Benjamin Baptista will retire and leave his role as chief executive officer of ArcelorMittal's Brazilian unit on September 30 after 12 years, with current Latin America long steel CEO, Jefferson De Paula, to replace his role, Baptista said on Tuesday August 3.Baptista joined ArcelorMittal in 1983, when it was still called Companhia Sider??rgica de Tubar??o (CST). It was later bought by Arcelor, to...Read More

China's mixed signals about its decarbonization goals have raised doubts over the country's purported plans to cut steel production in the second half of 2021, market sources said.The central Chinese government had asked steelmakers to reduce steel output in the second half for two reasons. The first is the short-term target of keeping the country's total steel output for this year from exceeding...Read More

Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday August 5 that are worth another look.Brazil has joined other major commodity producers in South America, such as Chile and Peru, in a debate about whether to increase mining royalties because of soaring prices - and it can be...Read More

Cobalt hydroxide prices rose recently despite weakness in downstream salt prices in the domestic Chinese market, as ongoing disruptions and delays at port operations in South Africa have prompted sellers to keep their offers firm and take advantage of spot sales where buyers need prompt availability.Fastmarkets' assessment for the cobalt hydroxide payable indicator, min 30% Co, cif China was 88-92...Read More

Increased South African exports of semi-carbonate manganese ore are filling up inventories at Chinese ports, according to market sources.Fastmarkets assessed the manganese ore inventories at the main Chines ports of Tianjin and Qinzhou at 5.65-5.87 million tonnes on Monday August 2, up from 5.32-5.60 million tonnes a month earlier, but down from 6.35-6.46 million tonnes at the start of 2021.But th...Read More

Brazilian imports of primary unalloyed aluminium rose by 142% year on year in July, putting a newly approved duty-free quota extension under pressure, according to data published by the ministry economy on Wednesday August 4.The country imported 37,181 tonnes of primary aluminium in July, up significantly from 15,376 tonnes a year before.During the January-July period, imports totaled 26...Read More

Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday August 5 that are worth another look.Brazil has joined other major commodity producers in South America, such as Chile and Peru, in a debate about whether to increase mining royalties because of soaring prices - and it can be...Read More

Brazilian aluminium association Abal has appointed a woman as executive president for the first time, with Janaina Donas taking over the role previously held by Milton Rego after a seven-month recruitment process, the group said on Thursday August 5.Donas most recently acted as an external relations and new business director for Latin America in Peru and the United States for US-based gold-copper-...Read More

The three month price of zinc outperformed the rest of the London Metal Exchange complex with a 1.8% rise on Thursday August 5 and most other prices advanced despite limited traded volumes. The metal rose to $3,028.50 per tonne on Thursday, its highest close since Monday, when it reached $3,050.50 per tonne. Top Canadian miner Teck Resources announced late on Wednesday that its Trail Ope...Read More

Iron ore prices decreased on Thursday August 5 with reduced market expectations of looser steel production restrictions in China, sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $171.55 per tonne,down $12.14 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $172.76 per tonne,down $11.63 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $136.28 per tonne,down $11.63 per tonn...Read More

Seaborne coking coal stayed strong in both the fob and cfr markets on Thursday August 5, with limited tradable resources and high offers in both markets, sources said.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $216.79 per tonne, up $1.28 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $328.54 per tonne, up $1.05 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $186.41 per tonne, up $1.50 per tonn...Read More

The diminishing effect of the stimulus is not just staggering, but the increasingly short impact of these programs is alarming...by Daniel Lacalle via MisesThe United States economy recovered at a 6.5 percent annualized rate in the second quarter of 2021, and gross domestic product (GDP) is now above the prepandemic level. This should be viewed as good news until we put it in the context of the...Read More

Sick of the manipulation? It's simple, really. The problem is, 99.999% of the silver "advocates" out there are fakes, frauds and phonies. The real silver advocates are cast into exile...(by Half Dollar) Here's the lame excuse, the lie, really, that disgusts me the most: "But I take my 'profits' out of the 'market' and use them to buy physical silver to stick it to da man!".However, even if a perso...Read More

Brazilian aluminium association Abal has appointed a woman as executive president for the first time, with Janaina Donas taking over the role previously held by Milton Rego after a seven-month recruitment process, the group said on Thursday August 5.Donas most recently acted as an external relations and new business director for Latin America in Peru and the United States for US-based gold-copper-...Read More

Diamond trading quiet amid summer lull and uncertainty over Covid-19 Delta variant. Dealers preparing for Vegas show, but travel restrictions will limit international presence. US supporting the market, with steady orders and good memo sell-through. Polished prices firm despite increase in inventory; 1 ct. RAPI +3.1% in July. Rising expectations for holiday season. Rough market stable after recent...Read More

US President Joe Biden has unveiled plans make half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 zero-emissions vehicles, including battery electric, plug-in hybrid or fuel cell electric vehicles (EVs). The move - backed by major automakers Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, along with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union - is part of the White House's proposed Build Back Better agenda, along with...Read More

RAPAPORT... The meaning of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has changed significantly over the years. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, companies typically donated to charity on the quiet as a way of giving back to society; the idea certainly wasn't flaunted. However, corporate philanthropy expanded in the 2000s to the point where, today, many businesses put their societal contributions front...Read More

RAPAPORT... Sarine Technologies' revenue and profit exceeded pre-pandemic levels in the first half of 2021 as the diamond market bounced back.Sales surged 61% year on year to $36 million in the six months ending June 30, the Israel-based supplier of polishing equipment reported Thursday. Profit rose to $12.6 million from $1.2 million a year earlier."Results...benefited from the strong resurge...Read More

RAPAPORT... Mountain Province's profit soared in the second quarter as consumer demand for diamonds returned and the health situation improved.The miner reported a profit of CAD 22.5 million ($18 million) for the three months ending June 30, compared with a loss of CAD 26.8 million ($21.4 million) during the same period last year, the company said Wednesday. The figure is also above 2019's second-...Read More

(IDEX Online) -  Mountain Province bounced back from a loss of $18.3m last Q2 to a net income of $21.4m in the corresponding period for 2021. The Canadian miner, which jointly operates Gahcho Ku?? (C) (pictured), in Northwest Territories, with De Beers, agreed a short-term $33m loan last year with Irish billionaire Dermot Desmond, to ease its "near term liquidity needs". It has since rec...Read More