Base metal prices on the London Metal Exchange were mixed, although largely unchanged by the 5pm close on Wednesday November 10."After such a massive bout of risk reduction, prices were always likely to enter a choppy phase," Alastair Munro, LME desk analyst at Marex said."Enough uncertainty remains to make any view tough to hold. Largely speaking, we still see a largely positive micro picture, al...Read More
Domestic stainless steel prices continued their sharp drop in the week ended Wednesday November 10, with the low price attracting higher buying interest.DomesticStainless steel cold-rolled coil 2mm grade 304 domestic (Wuxi): 19,300-19,500 ($3,019-3,050) per tonne, down by 500-700 yuan per tonne from a week earlier."Deals [have been] hard to conclude when prices [have been] above 20,000 yuan per to...Read More
Overwhelmingly bearish sentiment pervaded the Asian scrap markets on Wednesday November 10, with buyers exiting the market amid continual price falls; the staple Kanto Tetsugen auction was not awarded due to low bids from traders.November Kanto Tetsugen auction fails to find winnersSentiment in China bearish after a major steelmaker in the country lowers domestic scrap buy priceTaiwanese buyers wa...Read More
Overwhelmingly bearish sentiment pervaded the Asian scrap markets on Wednesday November 10, with buyers exiting the market amid continual price falls; the staple Kanto Tetsugen auction was not awarded due to low bids from traders.November Kanto Tetsugen auction fails to find winnersSentiment in China bearish after a major steelmaker in the country lowers domestic scrap buy priceTaiwanese buyers wa...Read More
Prices for hot-rolled coil in the United States hit their lowest point since July amid market conditions most sources have described as slow, bearish and volatile.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $92.33 per hundredweight ($1,846.60 per short ton) on Wednesday November 10, down by 0.90% from $93.17 per cwt on Tuesday November 9 and by 1.07% from $93.33 p...Read More
The nickel briquette premium in the United States gained 40.9% during the week to Tuesday November 9 on some forced spot buying, surpassing the cut cathode premium for the first time ever.Fastmarkets introduced assessments based on the shape of the nickel in March 2018. Square cut cathode commanded three times the premium for curved briquette at the start of this year.But throughout this year, sup...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday November 10 that are worth another look.Focusing on the United Nation's 17 Sustainable Development Goals could be a "better framework" to capture the overlap between the environmental, societal and governmental aspects that mining companies have to consider in their moves toward sustainability, the chief...Read More
The People's Bank of China (PBOC) will offer cheaper funding to financial institutions which provide green loans, according to a statement released by the Chinese central bank on Monday November 8.The central bank will lend money to financial institutions to help them support firms which are working toward China's energy transition goals, the statement read.Financial institutions can borrow from P...Read More
Cobalt hydroxide suppliers have made aggressive offers in negotiations for annual long-term contracts, sources told Fastmarkets on the sidelines of the Antaike Nickel & Cobalt conference in Ningbo, China, on November 1-3.Since the annual mating season in 2019, most cobalt hydroxide sellers and buyers have adopted a pricing mechanism for their long-term contracts for the crucial and preferred cobal...Read More
An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price moves.Janie Davies, Alex Cook...Read More
Prices for low-carbon ferro-chrome continued to rise strongly in the week to Wednesday November 10, with the market still undersupplied and prices reaching a new record high since collapsing in November 2008.Fastmarkets' price assessment for ferro-chrome 0.10% C, average 65-70% Cr, delivered Europe, was $3.80-4.09 per lb Cr on November 9, up by 34-37 cents from $3.43-3.75 per lb Cr two weeks earli...Read More
The weakening of the markets for flat and long steel in Asia that was created by the sharp drop in futures prices in China this week has had a negative effect on Iranian exporters, which sell most of their semi-finished steel volumes to the region, Fastmarkets heard on Wednesday November 10.Fastmarkets' daily price assessment for steel hot-rolled coil, domestic, ex-whs Eastern China, was 4,650-4,7...Read More
Spot prices for hot-rolled coil in China fell sharply on Wednesday November 10, with a pessimistic demand outlook and waning costs knocking futures prices to an 11-month trough.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 4,650-4,710 yuan ($728-737) per tonne, down by 240-250 yuan per tonneSpot prices were at their lowest level since February 5, while the most-traded HRC contract on the Shanghai Futures Exch...Read More
Focusing on the United Nation's 17 Sustainable Development Goals could be a "better framework" to capture the overlap between the environmental, societal and governmental aspects that mining companies have to consider in their moves toward sustainability, the chief executive officer of International Council of Mining and Metals Rohitesh Dhawan said on November 10. Speaking at the UN's COP26 meetin...Read More
Copper and aluminium prices edged higher in morning trading on the London Metal Exchange on Wednesday November 10, but struggled to gain momentum.Aluminium rose by $31 to $2,587.50 per tonne, after falling 1.9% at Tuesday's close.Trading volumes of the light metal continue to be the highest of the complex, but just over 4,000 lots had traded by 9:30am London time.The aluminium price has been incre...Read More
Nickel premiums rose in Europe and the United States in the week ended November 10 due to tight supply conditions pushing premiums and spot activity higher; China retreated slightly amid an increased arbitrage loss.US nickel premiums continue to rise to historic highsPremiums in Europe rise to highest level in 2021Chinese premiums retreat slightly with arbitrage loss between London and ShanghaiEur...Read More
Stainless scrap prices in the United States continued to inch up despite slightly reduced scrap requirements from the consuming mills given the year-end holiday season and maintenance shutdowns.Demand remains solid, however, and stainless scrap prices have continued to move higher. Sources credited solid nickel values on the London Metal Exchange, an uptrend in the ferrous scrap market for Novembe...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday November 10.Key drivers European ferro-titanium spot prices were unchanged for the fourth week in a row after a tender for annual delivery in 2022 from Korean steel major Posco dragged on longer than expected. There have been no reported spot trades over the week to Wednesday November 10. Market participants expected the settlement...Read More
Europe's domestic prices for heavy plate moved down slightly in the week to Wednesday November 10 following a large rise a week earlier, sources told Fastmarkets.Sentiment in the market, however, remains bullish due to high energy, transport and slab costs. Last week, domestic plate prices jumped by ?,?70-100 ($81-116) per tonne, reflecting offers and some transactions heard in the market. This we...Read More
Steel rebar producers in Southern Europe have achieved higher prices in deals over the past week amid increased buying activity and high costs, with optimistic sentiment supported by the new EU-US trade agreement, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday November 10.Fastmarkets' assessment of the price for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, delivered Southern Europe, climbed to ?,?765-800 ($887...Read More