Profits from zinc miners and refiners are expected to move downstream into the zinc smelting sector to reshape the unhealthy and significantly, profits-diverged structure, sources told Fastmarkets MB at the 21st China International Lead and Zinc Conference.Profits in the upstream zinc mining and refining sectors has risen by 8% year on year in the first nine months of 2018, while those in the smel...Read More

Arbitrage for copper, aluminium, zinc and nickel imported into China on Monday November 05*Copper -$205.55 (-1,425.89 yuan) Aluminium -$444.44 (-3,082.97 yuan) Zinc -$50.76 (-352.08 yuan) Nickel $570.66 (3,958.54 yuan) *Fastmarkets calculates the physical arbitrage for import into China daily by using SHFE front-month and LME three-month prices at 3pm Shanghai time, taking account of VAT and impor...Read More

The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Tuesday November 6.Base metal prices on the London Metal Exchange were predominantly lower at the close of trading on Monday November 5, topped by a continued downturn in lead's three-month price while aluminium was the only metal to trade in positive territory. Read more in our live futures report.Here are how prices looked at the close of...Read More

The global excess of steel production capacity is resulting in increased volumes of imports into the Middle East, BS Shetty of Al Ghurair Iron & Steel (AGIS) told an industry conference on Monday November 5.Steel mills in China and India have more than 50% of the world's steel production capacity, and they get export incentives, Shetty told delegates to the Arab Iron & Steel Union Summit in Amman,...Read More

The import price for steel slab in Southeast Asia and East Asia stopped declining during the past week, with trading activity still muted.Fastmarkets MB's price assessment for imported slab in Southeast Asia and East Asia was at $470-480 per tonne cfr for the week ended Monday November 5, the same as the previous week.The assessment had previously been falling since mid-October amid lower offers.....Read More

China's domestic rebar prices dropped on Monday November 5, with market participants taking a pessimistic view on demand and supply. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 4,630-4,660 yuan ($672-676) per tonne, down 20-30 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 4,450-4,480 yuan per tonne, down 10-20 yuan per tonneSpot rebar prices fell on Monday amid early-hours losses in the futures market...Read More

China's hot-rolled coil market was largely steady on Monday November 5, but expectations have emerged for some upward momentum in the export segment as soon as prices bottom out.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 4,030-4,040 yuan ($584-586) per tonne, narrowing downward by 10 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 4,030-4,040 yuan per tonne, unchangedPrices in both major trading regions in China w...Read More

Australian lithium spodumene producer Altura Mining shipped about 10,000 tonnes of lithium spodumene from Port Hedland in Western Australia to China in October 2018, the company has said.Altura announced on October 31 that it had despatched two cargoes each of around 5,000 tonnes of lithium spodumene to China, on October 9 and October 20. The material came from the company's Pilgangoora lithium mi...Read More

Australian lithium spodumene miner Neometals reported that it had achieved slightly higher production volumes in the July-September quarter in a results statement published on Wednesday October 31.Neometals increased its output by about 1.68%, producing 111,023 tonnes of lithium spodumene in the quarter, compared with 109,183 tonnes produced in April-June.Output of higher-grade lithium spodumene (...Read More

Lithium spodumene miner Tawana Resources reported a quarter-on-quarter production increase of 63% from operations at Bald Hill in Western Australia in July-September this year, in a results statement for the third quarter published on Wednesday October 31.The Australian miner produced 28,419 tonnes of lithium spodumene in the quarter ended on September 30, compared with 17,403 tonnes in the previo...Read More

Ferro-tungsten prices in Europe dropped on good material availability last week, while the ammonium paratungstate (APT) market was quiet with little spot business concluded and the market awaiting further direction. APT prices edge down in China; European prices stable amid little spot activity Ferro-tungsten prices fall in Europe on good material availability Concentrates market under pressure fr...Read More

Turkish domestic auto bundle scrap prices have gone down in line with falling domestic rebar prices, while ship scrap prices have risen thanks to strong imported scrap values, sources said on Monday November 5.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for auto bundle (DKP grade) ferrous scrap was TRY1,750-1,940 ($322-357) per tonne delivered, widening downward from last week's TRY1,830-1,940 per tonne....Read More

Seaborne iron ore prices strengthened on Monday November 5 amid fears of supply disruptions in Australia.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $75.74 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $1.77 per tonne.MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $74.77 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $1.77 per tonne.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $79.30 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $2.34 per tonne.MB 58% Fe Premium Index: $66.92 per tonne cfr Q...Read More

The seaborne coking coal spot market was largely stable on Monday November 5 with sellers still unwilling to budge from their offers just yet.A cargo of branded materials was traded on Global Coal at $216.50 per tonne fob Australia late last Friday, market sources told Fastmarkets.This is $7.50 per tonne lower than the price for a cargo of the same brand of materials that was sold last week, accor...Read More

Ferrous futures in China registered mild movements during morning trading on Monday November 5, with the impact of winter steelmaking restrictions and the potential for easing tensions between the country and the United States being factors to watch out for over the rest of the month.Futures closing prices - morning session Shanghai Futures Exchange January rebar: 4,034 yuan ($585) per tonne, down...Read More

Key data from the pricing sessions in London and Shanghai on Friday November 2. China  The Chinese silicon export price remained stable week on week amid slow spot trading activities.  Consumers are waiting on the sidelines due to ample inventories, while most Chinese export traders are not in rush to sell on anticipation of tightening supply during the approaching the dry season when re...Read More

Global antimony prices continued to trade under pressure in both China and Europe amid weak demand, despite a new round of environmental inspections beginning in Hunan province last week.In China, Fastmarkets' price assessment for MMTA standard grade-II antimony, delivered, duty-paid, stood at 50,500-51,000 yuan ($7,241-7,312) per tonne on Wednesday October 31, down 1% from 51,000-51,500 yuan per...Read More

Spot cobalt prices held steady in the first few days of November trading, although trade remained thin as consumers focused on locking in their 2019 requirements in preference to anythingmore than essential spot top-ups. Fastmarkets MB assessed low-grade cobalt prices at $33.50-34.45 per lb and high-grade cobalt prices at $33.50-34.45 per lb, in-warehouse, on Friday November 2, both unch...Read More

Fastmarkets launched its China cobalt sulfate price in May 2018, with historical data dated back to March, tracking the price of this key electric vehicle battery material. Read More

Chinese cobalt sulfate trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets MB.Unless otherwise stated, all prices are yuan per tonne on an ex-works basis. In addition, the cobalt sulfate, Co 20.5% min, China ex-works, adjustment to the low-grade cobalt low-end price at Co 20.5% basis is on a $ per lb basis. Metal Bulletin prices...Read More