Pig iron export prices from Brazil continued to increase in the week to Friday August 7 on further sales to China and the United States.Fastmarkets' price assessment of pig iron, export, fob port of Vitoria/Rio, Brazil was $340 per tonne on Friday, up from $325 per tonne a week earlier.Early this week a cargo was sold to an international trader for the Chinese market at $333 per ton...Read More

Ferrous scrap prices in all the key global markets continued to increase in the week ended Friday August 7 on stable demand from end-users and high prices for downstream steel products.Turkey continues to purchase material at higher pricesUS export prices and volumes riseVietnam chooses US-origin scrap on narrowing differential with JapanTaiwan prices continue uptrendIndia prices return to pre-pan...Read More

The price of ferrous scrap imported into India in containers stabilized this week after last week's $15 per tonne surge, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday August 7. Fastmarkets calculated the steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Nhava Sheva, India at $304.18 per tonne on Friday, up slightly from $301.15 per tonne one week earlier. Last week, the price surged by $15.19 per tonne, crossin...Read More

Turkish steel producers have continued to book deep-sea scrap cargoes scheduled for September shipments, at firm prices, sources said on Friday August 7.A steel mill in the Iskenderun region booked a Baltic Sea cargo, comprising 16,500 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $285 per tonne, 5,000 tonnes of shredded at $290 per tonne and 1,500 tonnes of bonus at $295 per tonne cfr.This compared with the previ...Read More

Biogen (BIIB), a NASDAQ 100 stock moved above $404.20 setting an intermediate uptrend. Dollarama (DOL) , a TSX 60 stock moved above $50.10 extending an intermediate uptrend.  Pre-opening Comments for Friday August 7thU.S. equity index futures were lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 6 points in pre-opening trade. Index futures moved higher following release of the July Employmen...Read More

The inter-merchant spot market for light iron scrap in the UK was steady in the week ended Friday August 7, sources have told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel scrap 5C, loose old light, domestic, delivered inter-merchant, UK, was unchanged at ?85-95 ($112-125) per tonne on Friday."Our suppliers seem content at this price," one market source said. "We would react if our c...Read More

The market for pig iron exports from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was strong during the week to Thursday August 7 amid further demand in China and new sales to Italy, sources said.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for high-manganese pig iron, export, fob main port Black Sea, CIS was $322-326 per tonne on August 7, narrowing upward from $320-326 per tonne a week before....Read More

Iron ore prices decreased on Friday August 7, with China's strong iron ore imports data for July potentially easing the uptrend and bullish sentiment, resulting in a correction in prices, sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $119.21 per tonne, down $2.06 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $119.16 per tonne, down $2.02 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade pr...Read More

Seaborne premium hard coking coal prices went down slightly on Friday August 7 following the latest transactions, while market participants analyzed the possible reasons for the price decrease, Fastmarkets heard.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $104.56 per tonne, down $1.35 per tonne Premium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $115.88 per tonne, down $0.50 per tonneHard coking co...Read More

Deliverable copper stocks at Shanghai Futures Exchange-approved warehouses increased by 12,942 tonnes (8.1%) to 172,455 tonnes in the week to Friday August 7, marking the largest gain in percentage terms across the base metals complex.The biggest inflow of red metal stocks was at Zhongchu Wusong's warehouses in Shanghai, where inventories rose by 4,505 tonnes to 43,835 tonnes, according to data re...Read More

The three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange was lower during morning trading on Friday August 7, with continued tightness across the front end of the metal's forward curve deterring interest, while a marked improvement in German industrial production remains a key indicator of improving economic conditions in Europe.Copper's outright price on the LME was recently trading at $6,416 pe...Read More

An overview of the minor metals markets and their latest price moves.Read More

The cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam trade log, including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparency into the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets assessed cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam at...Read More

Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Friday August 7. Key drivers  Prices moved higher in all five daily price assessment this week, stoked by concern in China over availability of metal.  Hydroxide payables continue to strengthen on limited supply, which has pushed some companies to buying metal...Read More

Fastmarkets has decided to discontinue five precious metals price assessments from October 1, 2020, due to the limited liquidity of the markets in question and to focus on its core markets. The discontinuation follows a month-long consultation that started on July 7, 2020. The prices to be discontinued are as follows: Platinum min 99.9% Europe Free Market $ per troy oz in warehouse Palladium min 9...Read More

An overview of the Chinese minor metals markets and the reasons for their latest price moves. Read More

A summary of stainless steel producer Outokumpu's results for the second quarter of 2020.In brief Weakening of global demand for stainless steel due to the Covid-19 pandemic dragged Outokumpu's earnings sharply downward in the second quarter. In Europe, the company's results were burdened by both lower deliveries and prices as well as high import levels from third countries, particularly from Asia...Read More

A roundup of layoff announcements contained in Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notice (WARN) Act letters filed to state labor agencies in the United States thus far this summer, including at least six full plant closures, indexed by sector:Aerospace:  Boeing announced that 1,608 employees will be laid off at its operations in Puget Sound, Washington, effective October 2-28. Textron...Read More

The price uptrend for imported containerized ferrous scrap in key market Taiwan continued over the past week.Fastmarkets' daily price assessment for containerized cargoes of steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20), US material import, cfr main port Taiwan was $255-257 per tonne on Friday August 7, unchanged from a day earlier but up by $7-8 per tonne from $248-249 per tonne cfr Taiwan on July 30.Transactions...Read More

Interest for deep-sea bulk cargoes of heavy melting scrap from the United States' West Coast returned this week in Vietnam, a key market in Asia, with a transaction involving 4,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) heard at $295 per tonne cfr.This is part of a bulk shipment that includes another 22,000 tonnes of shredded scrap priced at $297 per tonne cfr Vietnam and 4,000 tonnes of plate & structural (P&...Read More