Chile's copper miners face the biggest set of labor negotiations in years, but with prices expected to maintain current highs, how high is the risk to output disruptions? Fastmarkets investigates.More than 40 labor negotiations are due to take place this year at mines in Chile, the world's leading copper producer, against a backdrop of almost decade-high metal prices and elections set to be hotly...Read More

The falling London Metal Exchange zinc price boosted spot demand for zinc ingot in both Europe and the United States in the week to Tuesday April 13, while lead premiums in Southeast Asia were up on recovering demand. The LME three-month zinc price fell to $2,758 per tonne on Monday at the close, renewing interest for spot demand.  Zinc demand remains strong in the US despite automotive outpu...Read More

Huntsman Set to Expand Nickel Sulphide Discovery at CanegrassSPONSOREDhuntsman explorationWhile the AIM-listed miner has seen no marked increase in cases at its Kounrad operation in Kazakhstan, CAML said there had been "a larger number of cases at Sasa and in the nearby towns, coincidingRead More

Copper cathode premiums have taken a dive in the main market in China, where buyers are able to pick up units at low levels that were last traded in late November 2020, sources told Fastmarkets.Shanghai premiums drop to four-month lowSoutheast Asia copper premiums stableUnited States' copper premiums unmovedChina's copper import premiums collapse on sustained arbitrage lossPremiums for imported gr...Read More

Huntsman Set to Expand Nickel Sulphide Discovery at CanegrassSPONSOREDhuntsman explorationThe company said the latest results were from drilling targeting extensions of the volcanic-hosted massive sulphide associated mineralisation at the La Romana discovery, about 15km west of First Quantum Minerals' Las Cruces copper mine.A highlight intercept of 23m at 1.06% copper-equivalent from 27m also incl...Read More

Huntsman Set to Expand Nickel Sulphide Discovery at CanegrassSPONSOREDhuntsman explorationYellow metal production is forecast to grow 154% from 125,000 ounces in 2020 to 318,000oz in 2024 due to production increases at Hudbay's Snow Lake operation in Manitoba, Canada, where the company'sRead More

Steelmaker ArcelorMittal has completed an investment agreement with Invitalia, an Italian state-owned company, forming a public-private partnership between the two parties, the steelmaker said on Wednesday April 14.The joint company AM InvestCo Italy will be renamed Acciaierie d'Italia Holding, and its main operating subsidiary, ArcelorMittal Italia, will be renamed Acciaierie d'Italia.Invitalia h...Read More

Huntsman Set to Expand Nickel Sulphide Discovery at CanegrassSPONSOREDhuntsman explorationBalkanization refers to fragmentation of globally integrated supply chains that have been global economic drivers for the past 20 years.Read More

Prices for steel hollow sections in Europe jumped on Wednesday April 14 due to mills passing on soaring feedstock costs, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe was ?,?950-1,050 ($1132- 1,251)per tonne on April 14, up from ?,?920-950 per tonne one week previous.The ongoing shortage of hot-rolled coil (HRC) - the feedst...Read More

Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange were mixed this morning, Wednesday April 14, and broader markets were pleased US consumer prices did not shock to the upside, but markets are likely to remain wary in case corporate earnings do not live up to high expectations.* Tuesday’s US consumer price index (CPI) reading climbed by 0.6% in March, slightly highe...Read More

Steel rebar prices is the north of Europe were flat in the week to Wednesday April 14, despite subdued buying activity in some countries and customers pushing for discounts, Fastmarkets heard.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, delivered Northern Europe remained at ?,?650-670 ($775-798) per tonne on April 14, unchanged week on week.After a splash of bu...Read More

European steel H-beam prices was unchanged on Wednesday April 14, with the outcome of monthly scrap settlements not yet clear, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets assessed the weekly price for steel beams, domestic, delivered Northern Europe at ?,?750-780 ($883-930) per tonne on Wednesday, steady week on week. Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel beams, domestic, delivered So...Read More

The domestic steel wire rod price in the north of Europe held steady in the week to Wednesday April 14 despite producers' efforts to push for increases, with buyers reporting difficulties passing higher prices downstream. Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh-quality), domestic, delivered Northern Europe was ?,?660-690 ($786-822) per tonne on Wednesday, unchanged since...Read More

Magna International (MG), a TSX 60 stock moved above $118.71 to an all-time high extending an intermediate uptrend. Open Text (OTEX), a TSX 60 stock moved above US$49.77 to an all-time high extending an intermediate uptrend. Pre-opening Comments for Wednesday April 14thU.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 3 points in pre-opening trade.Crude oil advan...Read More

Turkish steel producers continued to hold back from deep-sea scrap bookings because of limited sales of finished long steel, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday April 14.The most recent cargo sale was at the end of last week, when a steel mill in the Iskenderun region paid an average price of $436 per tonne cfr for 35,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (95:5) and 15,000 tonnes of shredded.The deal caused a $...Read More

British steel scrap suppliers have mostly settled monthly delivery prices for steel scrap to domestic consumers in April unchanged compared with market levels the month before, amid persistent supply tightness, trade sources said this week.The move follows initial signs around the turn of the month of a potential fall of ?20 ($27) per tonne due to a combination of reasons: downward pressure on Eu...Read More

China's steel scrap import prices narrowed upward on Wednesday April 14, with rises in finished steel prices driving momentum in the market.The country's steel mills continued to raise their bids for imports of HRS101-grade scrap, with at least one bid heard at $490-495 per tonne cfr eastern China.The highest bid from northeast China reached $500 per tonne cfr China on Wednesday, which sources sai...Read More

Seaborne iron ore prices made largely rangebound movements on Wednesday April 14 except for the low-grade fines price, which fell amid weaker demand from steelmakers, sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $173.54 per tonne, up $0.29 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $174.10 per tonne, down $0.03 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $15...Read More

The premium hard coking coal price inched up in the fob market due to increased procurement activity while the cfr market remained largely stable at the elevated level on Wednesday April 14, sources said.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $113.18 per tonne, up $0.59 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $218.87 per tonne, up $0.08 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT:...Read More

British steel scrap suppliers have mostly settled monthly delivery prices for steel scrap to domestic consumers in April unchanged compared with market levels the month before amid persistent supply tightness, trade sources said this week. A correction has...Read More