The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.While downward pressure mounts on the steelmaking raw material markets, premiums for higher-grade iron ores have been sustained despite narrowing operating margins at Chinese steelmakers. Chinese mills are operating with shrinking margins since the end of last year but the premium for high-grade ores remains high. Historical...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This week Fastmarkets' analysts and price reporters shared their views and recent findings in a webinar revealing some distinct fundamental tensions for steel, refining alloys and, of course, steelmaking raw materials such as iron ore.While the outlook for chrome and manganese ores and alloys is balanced, as far as market pa...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices have fared relatively well over the past couple of months in the face of the threat from the Covid-19 pandemic.In grade-304 material, the most common grade of stainless steel, prices were down by about 5-7% since the turn of the year - not bad, when compared with the falls in prices of other assets so f...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Having first hit Asia during early 2020, the Covid-19 viral outbreak is now having an even bigger impact on European countries and the US. Widespread lockdown measures have been put in place on people and industry, and economic activity has slowed markedly.For now, stainless steel markets in Europe and the US are yet to show...Read More

Africa offers pre-production and operating companies large areas of underexplored prospective terrain and, in many countries, established mining legislation. West Africa, in particular, has attracted many explorers, developers and producers looking to deliver competitive returns for shareholders. Notably, a number of countries on this continent have a free carried interest provision, whereby they...Read More

Mexican scrap prices were stable or higher last week as low availability for some grades led to exceptional deals at increased prices, according to sources.Market participants reported that some scrap buyers had planned a 200 pesos ($8) price cut for last week, but by the end of the week such changes were not applied."In the whole month of April, buyers announced price cuts of around 1,000 pesos,...Read More

The Egyptian parliament has this week requested the government add a 10% import duty on finished steel products to protect local steel production, Egyptian market sources told Fastmarkets.The government has not yet approved or rejected the proposal but, if accepted, flat steel producers will benefit from the new duties, sources said.Egypt already imposes a definitive safeguard duty of 16% of the c...Read More

London Metal Exchange three-month base metals prices rose on Tuesday May 5, buoyed by increasing optimism for an increase in demand amid expectations that Covid-19 trade restrictions will continue to be eased in some parts of Europe while China's restart gathers momentum. China's market absence - due to the Labor Day public holiday from May 1 to May 5 - failed to dampen upward price momentum acros...Read More

RAPAPORT... Sales of jewelry and other luxury items in Hong Kong plummeted to their lowest level in nearly 14 years in the first quarter as the coronavirus spread through the region, government figures show.Revenue from jewelry, watches, clocks and other valuable gifts dropped 64% year on year to HKD 8.14 billion ($1.05 billion) for the three months ending March 31, as the municipality went i...Read More

The three-month tin price on the London Metal Exchange was higher across morning trading on Tuesday May 5, supported by the largest fresh cancelation in the tin market this year, while climbing exchange stocks and lackluster trade continues to pressure the aluminium price. The LME tin price was recently at $15,165 per tonne, up 0.5% from Monday's closing price of $15,085 per tonne. The price spike...Read More

RAPAPORT... Pandora reported a loss in the first quarter following global store shutdowns amid the coronavirus outbreak.The company posted a loss of DKK 24 million ($3.5 million), compared with a profit of DKK 797 million ($115.8 million) the previous year, the Danish charm maker said Tuesday. The loss was driven by the global shutdown of all the company's stores during the period as the COVI...Read More

RAPAPORT... Gem Diamonds has recovered a number of large, high-quality stones at its Let??eng mine in Lesotho, all found in the first week after production resumed following the COVID-19 lockdown.They include a 60-carat, light-yellow, type I diamond, and three D-color, white, type II diamonds weighing 87, 66 and 23 carats, the company said Monday. It also found several diamonds over 10.8 cara...Read More

RAPAPORT... De Beers has paused the application process for its new sightholder contract due to the impact of COVID-19 on its clients' business operations."We've...been looking at ways that we might lighten the load on our customers and give them more time to focus on supporting their core business," said Paul Rowley, the company's executive vice president for diamond trading, in a web broadc...Read More

Daily PDFs will be downloadable until Friday May 8. After that, because of the UK's early May bank holiday, the next daily PDF will be downloadable on Tuesday May 12. Read More

Broader markets are looking a bit brighter this morning, Tuesday May 5, with equity indices and base metals prices firmer while participants look forward to better demand once more plans are announced about lifting lockdown restrictions.The Dow Jones Industrial Average reversed from being down by 1.5% to close positively on Monday.US factory orders dropped by 10.3%, but this data was for March; by...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Diamond trading is resuming in Antwerp this week ahead of the re-opening of the city's four bourses on Monday.   Trading halls at the Antwerp Diamond Bourse, the Antwerpsche Diamantkring, the Diamond Club of Antwerp and Vrije Diamnthandel have all been closed for business since 17 March after the Belgian government imposed a coronavirus lockdown.   "A two-month break...Read More

RAPAPORT... Alrosa has suspended production at two of its less profitable mines, citing the heavy impact of the coronavirus on diamond demand. The company will also rethink its group output plan for 2020 at its board meeting later in May. The Aikhal underground deposit will be on care and maintenance from May 15 to September 30, while mining will cease at the Zarya open-pit operations fr...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Jewelry sales slumped in Hong Kong during March, as the city state's economy shrank by almost nine per cent.Overall sales of jewelry, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts plummeted 75.2 per cent in year-on-year statistics published by the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department. It does not break the figure down further.The sector suffered the worst losses, followed by cl...Read More

RAPAPORT PRESS RELEASE, May 5, 2020, Las Vegas... Diamond trading was restricted in April due to the coronavirus pandemic and global lockdowns. Sentiment was weak, with dealers frustrated by the inability to resume business. The industry was focused on the Far East as China and Hong Kong started to open, while the outlook for the US remained uncertain. The RapNet Diamond Index (RAPI?,,?) for 1-car...Read More

The World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) has launched its Young Diamantaires website at www.ydts.org.The website has been built by WFDB members for use by the members, and the federation plans on expanding its functionality.AdvertisementWFDB has worked with members of the diamond community globally over the last four years to create a platform through which members can express their views in...Read More