UG2 chrome ore prices fell by $11 per tonne on Tuesday September - the largest weekly drop since mid-July 2020 - after sellers cut their offers to revive buying interest dented by production cuts in the downstream alloy and stainless steel markets.Fastmarkets' calculated its chrome ore, South Africa UG2 concentrates index, basis 42%, cif China, down by $11 per tonne (6.3%) at $165 per tonne on Tue...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday September 8 that are worth another look.The Ukrainian Intergovernmental Committee for International Trade has initiated an anti-dumping investigation into imports of steel seamless cold-drawn and cold-rolled pipe originating from China.A second lithium trade has been brokered against the CME...Read More
The three-month aluminium price on the London Metal Exchange continued its uptrend during Wednesday's trading, rising by 1.3% to $2,794 per tonne from $2,757 per tonne at Tuesday's 5pm close after 16,900 lots were traded.Prior to closing at 5pm, the aluminium three-month contract reached an intraday high of $2,810 per tonne, exceeding the previous 2011 high of $2,803 per tonne."Once it [the alumin...Read More
The price of premium hard coking coal fob jumped on Wednesday September 8 with news of a fresh offer, while sources heard part of the tender result of Russian company Mechel.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $460.63 per tonne, up $2.82 per tonneHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $433.94 per tonne, up $2.52 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $300.87 per tonne, up $17...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices decreased on Wednesday September 8 due to limited liquidity in the physical market, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $132.19 per tonne, down by $5.78 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $133.29 per tonne, down by $4.81 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $106.66 per tonne, down by $4.03 per tonne...Read More
An overview of the consumer electronics markets and their latest price moves in the week to Wednesday September 8. Cristina Belda and Dalila...Read More
The three-month aluminium price on the London Metal Exchange continued its uptrend during Wednesday's trading, rising by 1.3% to $2,794 per tonne from $2,757 per tonne at Tuesday's 5pm close after 16,900 lots were traded.Prior to closing at 5pm, the aluminium three-month contract reached an intraday high of $2,810 per tonne, exceeding the previous 2011 high of $2,803 per tonne."Once it [the alumin...Read More
Spot interest for Southeast Asian zinc ingot weakened in the week ended Tuesday September 7, while tight supply kept premiums in the United States and Europe elevated.The three-month price of zinc on the London Metal Exchange reached $3,058 per tonne, its highest price since early August.The Southeast Asian zinc premium retreated, with demand hit by Covid-19-led restrictions and high pricesThere w...Read More
China's import appetite for copper cathode dropped sharply following the closure of the arbitrage window between London and Shanghai, pulling premiums lower during the week to Tuesday September 7, while those in other regions were little moved.Shanghai premiums down from highs amid closed arbitrageFastmarkets assessed the benchmark copper grade A cathode premium, cif Shanghai at $75-90 p...Read More
The European Union is suggesting the US impose tariff-rate quotas on steel and aluminium imports in a bid to reach an agreement with the US on exempting the EU from its Section 232 measures, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday September 7.The US and EU are widely expected to reach an agreement by November 1 on an exemption from Section 232 for European steel and aluminium.The then-p...Read More
Base metals prices were mixed on the London Metal Exchange during morning trading on Wednesday September 8, with nickel leading the complex, up by 1.7%.The three-month nickel price rose to $19,380 per tonne at 9am on Wednesday, up from $19,506 per tonne at Tuesday's 5pm close. Some 1,650 tonnes of nickel were removed from LME warehouses overnight - mostly from warehouses in Kaohsing in Taiwan, Joh...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange and the Shanghai Futures Exchange were mixed on the morning of Wednesday September 8. Aluminium, nickel and zinc prices on the LME were holding up well, while copper, tin and lead look more vulnerable. Federal Open Market Committee member James Bullard said the Federal Reserve should start tapering, which has lifted US treasury yields and the dollar...Read More
Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States have consolidated around the $97-per-hundredweight ($1,940-per-short-ton) level, with some buyers choosing to meet their supply needs using imported material rather than pay the steep domestic prices.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $96.90 per cwt ($1,938 per ton) on Wednesday September 8, down by 9 cents (0.0...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil were fairly stable across Europe on Wednesday September 8, with both buyers and sellers following a "wait-and-see" strategy, sources told Fastmarkets.Buyers have been avoiding purchases, anticipating domestic prices for coil to drop under pressure from competitive imports, lower demand from spot buyers and additional volumes that could become available for...Read More
Brazilian automotive production fell by 21.90% in August 2021 compared with the corresponding month last year due to partial or complete stoppages across the country because of the global semiconductor chip shortage, national manufacturers' association Anfavea said on Wednesday September 8.Output amounted to 164,027 units during August, down from 210,009 units a year before and the worst August nu...Read More
The price of steel H-beams in the European domestic market was unchanged in the week to Wednesday September 8 despite reduced buying interest, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel beams, domestic, delivered Northern Europe was ?,?1,050-1,080 ($1,245-1,281) per tonne on Wednesday, unchanged week on week.While sellers were comfortably booked for September, they con...Read More
The price of steel hollow sections in the European domestic market was unchanged amid slow trading in the week to Wednesday September 8, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel sections (medium) domestic delivered Northern Europe was ?,?1,400-1,430 ($1,660-1,696) per tonne on Wednesday, unchanged week on week. ...Read More
Steel rebar prices in Northern Europe were stable to slightly weaker over the past seven days, due to slow buying activity and the availability of cheaper imports, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday September 8.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar) domestic, delivered Northern Europe was ?,?870-900 ($1,032-1,067) per tonne on Wednesday, widening down by ?,?10 pe...Read More
Domestic steel wire rod prices in Southern Europe slipped down in the week to Wednesday September 8, with buyers holding back from making deals, citing the availability of cheaper imports availability, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh quality) domestic, delivered southern Europe was ?,?820-845 ($973-1,002) per tonne on Wednesday, down by ?,?5-1...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange and the Shanghai Futures Exchange were mixed on the morning of Wednesday September 8. Aluminium, nickel and zinc prices on the LME were holding up well, while copper, tin and lead look more vulnerable.* Federal Open Market Committee member James Bullard said the Federal Reserve should start tapering, which has lifted US treasury yields and the dollar...Read More