The winners so far, but perhaps not for much longer, are traders, who subscribe to the falling price argument which says China has all the copper it needs leading to a fall in the price of the metalRead More

Brazil-based steelmaker Gerdau is investing in new flat-rolled and long steel rolling capacity at its Ouro Branco integrated mill in the country's southeastern state of Minas Gerais, chief executive officer Gustavo Werneck told journalists in a conference call on Wednesday August 4.The company will increase its capacity for hot-rolled coil (HRC) by 250,000 tonnes per year, to 1.1 million tpy, and...Read More

Future remains golden for Rox ResourcesSPONSOREDrox resourcesCashed-up Karora is doubling gold production at a blistering paceSPONSOREDkarora resourcesZinc-lead discovery helps Zenith double market capSPONSOREDzenith mineralsThe path to decarbonising the mining industrySPONSOREDWestgold forecast 10% higher gold production for FY22 of 270,000 ounces, with all-in sustaining costs between A$1500-1600...Read More

Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK), Russia's largest steelmaker, will increase output of hot-dip galvanized (HDG) coil by starting up a new line at its Lipetsk site in the second half of 2022.Capacity of the new line is 450,000 tonnes per year. Once the line is commissioned, NLMK's HDG capacity will increase by 36% to 1.7 million tpy.Read More

Future remains golden for Rox ResourcesSPONSOREDrox resourcesCashed-up Karora is doubling gold production at a blistering paceSPONSOREDkarora resourcesZinc-lead discovery helps Zenith double market capSPONSOREDzenith mineralsThe path to decarbonising the mining industrySPONSOREDBeament didn't say a word as he took to the stage, instead opening with a video announcing a name change to ‘Develo...Read More

Domestic prices for cold-rolled coil in Europe declined in the week to Wednesday August 4 due to increased availability and lower import offers, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel CRC, domestic, exw Northern Europe was ?,?1,270-1,310 per tonne on August 4, down by ?,?30-40 per tonne from ?,?1,300-1,350 per tonne ex-works a week earlier.The corresponding we...Read More

Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mixed this morning, Wednesday August 4, and those on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were all weaker.While the metals have generally found good underlying support, overhead resistance does seem to be capping the upside, which is perhaps not surprising because we are in the middle of the summer lull.US equities focused on strong results, less on th...Read More

Prices for steel hollow sections in Europe were unchanged on Wednesday August 4 due to the market heading into a seasonally slower period, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' assessment of steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe was ?,?1,400-1,430 ($1,662-1,698) per tonne on Wednesday, unchanged week on week."Prices remain above ?,?1,400 per tonne and will stay there until S...Read More

Domestic steel wire rod prices in the south of Europe were broadly flat in the week to Wednesday August 4 despite seasonally slow buying and the availability of cheaper imports, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh quality), domestic, delivered Southern Europe was unchanged at ?,?830-850 ($985-1,009) per tonne on August 4.ItalyThe Italian market wa...Read More

U.S. equity index futures were lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 11 points in pre-opening trade. Index futures moved slightly lower following release of the July ADP Non-farm Employment report at 8:15 AM EDT. Consensus was an increase of 653,000 versus an increase of 680,000 in June. Actual was an increase of 330,000Lyft advanced $0.62 to $56.00 after reporting higher than consensu...Read More

A Turkish mill has bought a deep-sea ferrous scrap cargo from the United States, the third reported so far this week, at a price comparable to the two previous US sales to the region.An East Coast exporter sold a 31,000-tonne cargo - comprising 15,000 tonnes of an 80:20 mix of No1 and No1 heavy melting scrap priced at $464 per tonne cfr, 14,000 tonnes of shredded scrap and 2,000 tonnes of plate an...Read More

Turkish steel producers continued to book deep-sea scrap cargoes for September shipments at stable prices on Wednesday August 4, market participants told Fastmarkets.A steel mill in the Izmir region booked a United States cargo comprising 15,000 tonnes of heavy melting scrap 1&2 (80:20) at $464 per tonne, and 14,000 tonnes of shredded and 2,000 tonnes of plate and structural (P&S) at $479 per tonn...Read More

Health officials continue to lose credibility over COVID-19. They seem to change their minds daily based on whim rather than science. But that's been the case since the pandemic started.Going back to last January, official comments on COVID have been mostly wrong. The comments were either outright lies or were prescriptions based on politics, not medicine.In January 2020, the World Health Organiza...Read More

A rebound in Chinese ferrous futures prices on Wednesday August 4 has led to increased interest in booking seaborne steel billet cargoes in China, sources told Fastmarkets.Sharp drops in ferrous futures on both Monday and Tuesday sapped sentiment from the Chinese market, with buyer indications heard as low as $660 per tonne cfr China for 3sp billet on Tuesday.This was down sharply from the la...Read More

Fastmarkets' Ferrous Analytics report helps subscribers keep track of hot metal costs and steel production spreads in China, along with key pricing components of the steelmaking raw materials supply chain in Asia.Read More

Last week, the U.S. Commerce Department reported second-quarter GDP for the U.S. rose at a 6.5% annualized rate.From 2009 to 2019 (the recovery from the 2008 global financial crisis), the average annual growth in GDP for the U.S. was 2.2%. So, in comparison with the previous recovery, 6.5% seems like exceptionally strong growth.Of course, champagne corks were flying at The New York Times and other...Read More

Steel scrap import prices in South Korea were likely to drop again in the next few days with buyers looking to take advantage of tepid local demand in Japan and falling prices in other key Asian import markets, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday August 4.South Korea likely to push Japan prices down furtherProduction curbs weigh on Chinese scrap demandOffers for bulk cargoes to Vietnam fallTaiwa...Read More

Reports CNBC:The Senate voted Friday to move forward with a bipartisan infrastructure bill, as Majority Leader Chuck Schumer pushes to pass it as soon as next week... The measure would put $550 billion in new funds into transportation, power, water and broadband. While negotiators have outlined how much money would go into everything from roads to railways and electric vehicle charging stations, s...Read More

Iron ore prices eased on Wednesday August 4 amid pollution control measures being implemented in Tangshan city between August 4-9, sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $183.69 per tonne, down $0.98 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $184.39 per tonne, down $1.08 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $147.91 per tonne, down $1.09 per ton...Read More

Seaborne coking coal prices increased in the fob Australia and cfr China markets on Wednesday August 4. New buying interest for Australian August-laycan cargoes increased in the fob Australia market while strong offers for United States-origin coking coal in the cfr China market scaled back buying, sources said.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $215.51 per tonne, up $0.84 per...Read More