Gold has big year in 2020 and outlook for this year robust. Learn about monetary expansion and gold future prices.Read More
The gold futures price reached US$1,767/ounce this week before retreating, which was the second time it has surpassed US$1,760 in the past two months, marking some of gold's highest levels in several years.Read More
South Africa's bulk exports of manganese ore soared to more than 19 million tonnes in the first 11 months of 2020, according to early estimates seen by Fastmarkets. Shipping data showed the record volume shipped between January and November, compared with just over 18.3 million tonnes for the whole of 2019. The increase comes despite South African mines being closed between late...Read More
Prices of both Chinese imported charge chrome and UG2 chrome ore continued to rise in the week to Tuesday January 12, supported by a surging domestic spot ferro-chrome market. The city of Ulanqab, a major ferro-alloy production hub in China's autonomous region of Inner Mongolia, has ordered smelters to shut down their small furnaces. The expectation of resultant lower supply in the short term imme...Read More
Shares in Emmerson have risen 35% since the start of the year, but Hayden Locke, former CEO and now executive director, believes there is more to come, with the company set to secure its miningRead More
The global zinc concentrates market is volatile and unpredictable at the best of times, but a global pandemic ramped up the turbulence by several notches in 2020.Spot zinc treatment charges (TCs) fell by more than 72% last year, the slide beginning after the Covid-19 pandemic forced major mines into government-mandated lockdowns.The nosedive in spot TCs - which are discounts to the exchange price...Read More
An overview of the consumer electronics markets and their latest price moves.Ewa Manthey, Dalila Ouerghi and...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday January 13.Key drivers The European ferro-titanium market followed a slow start to the year with another low-key trading week, although strong buying interest in Asia was encouraging higher offer prices in Europe. Only a few truckloads of alloy were reported being sold at $7.80 per kg delivered in Europe.Most business was repor...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday January 13.Key drivers The European ferro-titanium market followed a slow start to the year with another low-key trading week, although strong buying interest in Asia was encouraging higher offer prices in Europe. Only a few truckloads of alloy were reported being sold at $7.80 per kg delivered in Europe.Most business was repor...Read More
The Turkish deep-sea markets remained largely silent on the third working day of the week, but with sentiment beginning to turn negative, sources said on Wednesday January 13.After a number of steel scrap cargoes were booked at the end of last week, the mills stepped back from deep-sea bookings."The number of offers is increasing, especially from US merchants. I think this might be a sign of a dow...Read More
Aluminium alloy ADC 12 prices in China and Japan continued to trend down in the week to Wednesday January 13 on reduced production costs after the price of aluminium scrap - used as a raw material - weakened. Fastmarkets assessed the price of aluminium ingot ADC12, exw dp China at 16,600-16,800 yuan ($2,567-2,598) per tonne on Wednesday, down 200-400 yuan per tonne from 16,800-17,200 yuan per...Read More
After strong gains on the London Metal Exchange on Tuesday January 12, when prices closed up with gains averaging 1.8%, prices were for the most part little changed this morning, with nickel the main mover.Nickel prices have been moving higher while the market reacts to a mining ban on the island of Tumbagan in the Philippines and as supply from miner SLN in New Caledonia continues to be disrupted...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday January 13 that are worth another look.Overseas buyers are opting to purchase Chinese cold-rolled coil and hot-dipped galvanized coil from smaller mills in China amid major exporters' high offers, sources told Fastmarkets in the past week.Canada-based miner Cornish Metals intends to float...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil have increased across Europe in the week to Wednesday January 13, with steelmakers targeting further price rises, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, at ?,?691.25 ($840.90) per tonne on Wednesday, up by ?,?3.25 per tonne day on day from ?,?688.00 on Tuesday.The index was also up by...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil prices continued to fall on Wednesday January 13 amid low demand.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 4,510-4,540 yuan ($698-702) per tonne, down 30-40 yuan per tonneSeveral Shanghai-based traders said that sellers there had to offer material at lower prices to win orders amid inactive trading.One trader said buyers were likely to keep waitin...Read More
Prices for steel hollow sections in Europe have moved upward on continued pressure from the price and availability of feedstock materials, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday January 13.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?820-850 ($998-1,034) per tonne on Wednesday, up from ?,?800-820 per tonne one week before.Producers have stru...Read More
The price of steel H-beams in Europe has jumped this week, with producers returning to the market after pausing their offers ahead of the Christmas holiday break due to volatile market conditions, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday January 13.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel beams, domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?750-770 ($912-937) per tonne on Wednesday, up from ?,?70...Read More
Domestic prices for steel mesh-quality wire rod in the north of Europe unexpectedly surged in the week to Wednesday January 13, amid sharp increases in feedstock costs and persistent supply tightness, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh-quality), domestic, delivered Northern Europe rose by ?,?45-70 per tonne, to ?,?675-700 ($821-851) per tonn...Read More
The Turkish deep-sea markets remained largely silent on the third working day of the week, but with sentiment beginning to turn negative, sources said on Wednesday January 13.After a number of steel scrap cargoes were booked at the end of last week, the mills stepped back from deep-sea bookings."The number of offers is increasing, especially from US merchants. I think this might be a sign of a dow...Read More
The seaborne iron ore lump premium rose on Wednesday January 13, supported by firm demand and limited supply, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $170.11 per tonne, down $2.56 per tonne 62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $170.90 per tonne, down $2.10 per tonne 58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $156.92 per tonne, down $0.78 per tonne 65%...Read More
Iran's export prices for steel slab and billet remained stable over the week to Wednesday January 13, with about 30,000 tonnes of billet sold during the review period, sources told Fastmarkets.More deals were expected to be done later in the week, but most market participants did not expect any price increases because of the slowdown in the rate of global price rises.The sharp uptrend in global st...Read More
Prices for cargoes of steel billet to Southeast Asia moved down slightly in the last day amid a sharp increase in material offered to the market, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday January 13.A steep drop in China's future markets - and subsequently rebar prices - led to several billet producing mills going to the market to offer cargo on Tuesday and Wednesday, market participants said.Blast fu...Read More