Flat-steel import prices were mostly up in South America this past week, as Chinese mills made higher offers ahead of negotiations for August shipments.Demand, however, has not significantly recovered in the region, as some countries are still enforcing quarantines to prevent Covid-19 from spreading. On the other hand, higher customer interest was reported in Brazil after foreign exchange rates tu...Read More

Slab export prices from Brazil increased during the week ended June 5 because of higher costs of iron ore and freight, combined with continued high demand from China.Fastmarkets' weekly assessment for steel slab export, fob main port Brazil, increased by $10 from the previous week, to $355-365 per tonne from $345-355 per tonne.Offers to China have been reported around $400 per tonne cfr and above,...Read More

Turkish prices for hot-dipped galvanized coil (HDG) and color-coated coil increased in the week to Friday June 5 and some producers have stopped accepting new orders because of increasing production costs, sources told Fastmarkets.Demand is strong due to restocking and expectations that prices will rise further.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel HRC, domestic, exw Turkey was $430-440 p...Read More

Vehicle production increased in Latin America during May, when compared with the all-time lows reported in April, but continued to represent a sharp year-on-year decrease while most plants remained closed or are just starting to reopen following Covid-related halts.Mexico, Brazil and Argentina are the region's top auto producing countries, Fastmarkets understands.MexicoMexican light vehicle output...Read More

Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) export billet prices increased on Tuesday June 2, with China resuming bookings and accepting higher prices, sources told Fastmarkets.The increased cost of iron ore, an upswing in China's domestic rebar market and production cuts planned in Tangshan province supported interest in imported billet.Fastmarkets' daily index for iron ore 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao...Read More

Steel billet producers in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) continued to concentrate on the Chinese market this week while customers in the country pay the highest prices of all while seeking large volumes, sources said.CIS producers managed to achieve several rounds of price increases in deals this week before market sentiment in China started to ease, Fastmarkets heard.Earlier in the...Read More

Domestic, export and import hot- and cold-rolled coil prices continued to increase in Turkey in the week to Friday June 5 because of strong demand within the country and in its export markets.Turkish HRC producers concluded several deals to Asia during the week and are now accepting orders for late August production.HRC exportsFastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel hot-rolled coil, export,...Read More

Look beyond market approach to project valuations: van ZylLeadershipRupert Resources on a Roll at IkkariSPONSOREDCardinal heading down familiar gold roadSPONSOREDcardinal resourcesSarama right in the middle of big exploration, corporate build-upSPONSOREDsarama resources The company announced a placement to new and existing institutional investors to raise up to £16 million. The issue price i...Read More

Rupert Resources on a Roll at IkkariSPONSOREDCardinal heading down familiar gold roadSPONSOREDcardinal resourcesSarama right in the middle of big exploration, corporate build-upSPONSOREDsarama resources Exore excels in Cote d'IvoireSPONSOREDexore resourcesDevelopment crews set another monthly record of 1,868m in May. Underground development remains a priority to have adequate access to be able...Read More

The metals were mixed again this morning, Friday June 5, but Asian-Pacific equities were mainly stronger, as were pre-market major western equity index futures. * The unemployment rate in the United States is expected to climb to 19.4%.* Equities have followed history by focusing on governments’ monetary/fiscal actions...* ...but can money alone right the impact of the virus, or can only a va...Read More

Pig iron exporters in Brazil achieved higher prices in the week to Friday June 5 in deals to China, market sources said. Fastmarkets' assessment of pig iron, export, fob port of Vitoria/Rio, Brazil was unchanged at $295-300 per tonne on Friday, but this week the top end of the range reflects a deal achieved at this price rather than offers last...Read More

The inter-merchant spot price for light iron scrap in the United Kingdom moved up for the second consecutive week on Friday June 5, driving by ongoing tight material availability. Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel scrap 5C, loose old light, domestic, delivered inter-merchant, UK was ?65-80 ($82-100) per tonne on Friday, up from ?60-70 per tonne on May 29. This is the second wee...Read More

The price of containerized ferrous scrap imports into India maintained its upward momentum in the week to Friday June 5, as activity returned to the market, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets calculated the steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Nhava Sheva, India at $278.58 per tonne on Friday, up from $275.21 per tonne a week earlier.Most market sources reported offers for shredded material...Read More

U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 46 points in pre-opening trade. The NASDAQ Composite Index is expected to open above its previous all-time high at 9,638.37 set in March.Index futures moved strongly higher following release of the May U.S. employment report at 8:30 AM EDT. Consensus for May Non-farm Payrolls was a drop of 8.0 million versus a drop of...Read More

Turkish steel producers continued to purchase deep-sea cargoes on an easing of the restrictions under Covid-19 measures in the working week ended Friday June 5. Demand in the key import markets of Taiwan and Vietnam remained stable amid limited supplies from the United States and Japan while the Indian market continued its recovery.Turkish purchases continueUS exporters see brisk spot tradeVietnam...Read More

The market for pig iron in the United States improved during the week to Friday June 5 on a new sale and supplier bullishness, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for pig iron, import, cfr Gulf of Mexico, US was $312-320 per tonne on Friday, up from $310-312 per tonne a week before.A sale of Ukraine-origin pig iron was concluded at $312 per tonne on May 29, after....Read More

Turkish steel mills skipped booking deep-sea scrap on the last working day of the week, leaving the prices stable, sources said on Friday June 5.Along with easing Covid-19 pandemic-related restrictions in Turkey, the steel markets have started to improve and, therefore, steelmakers have accelerated their deep-sea scrap purchases since last week.Turkish steel producers booked at least five deep-sea...Read More

Seaborne premium hard coking coal prices rose by more than $2 per tonne on Friday June 5 due to recent active trading. Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $109.99 per tonne, up $2.24 per tonne Premium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $116.52 per tonne, up $2.14 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $87.58 per tonne, up $0.50 per tonneHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang:&...Read More

Seaborne iron ore prices were mostly higher on Friday June 5, with another weekly decrease in iron ore stocks at Chinese ports lending support to the market. Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $100.74 per tonne, up $1.50 per tonne. 62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $103.24 per tonne, up $1.07 per tonne. 58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $89.47 per tonne, up $0...Read More

Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were collectively higher during morning trading on Friday June 5, supported by stimulus measures announced by central banks, including copper which reached a three-month high due to an uptick in risk appetite across the commodities sector. Copper's outright price on the LME was recently at $5,627 per tonne, up by more than 1.8% from Thursday's closin...Read More