Diamond industry reopening and adjusting to new normal as consumers emerge from lockdown. US retail jewelers resuming operations in most states, with emphasis on in-store hygiene, virtual consultations and curbside service. New York trade remains shut. China strengthens security law in Hong Kong, fueling concern about renewed pro-democracy protests and trade war. Polished and rough trading limited...Read More

RAPAPORT... Sales at Forevermark's stores in China have recovered strongly since the peak of Covid-19, with customers returning quicker than expected, the De Beers-owned retail brand reported."While much of our world and business is in flux right now, one thing we can be certain of is this pandemic will alter consumer expectations forever, but we can be confident that diamonds will continue t...Read More

RAPAPORT... A fancy-intense blue diamond ring with a high estimate of HKD 95 million ($12.3 million) will go under the hammer at the Magnificent Jewels auction at Christie's in Hong Kong.The marquise-cut, 12.11-carat piece, which is internally flawless, will lead the July 9 sale, Christie's said Wednesday.The Hong Kong auction was originally due to be held June 2, but was postponed amid the c...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Aluminium: Technical reboundAluminium prices are rising as expected but this is merely a technical correction for now, one that is driven by short-covering. Huge oversupply of aluminium this year and next, growing geopolitical tensions and the uncertain macro-economic outlook do not give us confidence that a price rally is s...Read More

The Antamina copper and zinc mine in Peru has resumed operations following its shutdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, shareholder Teck Resources said.The Vancouver, Canada-based miner, which has a 22.5% stake in Antamina, said that a reduced operating workforce had been mobilized with plans to start off at roughly 80% of full capacity after operations at Antamina were suspended last month to...Read More

The Covid-19 crisis is presenting an opportunity for the market to restart, refresh, and build on its experience of dealing with the diamond-trade slowdown of the past few years.RAPAPORT... In these unprecedented times, it would be foolish to make predictions about diamond-jewelry sales growth. We simply won't have any indication about the true state of consumer demand until at least three mo...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Pandora has re-opened two-thirds of its 375 North American outlets, using the Waitlist Me app to tell customers when they can enter. The Danish jewelry retail giant will allow no more than five customers in a store at any one time. The app, developed initially for restaurants to tell diners when their table is free, is being used to alert customers when there's a sales associa...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Zimbabwe's Murowa Diamonds has blamed erratic power supplies for a fall in output. Owners RioZim said the supply deficit remains a key risk across the group's operations despite a slight improvement in the first quarter of this year. Figures for 2019 show production down seven per cent on the previous year from 740,244 carats to 685,000 carats. The company has invested i...Read More

Nickel premiums in the United States and China dipped in the week to Tuesday May 26 while trade moved lower and premiums in Europe maintained their already-low levels, Fastmarkets was told.Lower offers drive US nickel briquette premiums downLack of arbitrage opportunity in China facilitates trade at lower levelsEuropean market stable despite optimism for forward nickel demand in the regionChina pr...Read More

RAPAPORT... Polished-diamond imports into Hong Kong plummeted 54% to $2.33 billion in the first three months of 2020, reaching their lowest quarterly total since 2009, as the coronavirus hit demand. Polished exports fell 45% to $2.12 billion, according to data from the Diamond Federation of Hong Kong, China. Hong Kong Trade Data for 1Q 2020Read More

(IDEX Online) - Alrosa is holding is biggest ever online auction, listing over 800 rough diamonds, as coronavirus restrictions continue. The state-owned Russian miner is providing 3D scans showing each rough diamond's external shape, internal inclusions, anticipated color and fluorescence. It has been holding pilot digital tenders with a small number of stones since October 2019, but has resp...Read More

Global zinc and lead premiums were stable in the week to Tuesday May 26, with increased spot inquiries for lead amid battery producer Exide's bankruptcy failing to translate to higher United States premiums, while demand for zinc in all regions remained lackluster.Battery producer Exide Technologies bankruptcy filing stimulates US lead spot interest China zinc market subdued by lack of arbitrage o...Read More

Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States stayed mostly flat while market participants questioned the sticking power of a second wave of price increases by domestic flat steel mills.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $24.82 per hundredweight ($496.40 per short ton) on Wednesday May 27; that price is nearly flat from $24.72 per cwt, where the index stood...Read More

Turkey has told the World Trade Organization (WTO) that it is planning to impose import duties on certain steel products from the European Union.On Monday May 25, Turkey informed the WTO that it plans to impose an additional duty of 9-17% on steel product imports from EU. The products to be affected are hot-rolled flat steel under HS code 7208, cold-rolled flat steel under HS code 7...Read More

Domestic prices for steel rebar in the south of Europe declined week over week on slow buying and oversupply, while in the north of the region prices were largely unchanged, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday May 27.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, delivered Southern Europe was ?,?410-440 ($450-483) per tonne on May 27, down by ?,?5 per tonne wee...Read More

European steelmakers will attempt to increase domestic prices for hot-rolled coil despite poor demand, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday May 27.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, was unchanged day on day at ?,?407.50 ($446.38) per tonne ex-works on May 27.Wednesday's index was calculated based on "workable" prices heard at ?,?400-410 per tonne ex-wor...Read More

The price for steel H-beams in Southern Europe inched downward on Wednesday May 27 with producers unable to maintain their previous offer prices despite rising feedstock costs in the region, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel beams, domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?530-550 ($581-602) per tonne on Wednesday, unchanged week on week."It's still not busy...Read More

Broad markets and the metals were mixed this morning, Wednesday May 27, while participants brace for what United States President Donald Trump’s response will be to China’s plans to impose national security laws in Hong Kong, which he said will be announced by the end of the week. China’s CSI 300 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng indices were weaker this morning, while in other areas t...Read More

The Turkish deep-sea scrap import market was quiet on Wednesday May 27, with market participants returning after a four-day lockdown, sources told Fastmarkets.The whole country was under lockdown to prevent the further spread of the Covid-19 virus during the Eid al-Fitr celebrations - which are held to mark the end of Ramadan and took place between the night of Friday May 22 and the...Read More

Seaborne premium hard coking coal prices dropped further on Wednesday May 27 after buyers heard lower offers from traders.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $114.30 per tonne, down $1.06 per tonne Premium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $121.70 per tonne, down $2.67 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $91.31 per tonne, up $0.58 per tonneHard coking coal, cfr Jin...Read More