The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Iron ore prices climbed further last week and we expect the elevated levels to remain into the next month. In particular, further upside will come from blast furnace (BF) capacity, which was reduced in Europe, Japan and the United States and has now come back online after restrictions started to be removed. With Covid-19 spr...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Iron ore prices have shot up as market participants have judged the supply risks from Covid-19 higher at this point in time when there is already a tight seaborne market. Despite the efforts to ramp up, Vale is struggling to catch up with its pre-dam disaster export volumes and its slow recovery has only been hit further by...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices are relatively stable this month, showing little change since our previous tracker. Such stability masks growing issues for stainless steelmakers, however, who are increasingly unable to pass on rising costs to consumers and are, thus, facing cuts to their margins.In general, this is due to an excess of...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices are on the increase in June. As far as this market is concerned, it appears as though the Covid-19 pandemic has had little impact so far, with prices on the most common grades of stainless steel just 2-4% lower than they were at the turn of the year in most markets.Even in Asia, a region often talked ab...Read More

Three-month prices for base metals on the London Metal Exchange were higher at the close of trading on Thursday July 2, with positive employment statistics from the United States lending support to the complex, while forward-buying in LME copper futures prompted a tightening of the metal's forward curve.Economic data released in the afternoon from the US showed the country's unemployment rate for...Read More

The Turkish scrap import market was quiet on Thursday July 2, following two bookings on Wednesday, with mills stepping back to wait for lower prices, sources told Fastmarkets. On Wednesday, a steel mill in the Iskenderun region booked a cargo from the United States, comprising 16,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $256 per tonne, 6,000 tonnes of shredded at $261 per tonne and 8,000 tonnes of plate a...Read More

Polished trading slow despite improved retail sales in China. US jewelers limiting purchases, as they have enough inventory to meet 3Q demand. Trade sees potential for good holiday season since consumers are not spending on travel. Major retailers investing in technology to drive multichannel sales. Savvy independents nurturing ties with local communities to maintain market share. Rough market qui...Read More

The London Metal Exchange is looking for ways to boost its options market, which has been struggling for some years to replicate the growth seen in the same sector among its peers.The exchange has launched a consultation, scheduled to end on July 29, on developing electronic options via a new trading platform while retaining its current inter-office options trading structure.Items up for discussio...Read More

BHP is to scale down operations and cut jobs at its Cerro Colorado copper mine in Chile's Atacama Desert, the company said on Thursday July 2. The Australia-based mining company said the number of employees working at the mine, which is part of the larger Pampa Norte asset, will be reduced over the next four months."Cerro Colorado has begun discussions with employees and contractors...Read More

RAPAPORT... Times are hard for luxury in general, and jewelry in particular. In a recent survey by McKinsey & Company, jewelry was one of the luxury products consumers were most willing to forgo post-Covid-19, considering the financial crisis the virus has left in its wake. The question is, how does discretionary spending fit into the "new normal," and what does the future hold for the average...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices are relatively stable this month, showing little change since our previous tracker. Such stability masks growing issues for stainless steelmakers, however, who are increasingly unable to pass on rising costs to consumers and are, thus, facing cuts to their margins.In general, this is due to an excess of...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Declare your undying love with a diamond engagement ring based on a Pokemon character.The 0.3-carat solitaire (pictured) is set between a pair of gold ears belonging to Pikachu, a fictional yellow rodent that appears in video games, TV shows, movies, trading card games, comic books and much besides.The Pokemon empire is marketing this and two other engagement rings, in partnership...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Subsidiaries of the Indian diamond giant Dharmanandan have developed a low-cost ventilator to sav the lives of COVID-19 patients.The device, (pictured) which costs under $3,500, was launched yesterday.Dharmanandan, with a $1bn annual turnover, developed the Respiwin device in just five months through its Dharmanandan Research Centre (DRC) Techno and InnovSeed company.A team of...Read More

Scott Shi and Ben Liu have joined Shanxi Securities while the Chinese brokerage company looks to enhance its commodities business, Fastmarkets understands.Shi - formerly of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) - and Liu - who worked at Gelin Dahua previously - will...Read More

The three-month zinc price on the London Metal Exchange was the highest climber among the base metals complex during morning trading on Thursday July 2, supported by strong buying during Asian trading hours, while an 810-tonne inflow failed to stop LME nickel's price incline. The three-month zinc price was recently at $2,064 per tonne, up by 1.1% from Wednesday's closing price of $2,041 per tonne....Read More

RAPAPORT... Alrosa has resumed operations at its International underground mine following a brief suspension after several employees tested positive for Covid-19.Management at the Russian miner's Mirny mining and processing division, which oversees the site, decided to reopen International after the majority of workers tested negative for the virus, Alrosa said Tuesday. A total of 12 employees tes...Read More

RAPAPORT... The International Gemological Institute (IGI) is reopening its New York grading laboratory following a three-month closure amid the coronavirus pandemic."As the metropolitan area has been cleared to enter phase 2, the institute is safely restarting business operations," IGI North America president Avi Levy said Monday. Initially, the institute will implement a gradual rollout, limiting...Read More

Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States continue to hover just below $24 per hundredweight ($480 per short ton) on short mill lead times, uneven demand and concerns about the potential economic impact of a surge in Covid-19 infections.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $23.85 per cwt ($477 per ton) on Thursday July 2, down by 0.6% from $23.99 per cwt...Read More

Most Turkish flat steel prices hit a monthly peak on June 12, following feedstock prices, before edging back down when buyers concluded their procurement activity, market participants told Fastmarkets on Thursday July 2. Turkish flat steel producers are fully booked until mid-September. Feedstock scrap prices fluctuated in June. Fastmarkets' daily index for steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), U...Read More

Steel billet import prices decreased in Egypt on lower bids in the week to Thursday July 2, sources told Fastmarkets.In addition, Egypt imposed a 10% duty on imports of finished steel products under HS code 7208, 7209, 7210, 7211, 7212, 7213, 7214, 7215, and 7216, in effect from June 24.The duty does not affect semi-finished product imports, but billet is already subject to a 16% safeguard duty un...Read More