The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Friday January 19.The base metals complex was generally up in end-of-day trading on Thursday January 18, with aluminium leading the way with a 2.2% price increase while lead hit a three-month high. Read more in our live futures report. Here are how prices looked at the end of the day on Thursday.Participants in the European p...Read More
The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Friday January 19.The base metals complex was generally up in end-of-day trading on Thursday January 18, with aluminium leading the way with a 2.2% price increase while lead hit a three-month high. Read more in our live futures report. Here are how prices looked at the end of the day on Thursday.Participants in the European p...Read More
The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Friday January 19.The base metals complex was generally up in end-of-day trading on Thursday January 18, with aluminium leading the way with a 2.2% price increase while lead hit a three-month high. Read more in our live futures report. Here are how prices looked at the end of the day on Thursday.Participants in the European p...Read More
Aluminium billet premiums in the United States jumped, some premiums in Asia were lower, and the Germany premium in Europe widened upward.The aluminium three-month price on the London Metal Exchange closed at $2,219 per tonne.The spread between the three-month and cash price was in a $1.50 contango per tonne after touching a $6 backwardation earlier in the week.The US 6063 spot billet upcharge has...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were on divergent paths at the close on Friday January 19, after a week of volatility. Zinc and tin both set fresh 2018-highs during the early morning London session, sustaining their gains throughout the day to close in positive territory."Zinc is forecast to continue its strong rally as global production is on track to trail demand for a third stra...Read More
Nickel briquette premiums cif China were steady week on week in spite of a production outage at the Ambatovy project in Madagascar. Premiums for nickel briquette from LME warehouses cif China remained at $130-140 per tonne in the week ended Friday January 19, sources told Metal Bulletin. Meanwhile, duty-free nickel briquettes from Australia and Madagascar are being offered at premiums of $350-360...Read More
Selenium prices rose over the past week on dwindling supply and buoyant demand from India. "There are usually two reasons for selenium prices to go up or down - a change in demand from either India or China. And both Chinese and Indian markets are hot right now," a market participant said. Metal Bulletin's selenium price rose to $18-19.5 per lb in the midweek assessment on Wednesday January 1...Read More
The UK inter-merchant price range for austenitic alloy steel scrap fell by ?40-60 per tonne this week as both the US dollar and nickel prices weakened, sources said on Friday January 19.Metal Bulletin's weekly price assessment for inter-merchant 18/8 scrap solids in the UK was ?900-940 ($1,247-1,302) per tonne delivered on Friday, compared with ?960-980 per tonne on January 12.The London Metal...Read More
The scrap prices in the major markets, other than the United States, have softened in line with weak demand from Turkish steel producers during the working week from Monday January 15 to Friday January 19.However, the US market was also expected to follow the trend, with Baltic Sea and European suppliers having already agreed to sell material to Turkey at lower prices at the end of the week.Turkey...Read More
Prices for containerized imports of ferrous scrap into India fell this week, with negative sentiment and a drop in demand weakening the market, sources told Metal Bulletin on Friday January 19.Indian import scrap markets achieved their highest prices for more than three years a fortnight ago, but the market undid those gains after a sharp decline in buying activity in Pakistan.Metal Bulletin's ind...Read More
Comex copper prices were once again trading in negative territory on Friday January 19 despite the dollar trading at the lowest point since January 2015. Copper for March settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange declined 0.85% or 0.3% to $3.1905 per lb. Since the beginning of the month, the...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange are stronger across the board this morning, Friday January 19, with the complex up by an average of 0.6%. Aluminium prices ($2,262 per tonne) saw the biggest increases with a 0.8% gain and lead is the laggard with a 0.4% gain ($2,616 per tonne), while copper prices, at $7,125 per tonne, are up 0.7%. Volume has been high with 11,182 lots traded as of...Read More
Coated flat steel prices in Turkey were stable this week, with demand showing little strength in the local and export markets, sources told Metal Bulletin on Friday January 19.Demand was weak because the buyers wanted to see whether prices would fall, producers said.Domestic pricesIn Northern Turkey, 0.50mm gauge hot-dipped galvanized coil (HDG) was on offer at $795-800 per tonne ex-works from one...Read More
Most flat steel prices in Turkey's domestic market were stable this week, while import prices have decreased, market participants told Metal Bulletin on Friday January 19.Local producers are accepting orders for March and early-April production, but demand was not strong this week because buyers wanted to wait to see whether the price increases will continue. Besides, retail prices fell this week,...Read More
Import prices for flat steel products in South America fell this week, amid renewed trading activity.Metal Bulletin's weekly price assessment for hot-rolled coil (HRC) imports into the region fell to $610-615 per tonne cfr on Friday January 19, down from $615-620 per tonne cfr.The price assessment of imported cold-rolled coil (CRC), meanwhile, was $650-660 per tonne cfr, down&...Read More
Domestic prices for rebar in Poland have increased again over the past week on higher production costs, sources told Metal Bulletin on Friday January 19.Metal Bulletin's weekly price assessment for domestic 12mm B500B-grade rebar in Poland was 2,320-2,350 zloty ($680-689) per tonne ex-works on January 19, compared with 2,240-2,300 per tonne ex-works a week earlier.The assessment reflected deals an...Read More
Metal Bulletin reviews the major stories that have affected the steel market over the past week.Iron ore prices ended the week on the rise, after some falls over the period. Metal Bulletin's 62% Fe Iron Ore Index hit $76 per tonne on Friday, boosted by gains in China's futures market.Buyers of seaborne coking coal are waiting on the market sidelines in expectation of lower prices in the weeks ahea...Read More
Indian local secondary billet prices were showing signs of weakness on Friday January 19 despite making a week-on-week gain of 400 rupees ($6) per tonne.Prices for Indian domestic secondary billet, mainly produced in induction furnaces, ended the week at 32,300-32,500 rupees ($506-509) per tonne ex-mill. This was an increase of 400 rupees per tonne compared with Metal Bulletin's assessment last we...Read More
The UK inter-merchant price range for austenitic alloy steel scrap fell by ?40-60 per tonne this week as both the US dollar and nickel prices weakened, sources said on Friday January 19.Metal Bulletin's weekly price assessment for inter-merchant 18/8 scrap solids in the UK was ?900-940 ($1,247-1,302) per tonne delivered on Friday, compared with ?960-980 per tonne on January 12.The London Metal...Read More
The scrap prices in the major markets, other than the United States, have softened in line with weak demand from Turkish steel producers during the working week from Monday January 15 to Friday January 19.However, the US market was also expected to follow the trend, with Baltic Sea and European suppliers having already agreed to sell material to Turkey at lower prices at the end of the week.Turkey...Read More