The introduction of a Russian export duty on steel products carries serious risks for the country's steel industry, Russia's steel association Russkaya Stal warned last week.The duties, which cover 340 metal products, will apply from August 1 through to December 31 and have a base rate of 15%, with a specific minimum rate for each product.The measures will inevitably cut the profitability of steel...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday July 12 that are worth another look.A group of Brazilian construction and real estate companies received a 20,000-tonne shipment of rebar from Turkey last week, national construction industry chamber CBIC said.The waiting time...Read More
Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works' (MMK) Metalurji subsidiary in Turkey has started trial production of hot-rolled coil, the Russian company announced on Monday July 12.Located in the Iskenderun region, the mill halted operations at its meltshop and compact strip mill in late 2012. "The current situation allows us to resume operations at the electric-arc furnace facility, which is a very important...Read More
Brazilian domestic steel rebar prices were steady in July amid a stabilization in foreign markets and an increase in internal supply.Fastmarkets assessed the price for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, monthly, delivered Brazil, at 5,560-5,690 Reais ($1,057-1,081) per tonne on Friday July 9, unchanged since May 14, when it had come down from an all-time high of 5,630-5,700 Reais per tonne s...Read More
Tin's three-month price on the London Metal Exchange reached a new year-to-date peak of $32,250 per tonne on Monday July 12, with the soldering metal being the star performer while the rest of the base-metals complex fell from their Friday prices.Tin's futures contract was $32,094 per tonne at the close of trading on Monday, a 1.3% rise from its price at the same time on Friday of $31,680 per tonn...Read More
China's central bank is freeing up 1 trillion yuan ($154 billion) via a reduction of banks' reserve requirement ratio (RRR) - the amount of cash that these institutions must have in their reserves - to support the Chinese economy.But not all sectors will reap the benefits of the measure, market sources told Fastmarkets.The People's Bank of China said last Friday July 9 that the RRR for commercial...Read More
Tin's three-month price on the London Metal Exchange reached a new year-to-date peak of $32,250 per tonne on Monday July 12, with the soldering metal being the star performer while the rest of the base-metals complex fell from their Friday prices.Tin's futures contract was $32,094 per tonne at the close of trading on Monday, a 1.3% rise from its price at the same time on Friday of $31,680 per tonn...Read More
The waiting time to deliver out aluminium at Istim's London Metal Exchange-registered warehouses in Port Klang, Malaysia, was 168 days at the end of June, according to the LME's latest queue report.The queue has been declining very slowly over the past few months, down from 176 days at the end of May and 199 days at the end of April. The queue has been in place since a series of large cancell...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices stayed largely stable in the cfr market on Monday July 12 and climbed up in the fob market because some buyers started to procure on a demand basis, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $210.53 per tonne, up $3.66 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $308.80 per tonne, up $0.84 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $...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
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key North American steel forecast highlights:?EUR? US sheet prices hit record highs again in May, with upward momentum persisting into June. Actual US hot-rolled coil prices averaged $1,553 per ton in May, largely in line with our forecast of $1,540 per ton. Prices remain supported by strong underlying sup...Read More
The latest forecasts and analysis of the ferrous scrap and iron metallics market from the Fastmarkets research team are ready to be viewed.Stifled automotive output this year, driven by a supply shortage of semiconductor chips used in vehicles, has tightened prime scrap availability and widened the spreads between this grade of steelmaking raw material and obsolete scrap.While wide prime-over-obso...Read More
Stainless steel prices continue to register new highs around the end of the first half of 2021 and steelmakers continue to enjoy outsized margins.They have responded in recent months by increasing their output, which has now pushed above pre-pandemic levels and will eventually restore balance to the market.For now, though, supply gaps are still being filled and buyers find themselves competing aga...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in Northern Europe increased in the week to Friday July 9, supported by continuing supply tightness.Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, at ?,?1,162.92 ($1,380.68) per tonne on July 9, up by ?,?13.42 per tonne week on week and up by ?,?15.23 per tonne month on month.The index was based on achievable prices...Read More
The markets for different grades of manganese ore are diverging rapidly, with low grade prices under sustained pressure from heavy stocks at ports, sources told Fastmarkets.Miners dropped their offers for 37% manganese while many buyers gave low counter bids based on portside prices.Fastmarkets calculated the manganese ore port index, base 37% Mn, range 35-39%, fot Tianjin, China at 34.30 yuan ($5...Read More
The waiting time to deliver out aluminium at Istim's London Metal Exchange-registered warehouses in Port Klang, Malaysia, was 168 days at the end of June, according to the LME's latest queue report.The queue has been declining very slowly over the past few months, down from 176 days at the end of May and 199 days at the end of April. The queue has been in place since a series of large cancell...Read More
RAPAPORT... De Beers has hiked rough-diamond prices for the fifth time in eight months as the market continues to surge amid strong demand and limited supply.This week's sale saw average increases of 4% to 5%, insiders told Rapaport News on Monday, the first day of the July sight. Rough weighing around 1 carat and larger saw rises of 5% or more, while smaller goods grew in price by approximat...Read More
RAPAPORT... The Indian jewelry trade has partnered with the World Gold Council (WGC) to promote the yellow metal in the domestic market, noting that interest in the product has waned among the country's younger consumers.The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) has signed an agreement with the global organization to fund a multimedia marketing campaign, the duo said in a joint...Read More
Zhongwang Aluminum Industry Company plans to re-activate 200,000 tonnes per year of aluminum production in October, sources told Fastmarkets on Monday July 12.Zhongwang is located in the Liaoning province in Northern China and is a subsidy of China Zhongwang Holdings Ltd., The company currently has a working capacity of 430,000...Read More
RAPAPORT... Christie's garnered $8.2 million from its Paris Jewels sale, with a necklace by Jean Fouquet setting a world auction record for a piece by the designer.Created in 1925, the necklace is set with a cut-cornered rectangular aquamarine weighing between 85 and 90 carats. The Art Deco jewel sold for EUR 980,000 ($1.2 million), smashing its EUR 450,000 ($534,474) upper estimate at the auction...Read More