Nickel premiums in China continued their ascent in the week to Tuesday September 8 after demand strengthened while premiums in the United States fell after demand weakened in the region, sources told Fastmarkets. China NPI, nickel sulfate prices rose anew amid robust demandUS nickel briquette premiums widened down with stainless demand feebleEuropean premiums held in an illiquid spot market, with...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of base metals analysts are ready to view.Aluminium: SHFE tailwind for LME pricesAs we are entering the traditional strong demand season, we expect Chinese aluminium demand to show further recovery, and we expect demand from existing end-user sectors, new infrastructure projects and the export sector to show some increases. As a result, we believe that S...Read More

We need to keep an eye on the broader markets as they will be one of the larger drivers of the gold and silver prices in September. However... by Steve St Angelo of SRSrocco ReportPrecious metals investors are wondering if the Silver Rally will continue in September. After the silver price reached nearly $30 in August, it has been consolidating lower over the past few weeks. However, silver...Read More

Brazilian alumina exports declined by 18.4% in August versus the same period last year due to reduced shipments from both the Alunorte and Alumar refineries during that period, according to data from the country's ministry of economy published this week.Brazil exported 572,708 tonnes of alumina last month compared with 701,743 tonnes in August 2019. Most of those volumes were shipped through the B...Read More

Benchmark alumina prices in the Pacific are under pressure due to quiet market conditions and weak demand, despite ongoing production restrictions at Hydro's Alunorte refinery in Brazil.Fastmarkets benchmark alumina index, fob Australia was at $273.44 per tonne on Wednesday September 9, down by 3.8% from a five-month high of $284.32 per tonne on August 21. "Prices are under pressure and...Read More

RAPAPORT... LVMH has abandoned its acquisition of Tiffany & Co., citing a trade dispute between the US and France and a disagreement over the timing of the deal.Tiffany has sued LVMH in response, claiming that the luxury giant was in breach of the takeover agreement and intentionally stalled completion so it could renegotiate the $16 billion price.The French government ordered LVMH to def...Read More

RAPAPORT... Lucapa Diamond Company will sell rough from its Mothae mine in Lesotho directly to diamantaires through private partnerships, allowing it to secure higher prices for its production, it said Wednesday.The new sales channel was approved by the government of Lesotho to overcome the challenges presented by the coronavirus, which make it difficult to sell at tender. Lucapa will also receive...Read More

RAPAPORT... August saw Belgium's first increase in polished-diamond exports for 16 months, after a long period of inactivity led to a buildup in demand."There's definitely demand and shortages in certain categories. People are buying again," Karen Rentmeesters, senior communications manager at the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), told Rapaport News Tuesday.Polished shipments out of the co...Read More

A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday September 9.Please click...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Petra Diamonds has been accused of breaching human rights at its Williamson diamond mine, in Tanzania.The UK-listed miner, which put itself up for sale last month, today said that lawyers had filed complaints against it and mine operators Williamson Diamonds Limited (WDL) alleging "human rights violations, personal injuries and deaths" on behalf of 32 anonymous individuals.The UK-b...Read More

(IDEX Online) - French luxury conglomerate LVMH has dramatically pulled out of its delayed $16.2bn acquisition of the jeweler Tiffany & Co, blaming the threat of US tariffs.Tiffany accused LVMH of deliberately stalling in order to renegotiate the agreement.It responded by filing a lawsuit to enforce the deal, which was originally agreed last November, before the coronavirus pandemic.It should...Read More

The three-month price for copper on the London Metal Exchange was the standout performer at the close of trading on Wednesday September 9, settling above nearby resistance on steady afternoon buying, while lead fell by more than 1% over the day to close below nearby support levels.Copper's outright price on the LME closed at $6,734 per tonne on Wednesday afternoon, climbing by a little less than 0...Read More

The stainless steel scrap market in the United States has cooled off since the London Metal Exchange nickel price retreated after hitting the $7-per-lb mark."Stainless steel scrap prices have rediscovered gravity," one processor, who referred to current price levels as "Newtonian," said."A breath of sanity has reappeared in this week's pricing," the processor continued. And while demand has been o...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Signet boss Gina Drosos says the company's much-improved digital performance is a "tremendous opportunity" to attract customers and increase market share.Last week the jeweler reported e-commerce sales leapt to 72.1 per cent in the second fiscal quarter, accounting for a record $270m revenue.In an earnings conference call the CEO said the company had already trained over half...Read More

ArcelorMittal Poland has denied accusations from local trade union Sierpien 80 that it was abandoning plans to relight blast furnaces in its Krakow plant, saying that operations in the steelworks' hot area will be resumed but "only when it is economically viable," the company's spokesperson told Fastmarkets on Wednesday September 9.The steelmaker has postponed the restart of the blast furnace (BF)...Read More

Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil jumped day on day in Northern Europe on Wednesday September 9, supported by long lead times, reduced output from local mills and a lack of import offers, sources have told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, was calculated at ?,?476.25 ($561.71) per tonne on Wednesday, up by ?,?8.30 per tonne from ?,?467.95...Read More

Egypt's biggest steelmaker, Ezz Steel, has announced changes in its management now that chairman Paul Chekaiban has departed the board, the company said on September 1.Mamdouh Fakhr El Din El Rouby has been appointed non-executive chairman and Hassan Ahmed Nouh has been appointed executive managing director representing El Ezz Group Holding for Industry...Read More

Steel billet producers in the Commonwealth of Independent States continued to raise their offer prices for foreign customers in the week ended Wednesday September 9 following the recent uptick in Turkish import scrap prices.On Tuesday, Turkish import scrap prices exceeded $300 per tonne on the strength of the rebar and billet markets.A steel mill in the Marmara region booked a Baltic Sea cargo, co...Read More

The prices of hollow steel sections in Europe were unchanged this week, despite feedstock costs continuing to rise, market sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday September 9.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?550-570 ($649-672) per tonne on Wednesday, as it was on September 2.The price of hot-rolled coil (HRC), the feedstock for se...Read More

The price of steel H-beams in Europe was unchanged this week, but producers were seeking further price increases, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday September 9.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel beams, domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?535-565 ($631-666) per tonne on Wednesday, unchanged week on week."Since July, prices have been moving up and have gained momentum against...Read More