seeking additional input from those active in the cobalt market. Initial feedback was sought between Monday November 27, 2017, and Friday January 12, 2018. Full details of the November 2017 cobalt pricing consultation are here.Click here to review the findings of the origin...Read More
The cobalt market needs to find a way to price intermediate products while their share of the overall market grows, Eurasian Resources Group's head of strategic cobalt marketing Tony Southgate told Metal Bulletin. Intermediates production will continue to outpace metal production, driven by battery sector growth in particular, Southgate predicts. "The preferred feed into the battery sector is inte...Read More
Cobalt's boom days will continue for the next seven to 10 years amid strong demand from the electric vehicles sector as well as traditional cobalt consumers, according to Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) executive Tony Southgate. "Our view is that the cobalt boom is guaranteed for the next seven to 10 years," Southgate, head of strategic cobalt marketing at the Kazakh mining group, told Metal Bullet...Read More
Frank Arm, Retorte's former head of sales, has joined Jadis Additiva, Metal Bulletin has learned. Arm, who left Retorte in January after eight years at the German selenium producer, joined Jadis Additiva on February 1 as its heads of sales premixes and specialties. Jadis...Read More
The European stainless steel market will hope to improve profit margins across the supply chain in 2018, amid strong order books and robust market activity, Danish distributor Damstahl said last week.Buyers will have to accept higher prices but the "outlook is promising" with European economies gaining momentum, Damstahl said.Metal Bulletin's weekly base price assessment on Friday February 2 for 2...Read More
Ascoval, a joint venture between the recently sold Ascometal and French tube and pipe producer Vallourec, will continue production while the company finds a buyer, a spokesman for Swiss special and stainless steel producer Schmolz + Bickenbach (S+B) told Metal Bulletin late on Monday February 5.The future of Ascoval, located in Saint-Saulve, Northern France, was put in doubt when majority shareown...Read More
On...ACCESS RESTRICTEDTo read the rest of this analysis please take a free sample or subscribeFREE SampleReceive a free sample of market analysis and price forecasts.Free SampleSUBSCRIBEReceive unlimited access to all current and archive content going back to 2008 including downloadable pricing data and forecasts.Plus download the latest issue as soon as it’s published.Subscri...Read More
Prices consolidating, tight spread keeps focus...ACCESS RESTRICTEDTo read the rest of this analysis please take a free sample or subscribeFREE SampleReceive a free sample of market analysis and price forecasts.Free SampleSUBSCRIBEReceive unlimited access to all current and archive content going back to 2008 including downloadable pricing data and forecasts.Plus download the latest...Read More
Aluminium Aluminium prices are drifting lower while consolidation continues. Support...ACCESS RESTRICTEDTo read the rest of this analysis please take a free sample or subscribeFREE SampleReceive a free sample of market analysis and price forecasts.Free SampleSUBSCRIBEReceive unlimited access to all current and archive content going back to 2008 including downloadable pricing data a...Read More