(IDEX Online) - Everyone knows that diamond is the world's strongest material. Well, not quite everyone. Researchers at Washington State University, USA, say lonsdaleite, is actually stronger.Lonsdaleite, also called hexagonal diamond, occurs as microscopic crystals associated with ordinary diamond and can be created, to some extent, now be created in the lab.It was first identified in 1...Read More

Access our research platformsSign-in to our platforms to access our extensive research, our latest insight, data and analytics and to connect to our industry experts.As the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic began to bite, many observers confidently predicted that the end was nigh for global economic activity. Governments around the world closed their economies as the only tool available to li...Read More

Access our research platformsSign-in to our platforms to access our extensive research, our latest insight, data and analytics and to connect to our industry experts.The U.S has increased tariffs on $200bn of Chinese goods to 25%, from 10%, impacting a number of metals. Commentary below comes from the Wood Mackenzie metals team:Copper By Wood Mackenzie Senior Consultant, Yanting Zhou"Previous...Read More

Flat steel prices for imports into the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia decreased during the week ended Tuesday June 29, but demand was better because of low stock levels, Fastmarkets was told.Some market participants expected flat steel prices to increase because of Russia's recently proposed export duty.Russia will impose a base 15% export duty on 340 metal products, including hot-rolled co...Read More

Access our research platformsSign-in to our platforms to access our extensive research, our latest insight, data and analytics and to connect to our industry experts.The outbreak of coronavirus, the oil price crash and the impending global recession present an enormous challenge for energy and natural resources. How are you keeping up with the spread of Covid-19 and its impact on your sector?We&rs...Read More

Access our research platformsSign-in to our platforms to access our extensive research, our latest insight, data and analytics and to connect to our industry experts.The most important driver of the zinc market in 2020 will be the performance of the world’s zinc smelting industry, according to Wood Mackenzie.The easing of trade tensions between the US and China, the struggling manufacturing...Read More

Russia has adjusted existing export duties on ferrous scrap, setting duties at 5% with a minimum level of ?,?70 ($83) per tonne, according to the decree signed by the country's prime minister Mikhail Mishustin on June 23.The new regulations will come into force in the 30 days after the decree's publication and will remain in effect for a period of 180 days.Read More

Access our research platformsSign-in to our platforms to access our extensive research, our latest insight, data and analytics and to connect to our industry experts.The coronavirus pandemic has had a massive impact on every part of the global economic system. In response, unprecedented stimulus measures have boosted many countries’ debt-to-GDP ratios to levels not seen since WWII. But even...Read More

Access our research platformsSign-in to our platforms to access our extensive research, our latest insight, data and analytics and to connect to our industry experts.Why is zinc expected to see significantly higher zinc prices later this decade?A spate of scheduled mine closures, an underdeveloped project pipeline and steady demand growth is expected to provide the basis for significantly higher z...Read More

Access our research platformsSign-in to our platforms to access our extensive research, our latest insight, data and analytics and to connect to our industry experts.Back before coronavirus knocked “normal” out cold, the key issues for miners were sub-investment prices, rising requirements for ESG and decarbonisation. How things change. So while our base case view is that the recession...Read More

Global miner Anglo American has made a successful trial of the use of sustainable biofuel to power a chartered Capesize ship on a voyage from Singapore to South Africa, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by around 5% compared with using 100% conventional marine fuel, the company has said.The biodiesel blend was produced by converting waste cooking oil from Singapore's food and beverage industry.The...Read More

Access our research platformsSign-in to our platforms to access our extensive research, our latest insight, data and analytics and to connect to our industry experts.Wood Mackenzie’s latest outlook report shows that the art of balancing oil markets and the refining sector in 2021 hinges upon three key themes – OPEC+ production, Covid-19 developments, and the energy transition.Following...Read More

All prices on the London Metal Exchange except for copper finished the day on June 29 at higher prices than Monday, with lead showing the biggest gains and setting a new year-to-date high, and aluminium up by 2.5%.Copper was the only price to close lower on Tuesday, falling 0.6% to $9,334.50 per tonne from Monday's $9,388 per tonne. The three-month price of lead rose by 3.2% to $2,305 per ton...Read More

Tin demand is likely to exceed 400,000 tonnes per year by 2025, while supplies from greenfield projects and recycled material are not expected to keep pace, leading to a deficit over the next decade, according to the International Tin Association (ITA).At an ITA seminar on Tuesday June 29, delegates heard that tin demand for 2020 was calculated at 355,200 tonnes, with more than 50% being used for...Read More

No2 copper scrap cargoes have been sold to Asia and Europe at large discounts recently over concerns of the cargoes not meeting new Chinese customs criteria for recyclable material, industry sources told Fastmarkets. Theoretically, the birch/cliff cargoes, containing copper content of 94-96%, could qualify for import to China as No2 copper material, RCu-2B under the new policy which took effect la...Read More

Seven creditors have sued a Chinese warehousing and logistics firm to claim a loss of copper concentrate worth 1.073 billion yuan ($166 million), according to several court documents, the latest of which was released on June 23. Dalian Container Terminal Co Ltd (DCTL) allegedly delivered a total 925,000 tonnes of copper concentrates without the consent of the seven companies that had provided cred...Read More

Perpetua's sustainable mining to bring only US antimony supplySPONSOREDperpetua resourcesArgentina: the future of uraniumSPONSOREDblue sky uraniumE3 Net-Zero Lithium: the next generation of lithium productionSPONSOREDe3 metals corpOrford's summer news flow forecast to flood inboxesSPONSOREDorford miningCommenting in the bank's Q3 outlook, Hansen said while some economists believe the curre...Read More

Base metals prices on both the London Metal Exchange and the Shanghai Futures Exchange were weaker across the board this morning, Tuesday June 29, with the spread of the Covid-19 Delta variant a worrisome development.While lockdowns can hit demand, there is also a risk to supply from mine closures or further logistical delaysBase metalsLME three-month base metals prices were down across the board...Read More

With the exception of rising tin and aluminium prices, most prices on the London Metal Exchange were mixed on the morning of June 29. The LME three-month price of tin price rose to $31,350 per tonne on Tuesday at 9am, up from its Monday closing price of $31,152 per tonne, which had been a 1.2% increase on Friday's price. Supply issues continue to be bullish for the metal's price, with the MSC...Read More

Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States surged to an all-time high after more market participants grew concerned that a shortage of spot-market tonnage may endure for the remainder of 2021.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $85.98 per hundredweight ($1,719.60 per short ton) on Tuesday June 29, an increase of 1.46% from $84.74 per cwt on Monday June 28...Read More