CIS export prices for steel billet products continued to climb in the week ended Monday February 26 with customers accepting the higher prices.In addition, the availability of the material was reduced because some mills were holding back volumes in expectation of another round of price increases after China's return from the week-long lunar new year celebration.Metal Bulletin's weekly export CIS B...Read More

United Brothers Holding of Iraq has ordered all the equipment for construction of a billet-making plant, equipment supplier Danieli said on Friday February 23.It will be installed within an existing building located in the industrial area of Khor Al Zubair, near Bassora, and will produce steel in a 70-tonne electric-arc furnace (EAF) and a 70-tonne ladle furnace.The...Read More

Chinese ferro-silicon prices were unchanged on Friday February 23, with suppliers awaiting the return of consumers after the Lunar New Year holiday, while the European and US markets are pausing for quarterly delivery talks to discover the state of availability and demand in the next few months. Chinese market awaits consumers' return  Chinese trading reduced to inter-merchant activity ...Read More

China's ferro-chrome market was stable just after Lunar New Year, while market participants predicted prices will rise in the coming week as a result of the country's strengthening stainless sector. Ferro-chrome prices hold in China after Lunar New YearUG2 chrome ore prices edge higher in ChinaHigher ferro-chrome tender prices expected for MarchAlloy prices rise in all other regions Ferro-chrome...Read More

Summary of China's ferro-alloys imports in January 2018.Chrome ore Month total: 1.24 million tonnes On month: +3.13% On year: -18.85% * Ferro-chrome Month total:...Read More

Turkish steel producers have continued to book deep-sea scrap, now buying for April, and prices have gone up slightly, sources said on Monday February 26.Market participants believed that the strong finished steel market was supporting the steel mills' scrap purchases."Turkish mills are still showing interest in deep-sea scrap. This is mostly because of the strong finished steel market," a source...Read More

China's imports of iron ore rebounded to the second highest ever in January while those for coking coal fell to a seven-month low. Exports of scrap surged on the year, while those for coke, which include semi coke, contracted.Read More

Iron ore prices strengthened further on Monday February 26 following big gains in China's steel market. Metal Bulletin's 62% Fe Iron Ore Index Today: $79.36 per tonne cfr Qingdao Daily change: up by $0.54 per tonne Month-to-date average: $77.18 per tonne Metal Bulletin's 58% Fe Premium Index Today: $61.74 per tonne cfr Qingdao Daily change: up...Read More

There was little movement in the seaborne coking coal market on Monday February 26 with participants waiting for Chinese buyers to set the tone for prices.Cargoes of premium hard coking coal were heard offered around $245 per tonne fob Australia while bids were indicated around $20 per tonne below that level, sources told Metal Bulletin. Both buyers and sellers are waiting for Chinese market parti...Read More

Seaborne iron ore market saw higher fixed-price transactions on Monday February 26 amid a strengthening Chinese steel market, but premiums have fallen compared with pre-holiday levels due to a higher availability of cargoes.Key drivers The Tangshan government's plan to extend steel production caps beyond the winter heating season, though still yet to be decided, continued to bolster steel prices b...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, 190,000 tonnes of 61% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, sold at...Read More

Silicon prices in China and Europe were stable over the past week amid a lull in trading activity, with a number of Chinese participants yet to return to the market following the weeklong Lunar New Year break which ended on Wednesday February 21.Metal Bulletin's Chinese grade 553 silicon metal export price stood at $2,000-2,050 per tonne on February 23, unchanged from the previous week's assessmen...Read More

First impressions are that we are off to a bullish start to the week, with the base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange up by an average of 0.6% this morning, Monday February 26.Nickel and lead prices lead the way with gains of 0.9%, followed by zinc and copper prices that are up by 0.6%, with the latter at $7,155 per tonne, while tin and aluminium prices are up 0.4% and 0.3% respectively....Read More

Summary of China's minor metals exports and imports in January 2018.Unwrought bismuth metal exports Month total: 344 tonnes On month: +48.28% On year: +212.74%* Wrought bismuth metal exports...Read More

China's stainless flat steel exports rose sharply in January amid lower prices. China exported 285,300 tonnes of stainless flat steel products, up 64,903 tonnes - or 29% - from 220,397 tonnes a year earlier, according to Chinese customs data released last Saturday February 24. Last month's volume is also up 33,453 tonnes...Read More

China's ferrous futures surged in the early hours of morning trading on Monday February 26 on news of more steel production cuts in Tangshan, though the contracts - especially those for iron ore and coking coal - corrected before the end of the session.Futures closing prices - morning session Shanghai Futures Exchange May rebar: 4,013 yuan ($633) per tonne, up 1 yuan per tonne May hot-rolled coil:...Read More

Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Apple Inc. was in direct talks with an undisclosed mining company to secure long-term cobalt supplies to support the mounting demands of the company’s power hungry device lineup.Cobalt, a hard, silver-grey metal once used for jewellery and paints, is the primary component for today’s lithium-ion batteries. Valued at over US$37 per lb. - an in...Read More

Brazilian researchers linked to the University of S??o Paulo (USP) have developed a model based on conditions found at Mponeng gold mine near Johannesburg, South Africa, at a depth of 2.8 km, to evaluate how habitable Jupiter's icy moon Europa may be.Based on the theory that Europa may host life in an ocean of liquid water hidden under its 10 km-deep ice crust, the team located a similar environ...Read More

Shares in Condor Gold (LON:CNR) (TSX:COG) jumped more than 5% in London on Monday after the Nicaragua-focused miner submitted an amended Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for a processing plant at its India gold project, which eliminates the need to resettle about 1,100 people.The new evaluation, part of the company's application for an environmental permit, includes a redesigne...Read More

Norsk Hydro has offered Rio Tinto (ASX, LON:RIO) $345 million for the mining giant's aluminum plant in Iceland, as part of the Norwegian firm's efforts to ensure its output is as green as possible and also to strengthen its position in Europe.The proposed acquisition also includes an offer for Rio's 53% stake in the Aluchemie anode plant in the Netherlands and its 50% share in the Alufluor aluminu...Read More