The rising cost of coking coal has led to a sharp drop in demand for iron ore lump, sources told Fastmarkets on Monday August 23.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $136.71 per tonne, down $3.73 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $137.22 per tonne, down $3.93 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $106.64 per tonne, down $2.16 per tonne65% Fe Brazil...Read More

China's domestic coking coal market rose sharply in the week to August 23 due to the supply shortage from Mongolia, which also weighed on market sentiment in seaborne coking coal prices in the cfr China market. The fob Australia market inched up amid steady buying interest for October-laycan cargoes, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $381.73 per to...Read More

China imported 88,218 tonnes of ferrous scrap in July, a 16% increase from June, according to the latest Chinese customs data.Of the total, 66,096 tonnes - or 74.92% - originated in Japan.South Korea remained China's second-largest scrap supplier in July, accounting for 14,464 tonnes (16.4%) of imports.Taiwan (3,590 tonnes; 4.07%) and Hong Kong (1,214 tonnes; 1.38%) were other significant sources...Read More

Future remains golden for Rox ResourcesSPONSOREDrox resourcesCashed-up Karora is doubling gold production at a blistering paceSPONSOREDkarora resourcesOzAurum drills in home of goldSPONSOREDozaurum resourcesThe Future of Tailings ManagementSPONSOREDThe latest 22 holes at VC-07 East hit multiple broad intersections of massive, semi-massive, matrix and heavily disseminated nickel-copper sulphides. T...Read More

Analysts noted the "macro meltdown" with commodity prices sharply declining recently and sentiment deteriorating on the back of weak macro data, along with the prospect of the US Fed tapering soon.However in an August 21 note, Christopher LaFemina said in terms of the weaker than expected macro data, Jefferies analysts believed the issues were transitory.He also said the evidence of copper supply...Read More

Prices for seaborne iron ore pellets and concentrate plunged further in the week ended Friday August 20 amid weak demand and a downtrend in the futures market.Fastmarkets iron ore indicesIron ore pellet premium over 65% Fe fines, cfr China: $34.50 per tonne, down $6.70 per tonne. 65% Fe blast furnace pellet, cfr Qingdao: $207.74 per tonne, down $20.62 per tonne.66% Fe concentrate, cfr Qingdao: $16...Read More

U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 15 points in pre-opening trade.JD.com added $2.20 to $245.80 after the company reported higher than consensus second quarter revenues. General Motors slipped $0.28 to $48.52 after the company announced a charge in excess of $1 billion to cover the cost of a recall of its Volt cars.Trillium Therapeutic (TRIL.TO Cdn$7.81...Read More

Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session on Monday August 23.Key drivers The spot cobalt international metal price for both alloy and standard grades widened downward on lower offers from sellers in a quiet market, with limited buyers seeking spot units and...Read More

Tianyuan Manganese Industry Group (TMI), said to be the world's largest producer of manganese flake, has not halted production, it told Fastmarkets, dispelling a recent rumor that has helped to drive manganese prices to new heights worldwide.Distorted reports of an explosion some time in the week ended Friday August 13 near TMI's operations in Zhongwei, in China's Ningxia province, were heard amid...Read More

The Cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lbtrade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets assessed Cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb...Read More

The Cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets assessed Cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam,...Read More

A summary of China's minor metals exports and imports for July 2021.In brief China's exports of antimony continued to increase in July. The United States remained the biggest buyer of Chinese antimony, importing 379,801 tonnes of the material during the month.  The remainder of China's exports went mainly to Japan, the Netherlands, Belgium, Pakistan and South Korea. China...Read More

A summary of China's battery raw materials exports for July 2021, according to the latest Chinese customs data released last Friday August 20.In brief?EUR?Lithium hydroxide exports fell month on month due to a shortage in China amid lithium feedstock supply constraints coupled with strong demand from the...Read More

A huge drop in Chinese import steel billet bids has caused sellers to slash offer prices in an attempt to sell material to alternative markets, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday August 20.Chinese ferrous futures were in freefall from Monday August 16 to Thursday August 19 amid pessimistic outlook for near-term economic growth and steel demand in China. Although contracts recovered slightly during...Read More

The recently released June-quarter financial results from Triple Flag Precious Metals (TSX: TFPM) aptly encapsulates the vision founder and CEO Shaun Usmar has been working up to since starting the royalty and metals streaming business in 2016.Fresh from undertaking Canada's biggest mining initial public offering (IPO) in nine years, raising $250 million in May, the company has emerged as a more a...Read More

Africa-focused Gem Diamonds (LSE: GEMD) is selling its Botswana subsidiary to Okwa Diamonds, owned by Vast Resources (LSE: VAST) and Botswana Diamonds (LSE: BOD), for only US$4 million. Okwa Diamond's main target is the mothballed Ghaghoo in central Botswana, which Gem acquired from De Beers in 2007. The company had hoped the buy would help it diversify its portfolio away from Lesotho, where...Read More

Malaysia has provided rare earths producer Lynas Corp (ASX: LYC) with some breathing room for finding a permanent location for a low-level radioactive waste disposal facility for its processing operations on the country's east coast. The Australian miner, which fought hard to stay in Malaysia under certain conditions that needed to be fulfilled by September this year, said the licensi...Read More

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 395.3 points or 1.11% to 35,120.08 and the S&P 500 lost 26.33 points or 0.59% to finish the trading week at 4,441.67. Spot gold climbed US$1.00 per oz. to US$1,780.70 per ounce.Franco-Nevada dropped US$13.54 per share to US$141.34 share on no corporate news. The gold-focused royalty and streaming company reported second-quarter results on August 11. The comp...Read More

The S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index fell 58.55 points or 6.34% to finish the August 16-20 trading week at 864.51. Spot gold fell US$1.00 per oz. to US$1,780.70 per ounce.Shares of Neo Battery Materials rose 17 ? to 78 ?. The junior announced it had successfully produced the first prototype of silicon (Si) anode active materials and sent samples to partners for cell evaluation and electrochemical c...Read More

The S&P/TSX Composite Index fell 179.1 points or 0.87% to finish the August 16-20 trading week at 20,339.00. The S&P/TSX Global Mining Index dropped 7.48% to 100.51 and the S&P/TSX Global Base Metals Index plunged 10.06% to 158.84. The S&P/TSX Global Gold Index lost 3.01% to 281.16 and spot gold dipped US$1.00 per oz. to US$1,780.70 per ounce.Shares of Argonaut Gold rose 16 ? to $2.99 per share on...Read More