Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States consolidated around the $96-per-hundredweight ($1,920-per-short-ton) level on Wednesday August 18, with opinion split among market sources whether the price will soon peak.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $95.98 per hundredweight ($1,919.60 per short ton) on August 18, rising by 0.11% from $95.87 per cwt on Tu...Read More

Low-carbon wire rod prices in the United States rose by $30 per short ton in August to a record high set in 2008, while imports slipped from a record high. Fastmarkets' monthly assessment for steel wire rod (low carbon) industrial quality, fob mill US was $56-59 per hundredweight ($1,120-1,180 per short ton) on Tuesday August 17, up by 2.68% from $55-57 per cwt on July 20, and up by 6.48% fro...Read More

The United States Department of Commerce ordered a final anti-dumping duty rate on sales of certain steel and alloy wire rod from Mexico shipped to US that were made at a less-than-normal value from October 1, 2018 through September 30, 2019, according to a notice in the Federal Register on Wednesday August 18.The order is a result of the agency's investigation into wire rod shipments to the US fr...Read More

Export prices for CIS-origin steel billet from the Black Sea basin continued to decrease in the week to Wednesday August 18 amid bearish sentiment in the major outlet markets.After concluding several sales to customers in Latin America late last week, mills in the Commonwealth of Independent States had covered the demand in this market, which appeared to be the highest-paying at the moment.Other m...Read More

Trading activity was close to zero in the European hot-rolled coil markets on Wednesday August 18, with buyers having mixed outlooks for September, when demand was expected to recover, sources have told Fastmarkets.Most of the region's buyers and producers have been holding back from trading so far during August, following traditional patterns of activity.Northern European buyers were already slow...Read More

The steel rebar market in Southern Europe remained quiet, with prices flat, in the week to Wednesday August 18, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, delivered Southern Europe was unchanged at ?,?760-805 ($893-945) per tonne on August 18.Trading in Italy and Spain was seasonally low, with buyers and mills holding back from the ma...Read More

The domestic price for steel wire rod in Southern Europe was unchanged in the week to Wednesday August 18 amid quiet trading, while falling raw material prices weigh on market outlook, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh quality), domestic, delivered Southern Europe was unchanged at ?,?830-850 ($975-998) per tonne on August 18.Steel producers and...Read More

U.S. equity index futures were lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 5 points in pre-opening trade.Index futures were virtually unchanged following release of July U.S. Housing Starts at 8:30 AM EDT. Consensus was a slip to 1.608 million units from1.643 million units in June. Actual was a drop to 1.534 million units.The Canadian Dollar added 0.12 at US79.37 cents following release of C...Read More

Prices for 300-series stainless steel scrap moved up once again in the United States, but some processors said that prices were too high, resulting in shrinking margins.One major processor indicated that it is "hard to get your bearings in a market like this" and that prices were still too high "given muted mill appetite."One stainless consumer has reported some production problems, resulting...Read More

We are surprised only that so many are surprised...19 Republican members of the United States Senate hoisted a truce flag... came to terms with their Democratic foes... and signed their names a $1.2 trillion "infrastructure" bill.Thus the 2,700-page Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is the "bipartisan" Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.How many horses were traded? How many backs were scr...Read More

The United States deep-sea ferrous scrap export market may have further to fall in the wake of lower global cargo sales concluded in recent days."It seems the US market to Turkey is near the bottom but has little more room to go down and Asia likewise," a buyer source in Asia said about the expected trajectory for upcoming deals.A lack of available scrap cargoes on the US East Coast has hampered d...Read More

Japanese steel scrap sellers have continued to pull back from export markets following the Obon holidays amid expectations of a price drop at this week's Kanto Tetsugen auction, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday August 18.Japanese scrap sellers "wait and see" ahead of auctionLower offers for scrap to China heard from South KoreaTaiwan secures containerized scrap at $440 per tonneIndian import...Read More

Iron ore prices fell on Wednesday August 18 amid growing concerns about supply outweighing demand and weaker steel prices, sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $153.39 per tonne, down $7.36 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $154.07 per tonne, down $7.58 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $123.48 per tonne, down $6.06 per tonne65% Fe...Read More

July imports of steel scrap to South Korea increased both on a month-on-month and year-on-year basis following another strong month in June, according to data from the Korea International Trade Association.Steel scrap imports were 462,729 tonnes in July, up 11.9% month on month from June's 413,567 tonnes and up by 49% year on year from 310,620 tonnes in July 2020.But a comparatively sluggish start...Read More

Seaborne coking coal prices rose sharply in the cfr China market on Wednesday August 18 due to stable procurement demand and supply tightness. The fob Australia market also inched up on the same day with more buying interest for premium low-volatility hard coking coal, market sources said.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $225.48 per tonne, up by $3.06 per tonneHard cokin...Read More

Prices of hot-rolled coil in China's domestic market dropped to their lowest in about two weeks on Wednesday August 18 after market sentiment was subdued by dismal economic data released earlier in the week.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,690-5,710 yuan ($878-881) per tonne, down by 70-90 yuan per tonneThe HRC contract for January delivery has become the most-traded HRC contract on the Shangha...Read More

China's domestic rebar prices decreased on Wednesday August 18 amid sharp losses in the futures market and subdued restocking demand. DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,140-5,170 yuan ($793-798) per tonne, down by 50 yuan per tonneRebar futures plunged during the day on market participants' pessimistic outlook for demand in the next few months. Housing investments in the first seven...Read More

Tight aluminum supplies and high logistics costs pushed the US Midwest premium to a record high in the week to Tuesday August 17 and kept Rotterdam premiums firm despite a spread backwardation on the LME - although that combined with slow demand to put downward pressure on Asian premiums.The United States Midwest market sets another record high on tight suppliesIn Europe, Rotterdam premiums remain...Read More

Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday August 18.Key driversThe titanium alloy market narrowed higher in its price range in the reported week as higher-priced deals done for fourth quarter delivery strengthened spot market sentiment. Industry sources reported fourth quarter deals at $8.30 per kg basis ddp and expect renewed spot demand around the end of August and into S...Read More

An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price moves.Dalila Ouerghi and...Read More