Brazilian steel producers have accepted a reduction of 10% in import duties, and agreed to avoid raising domestic prices further, according to the country's economy minister, Paulo Guedes.The government has been in talks with representatives of steel producers, the country's construction industry and other end users. They are discussing options to normalize supply of rebar and other steel products...Read More

Gold’s days in a glamorous apartmentat the top of the PMs’ building are numbered. We’d better prepare for a rapidelevator ride to the first floor.TheGold Miners With the gold miners essentially runninglaps on the treadmill, the HUIIndex, the GDX ETF, and the GDXJ ETF are working extremely hard but makinglittle progress. And with the gambit resulting in ‘one step forward,&nb...Read More

The U.S. Dollar recently corrected upward but now appears ready to continue its move downward and this should light a fire under the price of Silver and see it undergo a 30-day run to around $38 per troy ounce as illustrated in the chart below.  ConclusionThere is a regular cycle for Silver to rise that starts now and extends until August 11th. The last time that Silver entered that cycle was...Read More

Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday July 15 that are worth another look.Brazilian steel producers have accepted a reduction of 10% in import duties, and agreed to avoid raising domestic prices further, according to the country's economy minister, Paulo Guedes.Aluminium producer UC Rusal will...Read More

London Metal Exchange ring dealing members have a decision to make - whether to remain one or not.The LME has just announced it will reopen the open outcry trading floor, which was temporarily closed due to Covid-19, on September 6.Its plan, however, comes with a twist; some ring dealers say, a knife.The official prices - which the global trade and industry use as the global reference for physical...Read More

Technology entrepreneur Elon Musk once described the ongoing use of fossil fuels and their generation of a vast carbon footprint as "the dumbest experiment in human history."Not everyone will agree with his assessment of the petroleum, gas and coal sectors, which have powered the world's growth for decades. Nonetheless, the twin goals of supply chain security and sustainability are now driving a t...Read More

Bill Gates has a theory about green premiums: He wants to eliminate them entirely. The American business magnate and philanthropist calls green premiums the additional cost of choosing a clean technology over one that emits a greater amount of greenhouse gases.In other words, the price that metals and mining companies are starting to charge their customers for producing low-carbon produc...Read More

Benchmark futures were mostly higher on the London Metal Exchange at Thursday's 5pm close following positive economic data released from China and a sustained dovish stance from the US Federal Reserve on interest rates.The three-month copper contract continued to rally, reaching $9,486.50 per tonne at Thursday's 5pm close, up by 1.5% from $9,342.50 per tonne on Wednesday. Despite recent consolidat...Read More

Hot-rolled coil prices across China's domestic market edged higher on Thursday July 15 while futures prices traded rangebound after Wednesday's sharp gains due to the increased likelihood of a drop in steel production in the second half of 2021, sources told Fastmarkets.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,860-5,920 yuan ($907-916) per tonne, narrowing upward by 20 yuan per tonneThe most-traded HRC...Read More

Iron ore prices increased on Thursday July 15, supported by falling steel inventories in China, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $222.09 per tonne, up $3.43 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $223.75 per tonne, up $3.75 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $182.06 per tonne, up $3.65 per tonne65% Fe Brazil-origin fines,...Read More

Zinc producers in China's southwestern province of Yunnan should be able to fully resume their operations by mid-June, sources said.Yunnan will remove its power restrictions by the end of June that have stunted local zinc output, the provincial energy bureau said.A few zinc smelters in Yunnan have already resumed production, however, sources that spoke to Fastmarkets said.Production capa...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of base metals analysts are ready to view.Aluminium: SHFE tailwind for LME pricesAs we are entering the traditional strong demand season, we expect Chinese aluminium demand to show further recovery, and we expect demand from existing end-user sectors, new infrastructure projects and the export sector to show some increases. As a result, we believe that S...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of base metals analysts are ready to view, including an upgrade to our aluminium price forecasts.Aluminium: Price forecasts raisedWe correctly expected the macro reflationary theme to raise the prices for all base metals but, with it being the base metal with by far the weakest fundamentals, we had expected the price of aluminium to underperform relative...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.These include an increase in our copper mine disruption estimates, upgrades to our production outlook for Indonesian nickel pig iron (NPI), a smaller refined zinc surplus, and an upgrade to our zinc price forecasts.Aluminium: Big disconnect between price and fundamentalsAluminium has extended its uptrend on the London Metal...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.As we approach the end of the first half of 2021, steel markets in Europe and the United States continue to heat up. This six-month period is largely unprecedented, with both steel prices and steelmakers' margins hitting a number of new record highs throughout.The rally is likely nearing its end, however, with global steel ou...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key North American steel forecast highlights:?EUR?  US sheet prices hit record highs again in May, with upward momentum persisting into June. Actual US hot-rolled coil prices averaged $1,553 per ton in May, largely in line with our forecast of $1,540 per ton. Prices remain supported by strong underlying sup...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.United States sheet prices hit record highs again in May, with upward momentum carrying into June. Actual US HRC prices averaged $1,712 per tonne in May, largely in line with our forecast of $1,698 per tonne. Strong underlying supply-and-demand conditions both in the US and globally are supporting prices as well as long lead...Read More

We had a strong gain of...by Harvey Organ of Harvey Organ BlogJULY14//GOLD UP $15.50 TO $1824.90//SILVER UP 7 CENTS TO $26.19//GOLD STANDING AT THE COMEX ADVANCES TO 4.2674 TONNES/SILVER FALLS SLIGHTLY TO 18.655 MILLION OZ//DR DAVID MARTIN//CORONAVIRUS UPDATES/VACCINE UPDATES//SOUTH AFRICA STILL IN TURMOIL//DEMOCRATS UNVEIL A $3.5 TRILLION INFRASTRUCTURE DEAL//SWAMP STORIES///GOLD:$1824.90 UP $15....Read More

WHAT ARE THEY AFRAID OF BEING INVOLVED WITH??by Bix Weir of Road to RootaMy time in the YouTube penalty box is over and it's feels good to be back on the playing field....even though it's totally and completely corrupt! Silver Riggers are having a field day with the LACK of STAFF at the CFTC with no: Chairman, Head of Enforcement or General Council!! WHAT ARE THEY AFRAID OF BEING INVOLVED WITH?? Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Global welded pipe prices surged in May as strong demand and still-insufficient supply lifted flat steel prices.The biggest jumps were seen in China, which was hit by the unexpected announcement of the elimination of export rebates on welded pipes in April. Chinese seaborne prices reached $1,570 per tonne fob for longitudina...Read More