Iron ore prices went down slightly on Friday June 18 on news of state monitoring of the commodities markets, new operational restrictions in Tangshan and market rumors about capacity reductions.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $218.90 per tonne, down by $1.92 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $220.24 per tonne, down by $1.77 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade prem...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.As we approach the end of the first half of 2021, steel markets in Europe and the United States continue to heat up. This six-month period is largely unprecedented, with both steel prices and steelmakers' margins hitting a number of new record highs throughout.The rally is likely nearing its end, however, with global steel ou...Read More
Global scrap prices in the key markets diverged in the week to Friday June 18, with those in Asia moving upward, while Turkish scrap prices fell amid slow buying driven by uncertainty over finished steel sales.Turkish buyers had to pay a premium for US-origin shredded scrapUS export market reported new sales to TurkeySolid demand in Vietnam resulted in higher pricesChina reported stability in impo...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing sessions in China, the United States and Europe.China The impact of Inner Mongolia's move to raise electricity rates has continued to provide support for the current high prices, with suppliers offers broadly unchanged. Relatively tight availability due to a lack of stocks along with production cuts resulting from Ningxia's mission to conserve energy, reduce...Read More
Copper concentrate treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) rose during the week to Friday June 18, with smelters buying cargoes at higher levels and traders also assessing material from miners at TCs in the $30s.Chinese smelters bought several cargoes in the high $30s per tonne/3 cents per lb this week, picking up units for the third quarter....Read More
All base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were lower on Friday June 18 than at the start of the week, by an average of 5.6%, brought down by a mixture of macroeconomic factors that have stifled the complex's recent bullish run.The decline across the complex to Friday was led by copper's fall on the LME, down by 8.3% on Friday to $9,135 per tonne from Monday's closing price of $9,971.50 p...Read More
Most base metals stocks in Shanghai Futures Exchange-registered warehouses decreased in the week to Friday June 18, with zinc recording the largest drop in percentage terms. Zinc stocks totaled 50,417 tonnes on Friday, down by 6,165 tonnes (10.9%) from 56,582 tonnes a week ago. The largest outflow was recorded at the R&S Logistics MHC warehouse in Shanghai, where volumes were down by 2,835 tonnes...Read More
Most London Metal Exchange base metals prices continued to tumble on the morning of Friday June 18, with copper's three-month price heading for its worse weekly fall since the start of the pandemic, while nickel rebounded on dip-buying. Copper has entered its fifth day of decline, opening at $9,250 per tonne on Friday at 9am, down from Thursday's closing price of $9,315 per tonne. Yesterday's 5pm...Read More
Rebounds were under way in the base metals complex in London this morning, Friday June 18, while in Shanghai the base metals mostly reflected the weakness seen on the London Metal Exchange on Thursday.The more hawkish stance from the United States Federal Reserve on Wednesday lifted the dollar but has weighed on sentiment......as has China's decision to release state reserves of copper, aluminium...Read More
China has started cautioning state-owned enterprises (SOEs) regarding overdependence on imported commodities and overexposure in commodity-based financial derivatives, market sources told Fastmarkets this week.In the past few days, there had been rampant market chatter the country's State-owned Assets Supervision & Administration Commission (Sasac) asking SOEs to report their positions in commodit...Read More
Rebounds were under way in the base metals complex in London this morning, Friday June 18, while in Shanghai the base metals mostly reflected the weakness seen on the London Metal Exchange on Thursday.* The more hawkish stance from the United States Federal Reserve on Wednesday lifted the dollar but has weighed on sentiment...* ...as has China’s decision to release state reserves of copper, a...Read More
Indian steel mills kept their domestic hot rolled coil offers unchanged on Friday June 18, despite local traders continuing to undercut their prices by as much as 3,500 rupees ($47) per tonne, Fastmarkets understands.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel HRC, domestic ex-warehouse India has remained at 68,500-70,500 rupees ($925-952) per tonne since June 4.HRC was being sold by traders at 6...Read More
Market activity remained slow in Europe's hot-rolled coil market on Friday June 18, with buyers holding back from deals and awaiting a final decision in the European safeguard case, sources told Fastmarkets.On June 11, the European Commission released a draft proposal to member states, suggesting a three-year extension to the existing safeguard measures on 26 steel products imported into the Europ...Read More
Hot-rolled coil prices decreased in the Turkish domestic and export markets during the week to Friday June 18, while cold-rolled coil prices were stable, sources told Fastmarkets."Demand in the domestic market, especially the manufacturing sector is still strong. But lower import prices and the lack of clarity over China's export taxes resulted in uncertainty," one market participant said.Cautious...Read More
Hot-dipped galvanized coil prices were stable in Turkey during the week to Friday June 18 due to uncertainty over export taxes from China, sources said.HDG export prices from China also narrowed during the week on low demand after the European Union began its anti-dumping investigation into Turkish HDG, sources said.Domestic pricesFastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel HDG...Read More
The EU member states have voted in favor of the proposed extension of the safeguard measures on imports of steel products, market sources told Fastmarkets on Friday June 18.The vote was supported by 17 member states, the sources said.The European Commission had not released an official statement at the time of publication.On June 11, the Commission sent a draft proposal to the World Trade Organiza...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 30 points in pre-opening trade.Volume on U.S. equity, futures and options exchanges is expected to surge. Today is "quadruple witching day" when June equity and index options and futures expire. Adobe added $10.54 to $561.90 after reporting higher than consensus second quarter revenues and earnings. Target on the stoc...Read More
The United States' pig iron import prices softened during the week to Friday June 18, with buyers having predominantly restocked while material for near-term shipment remained available in the market. Fastmarkets' price assessment for pig iron, import, cfr Gulf of Mexico, US, was at $650-665 per tonne on Friday, down by 2.16% from $672 per tonne a week earlier."We have bought enough and do not nee...Read More
Prices for shredded steel scrap imported into India and Pakistan have risen on active purchasing that tailed off toward the end of the week, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday June 18.Fastmarkets' steel scrap shredded, index, import, cfr Nhava Sheva, India, was $533.93 per tonne on June 18, up from $516.47 per tonne on June 11.Offers heard this week were in the range of $520-540 per tonne cfr, whi...Read More
The price range for inter-merchant light iron scrap in the United Kingdom hit an 11-year high on June 18 with suppliers increasing their offer prices in the domestic market due to relatively tight supplies and firm demand from major scrap processors, sources told Fastmarkets.Light iron scrap prices were up by ?5-10 ($ 6.98-13.95) per tonne in the week to June 18 as processors looked to secure fee...Read More