Steel scrap prices in Mexico resumed an upward trend in the week ended Friday January 1, with many consumers accepting higher prices for scrap in the final days of 2020 when struggling to secure supply.At least two steel producers in Mexico increased their scrap purchase prices because it has been difficult to secure material, due to the strong competition.In mid-December, tough competition betwee...Read More

Three-month LME copper and tin prices continued to rise on Tuesday January 5, with the red metal coming close to its 2020 high, on a day when the rest of the base metals all saw increases, supported by a low US Dollar Index.Copper's three-month price settled at $8,002 per tonne on Tuesday at the 5pm close, just a few dollars short of the metal's 2020 high of $8,028 per tonne reached on Decemb...Read More

Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Tuesday January 5 that are worth another look.Russia's government has done as was expected and has approved an increase in the export duty to be applied to ferrous scrap for the next six months.London Metal Exchange...Read More

London Metal Exchange spreads are usually a key driver for duty-unpaid aluminium premiums in Europe but this was not the case toward the end of 2020, leaving market participants wondering what will be main driver in 2021. Since late November, the Rotterdam duty-unpaid premium has been steadily rising despite spreads trading at levels that would usually bring it down. Fastmarkets assessed the ...Read More

The silver setup could scarcely look better...by Clive Maund of Streetwise ReportsThe silver setup could scarcely look better. We have already seen how gold is in position to slingshot vertically higher out of a giant Bowl pattern, having already made new highs last year. While silver's chart does not look as strong as gold's-yet-that is normal at this stage in the cycle.On silver's latest 13-yeat...Read More

As silver & gold react to the out of control money printing by central banks, there's ONE GRAPH you must understand and respect, or you risk losing everything...Michael Romanik interviewed by Sean on SGTreportAs silver, gold and cryptos begin to react to the out of control money printing by central banks around the world, there is ONE GRAPH you must understand and respect, or you risk losing every...Read More

Three-month LME copper and tin prices continued to rise on Tuesday January 5, with the red metal coming close to its 2020 high, on a day when the rest of the base metals all saw increases, supported by a low US Dollar Index.Copper's three-month price settled at $8,002 per tonne on Tuesday at the 5pm close, just a few dollars short of the metal's 2020 high of $8,028 per tonne reached on Decemb...Read More

The cfr premium hard coking coal price jumped again on Tuesday January 5 after two transactions were sealed at higher prices.The fob market, meanwhile, remained relatively quiet, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $103.74 per tonne, up $0.25 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $207.44 per tonne, up $4.27 per tonneHard co...Read More

Iron ore prices increased on Tuesday January 5, with active trading in the seaborne and port markets supported by record high prices in coke futures, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $167.86 per tonne, up $2.57 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $168.00 per tonne, up $2 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao:&nbs...Read More

RAPAPORT... Sales at Mene, an online retailer that prices its precious-metal jewelry based on weight, soared more than 60% last year as the up-and-coming company ramped up its operations.Revenue jumped 64% to CAD 21.4 million ($16.8 million) in 2020, the Toronto, Canada-based jeweler reported Monday in a preliminary trading update. The average order value rose 63% to CAD 1,530 ($1,201), outwe...Read More

China-based minor metals producer Vital Materials has acquired the industrial site of PPM Pure Metals at Langelsheim, Germany. Vital will operate the assets through a newly established subsidiary, Vital Pure Metal Solutions GmbH (VPMS), that will be fully integrated into Vital's global network as a platform to provide sales and recycling solutions to the global customer base, Vital told Fastmarket...Read More

RAPAPORT... The US economy is not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels until at least the latter end of the year, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF)."As we closed out 2020, it was an end to a whirlwind year whose challenging economic environment will almost certainly continue in 2021," NRF chief economist Jack Kleinhenz said Monday. "The coming year might be just as eventf...Read More

RAPAPORT... The Botswana government has allowed Lucara Diamond Corp. to mine at the Karowe deposit until 2046, enabling it to pursue its plans to launch underground operations.The country's minister of mineral resources, green technology and energy security approved Lucara's application for a 25-year renewal of its mining license, the company reported Monday. The new permit is effective immed...Read More

An overview of the chrome ore and alloy markets on Tuesday January 5 and their latest price moves. China  Tsingshan and Baosteel increased their ferro-chrome tender prices by $31 per tonne for January. Market sentiment was propelled higher after ferro-chrome producers adjusted up their offer prices.  The imported ferro-chrome price surged...Read More

RAPAPORT PRESS RELEASE, January 5, 2021, Las Vegas... Diamond trading was seasonally slow in December as the industry's focus shifted to retail and as diamantaires took their end-of-year break. Sentiment received a boost from strong holiday e-commerce sales, the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, and the US approval of a $900 billion coronavirus stimulus package.Polished prices firmed as supply de...Read More

RAPAPORT... The passing of Henry Verstandig, founder of Verstandig & Sons Diamonds, is a sad occasion for the diamond industry. It marks the end of a generation that formed the foundation of New York's diamond district. Henry and his brother Willy were true diamantaires who reflected the honest values and integrity of the diamond trade. They were traditional De Beers sightholders who loved the...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Tiffany & Co is to sell the most expensive piece of jewelry in its 183-year history - a necklace with an 80-carat diamond that is expected to fetch at least $10m.The New York-based jeweler, founded in 1837, declined to say what it paid for the gem but told the fashion Bible Women's Wear Daily (WWD) the necklace's price tag would be "within the eight-figure range"...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Lucara is to operate the Karowe mine, in Botswana for another 25 years after the government extended its mining license.The move will allow it to pursue an underground expansion program costing more than $500m, with first ore anticipated from underground in 2026. The company anticipates financing to be in place by the second half of this year.Canada-based Lucara is known for its la...Read More

For the first quarter of 2021, the quarterly benchmark main Japanese port (MJP) aluminium premium has settled at $130 per tonne, its highest level since it was settled in July-September 2018 at $132 per tonne.Market participants said that this high premium was unexpected, and attributed it mostly to the open Chinese arbitrage window, which at premiums as high as $150 per tonne was driving aluminiu...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Masked men armed with metal bars made off with over $500,000 of jewelry in a lightning raid on a store in southern Israel.The gang of three cleared the contents of the shelves into large sacks, emptied the safe and were gone in under two minutes.Toni Roytman, owner of Roytman Diamonds, a family business at a mall in the city of Beersheba, said in a Facebook post that "due to techni...Read More