Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Monday December 30 that are worth another look.Fastmarkets reviews how much of the EU safeguarding import quota allowances for hollow sections has been used and by who, with an estimation of when they will be exhausted country by country at the current usage rates.The benchmark premium paid for the supply of aluminium to main Japanese p...Read More

The spot lead concentrate treatment charge (TC) dropped in December in the first downward movement for six months.Lead concentrate TCs had tripled over the past half-year as an arbitrage that enticed Chinese buying for years finally closed. Fastmarkets assessed lead spot concentrate TC, high silver, cif China at $150-170 per tonne on December 27, down from $170-185 per tonne in November but u...Read More

The assessment for ferro-nickel with 26-32% nickel content in China fell to a discount of $1,100-1,300 per tonne on Monday December 30, its lowest level on Fastmarkets records and down 71.4% from last month. Fastmarkets' ferro-nickel premium/discount, 26-32% Ni contained, cif China is now at its biggest discount since the launch of the assessment on January 25, 2016. Market participants attri...Read More

Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mostly little changed on Monday December 30, due to continued quiet market conditions.Copper prices remained above $6,200 per tonne, but only edged up $5 to $6,219 per tonne from Friday's 5pm close. Meanwhile, aluminium prices dropped $5 to $1,820 per tonne."So far today the metals have been extremely dull and on thin volumes and for the gr...Read More

The benchmark premium paid for the supply of aluminium to main Japanese ports (MJP) in the first quarter of 2020 has settled at $83 per tonne on a cif basis over the London Metal Exchange cash price.The settlement represents a decrease of 14.4% or $14 per tonne from the fourth-quarter benchmark of $97 per tonne, which was set at the end of September. Deals for more than 50,000 tonnes between three...Read More

Base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were mixed at the close of the morning trading session on Monday December 30, but movements were largely limited amid the year-end slowdown.The exceptions to this rangebound trading were nickel and tin. The most-traded March nickel contract rose to 111,690 yuan ($15,963) per tonne at the close of the morning trading session on Monday, up by 1,700...Read More

The Commonwealth of Independent States export billet market was largely stable due to quiet trading conditions on Monday December 30 amid a pre-holiday lull in the region and in the customers' markets. "Major mills sold out of material scheduled for shipment in February and are now in wait-and-see mode before entering the market with...Read More

Fastmarkets reviews how much of the EU safeguarding import quota allowances for hollow sections has been used and by who, with an estimation of when they will be exhausted country by country at the current usage rates. Read More

China's rebar prices continued to gain on Monday December 30 following a rise in the futures market, which boosted trading in the east of the country.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,680-3,720 yuan ($526-532) per tonne, up 40-50 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,550-3,570 yuan per tonne, up 40-50 yuan per tonneA Shanghai-based trader said sentiment in the spot market was lifte...Read More

Import prices for rebar in Singapore were unchanged over the past week amid limited trading activity due to the year-end holiday season. Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar) import, cfr Singapore, which mainly looks at cargoes sold into Singapore on a theoretical-weight basis, was $445-450 per tonne for the week to Monday December 30, flat from a week earlier."The...Read More

Hot-rolled coil prices in Asia have continued upward this past week to surpass $500 per tonne cfr Vietnam amid stable demand and increases in offers from sellers.Fastmarkets' assessment for steel HRC import, cfr Vietnam, which mainly looks at Chinese 2-3mm re-rolling-grade SAE1006 HRC and equivalent products sold into Vietnam, was $500-505 per tonne cfr for the week ending Monday December 30, up b...Read More

The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for hot-rolled coil, cold-rolled coil, hot-dipped galvanized coil, pre-painted galvanized iron, steel plate, steel sheet and other flat steel products. Latest transaction: hot-rolled coilHot-rolled coilEast China, domestic, commercial-grade...Read More

RAPAPORT... Suzanne Martinez, co-owner of Lang Antiques in San Francisco, explains how to distinguish the real from the repro.How difficult is it to date diamond rings? As with all types of forensic work, one clue is not conclusive. It is not unusual to find original Art Deco rings set with earlier diamond cuts that were remounted as styles changed. With careful examination, a circa date - plus or...Read More

RAPAPORT... When it comes to the jewelry industry's future, consumer trust is essential. Recent research shows that a vast majority of customers are more disposed to purchase a product from a company that advocates for an issue they care about. In contrast, they would refuse to buy from a company with a moral code that went against their beliefs, even if no alternative were available. To attr...Read More

RAPAPORT... Alrosa has recovered a rough stone weighing 190.77 carats from its Botuobinskaya pipe in the Siberian republic of Yakutia.The company has estimated the white, high-quality diamond is approximately 2 billion years old. It plans to send it to the company's United Selling Organization for a more detailed evaluation, the miner said last week."The discovery of such a large and high-qua...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Alrosa has announced that it plans to hold 34 auctions for or special size rough diamonds (weighing over 10.8 carats) during 2020. According to Russian law, these specials must be auctioned. Eleven of the planned Russian auctions will take place in Moscow with three further sales being held in Vladivostok.Other tenders will take place in the centers in which Alrosa has trading...Read More

RAPAPORT... Tiffany & Co. noted a "momentum shift" in the Americas during the holidays, as growth in the region contributed to an overall increase in sales for the season.Company-wide revenue climbed by 1% to 3% year on year for the period from November 1 to December 24, the retailer reported Thursday. Sales in the Americas rose 2% to 4%, representing a turnaround from the decline Tiffany repo...Read More

Turkish domestic scrap prices remained stable over the past week on the back of steady imported scrap values, sources said on Monday December 30.All the country's steel producers kept their buying prices for auto bundle scrap unchanged over the past seven days.As a...Read More

Physical iron ore prices were generally rangebound on Monday December 30, with low-alumina fines continuing to outperform.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $91.08 per tonne, down $0.43 per tonne.62% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, cfr Qingdao: $90.17 per tonne, down $0.43 per tonne.62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $91.34 per tonne, down $0.31 per tonne.58% Fe fine...Read More

Seaborne coking coal prices were stable on Monday December 30, with the result of a miner's tender not confirmed at the time of writing. Fastmarkets indices Premium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $133.65 per tonne, up $0.40 per tonne Premium hard coking...Read More