Strong gains for the US dollar, and manufacturing data out of Japan and China that was weaker than expected, sent base metal prices on the London Metal Exchange lower on Thursday July 1, with zinc leading the complex downward.The US Dollar Index hit a high of 92.55 on Thursday, the highest since April 6 and up by 0.8% since the start of the week.But the three-month price for zinc was down by 1.2%...Read More

Iron ore prices went up on Thursday July 1 and there was market chatter about a crude steel production limit for 2021 in certain Chinese provinces, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $219.32 per tonne, up $5.24 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $221.75 per tonne, up $3.90 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $182.51 per...Read More

Strong US market driving short-term confidence. Polished prices continue upward momentum with good demand and supply shortages. High rough prices supporting polished discounts following June hikes at Alrosa and De Beers. The trade expects 3Q seasonal lull but remains optimistic for holiday season. Dealers cautious about buying at current levels. US jewelers working with less inventory amid store c...Read More

RAPAPORT... After a year and a half as head of the Natural Diamond Council (NDC), most in the industry know David Kellie via Zoom, with the soothing cream-grey surroundings of his study in the background. Covid-19 prevented any formal, in-person introductions that may have been made, for example, when the organization rebranded in June last year.Perhaps that pandemic-enforced isolation afford...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Jewelers for Children is to hold its fourth annual JFC Day to raise funds for kids suffering illness, abuse or neglect.It's urging suppliers, retailers and consumers across the USA to organize their own local fundraising events 25 September.Jewelers for Children was founded in 1999 by the US jewelry industry and has so far donated over $57m to good causes.It has been grow...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Pandora's boss insists he won't cheapen diamonds, after the announcement in May that it would only use lab growns. The Danish company which sold $3bn of "affordable luxuries" last year has now launched its Brilliance collection of rings, bangles, necklaces and earrings featuring lab growns of up to 1.00-ct. But CEO Alexander Lacik says in an interview with the Bloomberg f...Read More

(IDEX Online) - There was a slight overall increase in prices among both rounds and fancies. Many sizes saw little movement, but there were isolated clusters of activity.Rounds Overall prices rose through June. There was minimal movement in many categories, but localized bursts of activity.  Among 0.70-0.79-cts goods there was a concentration of price drops among D-E, of VS2 and better clarit...Read More

A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday June 30.Read More

Strong gains for the US dollar, and manufacturing data out of Japan and China that was weaker than expected, sent base metal prices on the London Metal Exchange lower on Thursday July 1, with zinc leading the complex downward.The US Dollar Index hit a high of 92.55 on Thursday, the highest since April 6 and up by 0.8% since the start of the week.But the three-month price for zinc was down by 1.2%...Read More

Additional work on Opuwo shows it now hosts a resource twice the size of that which supported a disappointing scoping study in 2018: 225.5 million tonnes, grading 0.12% cobalt, 0.43% copper and 0.Read More

Beament's last day in the office was Friday and he says he feels like he's going out on a high, having taken the company from a A1c stock to as high as $17 over a 14-year journey.Read More

South Korea's Public Procurement Service (PPS) has awarded six tenders in June totaling 12,000 tonnes, according to a notice from the state agency.The tonnage is the highest volume awarded in a single month according to Fastmarkets' records dating back to June 2018. The two most recent tenders for London Metal Exchange-registered brands of high-grade aluminium ingot were both awarded to Sorin Corp...Read More

Chinese battery materials producer GEM's subsidiary company will invest in a battery-grade high-purity nickel and cobalt salts project with an annual capacity of 100,000 tonnes in Jinmen, Hubei province, the company announced on Wednesday June 30.Jinmen GEM High-purity Chemical Material, subsidiary of GEM, will invest 310 million yuan ($48 million) into the project to form production lines using r...Read More

Domestic prices for heavy steel plate moved down in Southern Europe in the week to Wednesday June 30, with buyers holding back from making deals for substantial volumes, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel domestic plate, 8-40mm, exw Southern Europe was ?,?980-1,020 ($1,164-1,212) per tonne on Wednesday, down by ?,?10-40 per tonne from ?,?1,020-1,030 per tonne a week e...Read More

Steel market participants in Europe expect the European Commission (EC) to begin an anti-dumping investigation into imports of hot-rolled coil from India now that a complaint has been filed, they told Fastmarkets on Thursday July 1.Two market sources said that European steel industry association Eurofer has lodged a complaint with the EC in order to start an anti-dumping investigation.Eurofer decl...Read More

The price of steel billet exported from the Commonwealth of Independent States via the Black Sea fell further on Thursday July 1, due to an ongoing lack of interest from buyers in most destinations.Fastmarkets' daily steel billet index, export, fob Black Sea, CIS, was calculated at $625 per tonne on July 1, down by $5 per tonne day on day.An offer from one Ukrainian producer was heard...Read More

Domestic prices for steel wire rod stabilized at high levels in the week to Wednesday, despite softer buying, supported by limited availability, high scrap values, sources told Fastmarkets on June 30.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh-quality), domestic, delivered Southern Europe was ?,?840-870 ($998-1,033) per tonne on June 30, widening down from ?,?850-870 per tonne de...Read More

The Turkish long steel export market remained quiet this week, keeping prices stable, market participants said on Thursday July 1.Long steelmakers in the country continued to offer rebar for exports at $730-750 per tonne fob on actual weight basis.There was only one small export trade heard in the week to July 1. A...Read More

The United Kingdom has extended safeguard measures against imported steel for three years - until June 30, 2024 - the UK Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) said on June 30."The tariff-rate quota is an extension of the tariff-rate quota imposed by the European Union on behalf of the United Kingdom and other countries or territories that had effect in the United...Read More

  CANADA  DAY Pre-opening Comments for Thursday July 1stU.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 5 points in pre-opening trade.Johnson & Johnson added $0.67 to $165.41 after the U.S. Surgeon General said that Johnson & Johnson's COVID 19 vaccine may protect against the Delta variant.Micron slipped $1.24 to $83.74 despite reporting highe...Read More