Resurfacing concerns over Indonesian tin supply boosted the standard ingot grade premium in the week to Tuesday July 3, while the low-lead premium ticked lower on weak spot demand; other premiums were unchanged on balanced fundamentals. Indonesian supply issues elevate European standard grade premium Low-lead premium pressured down on lower demand United States, China premiums flat on b...Read More

Quebec diamond miner Stornoway Diamond Corp will remobilise its staff to the Renard mine and resume full operations on Wednesday, after rainfall and a shifting of prevailing winds have allowed wildfires to be contained.The company ceased operations on Monday as a safety precaution, after fires affected access to the mine site. On Monday morning, fire was located 12.6 km south of the mine, but just...Read More

Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mostly lower during morning trading on Wednesday July 4 following a poor morning session in SHFE trading and growing concerns about global trade tensions. "The interim slide in oil prices also weighed on base metals prices yesterday afternoon. In addition, evening trading on the Shanghai Futures Exchange showed marked weakness, which has spilled...Read More

A widening backwardation in London Metal Exchange forward prices subdued premium movements globally for zinc while China and Southeast Asia lead markets gain momentum due to environmental restrictions on production there. Backwardation in LME zinc's cash/three-month spread widens to $55.50 per tonne. Indian zinc premiums rose in historical high on the high end of its range. Southeast As...Read More

Italian steelmaker Feralpi increased its crude steel production in January-June 2018 by 3.5% year-on-year, it said this week.Crude steel production was 1.29 million tonnes in the first half of 2018, Feralpi said, compared with 1.24 million tonnes in the corresponding period in 2017.Production of cold-rolled steel products in January-June was largely stable year-on-year at 489,000 tonnes.But hot-ro...Read More

Prices for rebar produced and delivered in Southern Europe rose sharply by ?,?15-25 per tonne over the past week as mills pushed through price increases, sources told Metal Bulletin on Wednesday July 4.Metal Bulletin's weekly price assessment for domestic rebar in southern Europe was ?,?500-515 ($583-600) per tonne delivered on Wednesday, up from ?,?475-500 per tonne one week earlier. The assessme...Read More

Domestic prices for steel beams in Northern Europe went up again this week following mills' price increase last week, sources told Metal Bulletin on Wednesday July 4.Metal Bulletin's weekly price assessment for domestic S235-grade, 200x200mm category-2 H-beam in Northern Europe rose by ?,?10 per tonne to ?,?590-630 ($687-733) per tonne delivered on Wednesday, from ?,?580-620 per tonne delivered on...Read More

Italian re-rollers have increased domestic plate offers again this week after the previous price rise was reflected in a handful of transactions, sources told Metal Bulletin.Metal Bulletin's price assessment for domestic grade-S235JR heavy steel plate in Southern Europe was ?,?570-580 ($664-676) per tonne ex-works on July 4, up from ?,?560-570 per tonne ex-works a week earlier. The price rose ?,?1...Read More

Prices for rebar produced and delivered in Northern Europe widened upward by ?,?15 per tonne over the past week after mills began to push through price rises for July, sources told Metal Bulletin on Wednesday July 4. Metal Bulletin's weekly price assessment for domestic rebar in Northern Europe was ?,?535-560 ($623-652) per tonne delivered on Wednesday, up from ?,?535-545 per tonne delivered...Read More

Turkey exported 484,858 tonnes of flat steel products in May 2018, according to figures released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) on Monday July 2.This volume was up by 8.36% from the 447,462 tonnes exported in May 2017, the institute said.The reason for the increase being small was that Turkey had tripled its export volumes year-on-year in May 2017, so the country was maintaining its s...Read More

Key data from the Wednesday July 4 pricing session in Europe. Key drivers - Ferro-titanium prices stable despite illiquid trading in the first week of the seasonal slowdown in the northern hemisphere's summer, with most sources putting $5 per kg delivered duty-paid as a midpoint in the current price range. - One supplier was reaching for...Read More

The following Metal Bulletin noble alloys and ores prices changed on Wednesday July 4:Noble alloys Molybdenum Europe drummed molybdic oxide, $/lb: $10.55-10.65 per lb from $10.60-10.70 Ferro-molybdenum basis 65% min, in-warehouse Rotterdam, $/kg Mo: $26.40-26.60 per...Read More

Pellet production volumes at Ukraine-focused iron ore producer Ferrexpo fell by 1.24% year-on-year to 5.10 million tonnes in the first half of 2018, because of planned outages for equipment maintenance.The company refurbished one of its four pelletizing lines over a 65-day shutdown period during the second quarter of the year.Among the total of 5.10 million tonnes of pellet produced in January-Jun...Read More

By Peter KennedyDrilling operations at Nickel Creek Platinum's 100%-owned Nickel Shaw Project in the Yukon Territory. Source: Nickel Creek Platinum Ltd.Nickel Creek Platinum Ltd. [NCP-TSX; NCPCF-OTCQX], a company previously known as Wellgreen Platinum, is hitching itself onto the electric vehicle revolution in a bid to improve the economic viability of its Yukon project, attract more investors int...Read More

Brazilian products continued to command a big premium over Australian materials in the seaborne iron ore market on Wednesday July 4.Metal Bulletin 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $64.20 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $0.35 per tonne Metal Bulletin 62% Fe Pilbara Blend fines Index: $62.97 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $0.49 per tonneMetal Bulletin 58% Fe Premium Index: $51.66 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $0.29 pe...Read More

The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for iron ore, pig iron, direct-reduced iron and other steelmaking raw materials. Latest transaction: iron oreIron oreRio Tinto, tender, 210,000 tonnes of 61% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, sold at $61.95 per tonne cfr China, laycan July 21-30.Vale, Global...Read More

The seaborne coking coal spot market took a breather on Wednesday July 4 with buyers withdrawing to the sidelines in anticipation of prices to drop. "Coking coal prices are propped up due to speculation and rumors fueling supply concerns but the reason feels weak and unconvincing," a North Asian end-user source said. A South Asian end-user source concurred, saying "the market is definitely going s...Read More

China's ferrous futures picked up across the board during morning trading on Wednesday July 4.Futures closing prices - morning session Shanghai Futures Exchange October rebar: 3,812 yuan ($572) per tonne, up 47 yuan per tonne October hot-rolled coil: 3,917 yuan per tonne, up 51 yuan per tonne Dalian Commodity Exchange September iron ore: 464.50 yuan per tonne, up 3.50 yuan per tonne September coki...Read More

Iron ore export volumes from Brazil increased by 4.51% year on year in June, along with higher fob prices. The country exported 35.31 million tonnes of iron ore last month, compared with 33.79 million tonnes in June 2017 according to figures released by the country's foreign trade ministry, MDIC, on Tuesday July 3. Over the same...Read More

Technical action by S&P 500 stocks to 10:00: Quietly bullish. Three utility stocks broke out. None broke down. TSX Gold Index and its related ETF $XGD.CA moved above 193.52 and 194.28 extending an intermediate uptrend. Barrick Gold $ABX.CA $ABX, a TSX 60 stock moved above $17.68 Cdn. extending an intermediate uptrend. Wheaton Precious Metals $WPM $WPM.CA, a TSX 60 stock moved above $22.34 and...Read More