Copper scrap sold into China in April was at the widest discount level in the past three years on a massive backlog of non-ferrous scrap due to the upcoming halt in July scrap imports after policy changes.Fastmarkets assessment for the discount for No2 copper scrap, birch/cliff, imported in China is at 37-42 cents per lb on April 29, a significant stretch compared with 32-38 cents per lb a month b...Read More

Ulrich Schridde, Aludium's director for metal management, is set to retire on April 30 after nearly 40 years in the aluminium industry, Fastmarkets has learned.Schridde has worked at European aluminium rolling mill Aludium since 2015, where he was responsible for procurement and strategy. Prior to this, he worked at Russian aluminium producer Rusal for...Read More

While prices for merchant bar quality (MBQ) steel again remained steady in the United States over the past month, sources pointed to seasonally weak demand, reports of discounts and potential further erosion in scrap costs as downward pressure points weighing on the spot market. Fastmarkets AMM assessed domestic 2- x 2- x 1/4 -inch angle merchant bar at $37.05 per hundredweight ($741 per short t...Read More

Plate prices in the United States were flat, one week after dropping to their lowest point in over a year. Market participants reported improving availability and shorter delivery times, while mill sources have noted that plate imports are increasing as the 2019 construction season gets into full swing. "Lead times have come in a little bit," one large plate consumer said. "I think the n...Read More

Russian steel and vanadium producer Evraz's sales of final vanadium products fell by 5.3% quarter-on-quarter in the first quarter of 2019 to 2.52 million tonnes, the company said in a trading update on Monday April 29.This was down from 2.66 million tonnes of pure vanadium produced in the fourth quarter of 2018, and down by 19% year-on-year from the first quarter of 2018, when Evraz produced 3.11...Read More

Market sources surveyed by Fastmarkets last week broadly agreed that the prospects for steel exports out of Turkey remained poor at the end of April, with no recovery likely soon because of trade barriers erected by authorities in the country's principal outlet markets.This will affect steel output in Turkey, with local demand also limited by the country's economic uncertainty and the decline in t...Read More

Vietnamese buyers are bidding lower for hot-rolled coil amid ample supply of both domestic materials and imports in the Southeast Asian country.The Fastmarkets MB weekly import price assessment for HRC in Southeast Asia - which mainly looks at Chinese 2-3mm re-rolling-grade SAE1006 HRC and equivalent products sold into Vietnam - was $535-545 per tonne cfr for the week ending Monday April 29, widen...Read More

China's domestic rebar prices held steady on Monday April 29 despite a strengthening of the billet and futures markets ahead of the Labor Day holiday from Wednesday until the end of the week.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 4,050-4,100 yuan ($602-609) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Beijing): 3,950-4,000 yuan per tonne, unchangedRebar futures strengthened during the day after the price of bi...Read More

China's hot-rolled coil prices rebounded on Monday April 29 with trading activity picking up in comparison with last Friday, though there is not much optimism for further growth.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 4,000-4,010 yuan ($594-596) per tonne, up 20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,910-3,920 yuan per tonne, up 20 yuan per tonneTrading activity, though higher than at the end of last...Read More

Tata Steel Europe restarted blast furnace production at its Port Talbot plant in South Wales, UK, on Saturday April 27. Production was temporarily stopped after a liquid iron spillage caused a massive explosion early in the morning of Friday April 26. Two workers were injured as a result of the incident but were said to be recovering after treatment on Friday."Supply...Read More

Low availability prevented a sharp decline in US pig iron prices last week.Fastmarkets' import price assessment for pig iron in the US was unchanged week on week at $360-365 per tonne cfr on Friday April 26.One cargo of 60,000 tonnes of pig iron was booked from Russia at $365 per tonne cfr New Orleans earlier in the week.  Deals for CIS-origin pig iron reduced slightly as a result, from...Read More

Turkish domestic ship scrap prices have fallen slightly over the past week, while a number of steel mills raised their buy prices for auto bundle scrap due to the continual weakening of the lira against the US dollar, sources said on Monday April 29.Three steel mills continued to buy ship scrap at $315-320 per tonne delivered, but a fourth mill reduced its buy price to $310 per tonne delivered.So...Read More

The Turkish steel producers have continued their deep-sea scrap bookings after achieving lower prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Monday April 29.Three deep-sea cargoes were heard traded late on April 27 and on April 28.A steel mill in the Izmir region booked a US cargo, comprising HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $307 per tonne, shredded at $312 per tonne and bonus at $317 per tonne...Read More

Physical iron ore prices advanced on Monday April 29 amid gains in China's futures market.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $94.05 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $0.47 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $92.83 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $0.47 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $97.10 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $1.07 per tonne. MB 58% Fe Premium Index: $84.64 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $...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 oreVale, Beijing Iron Ore Trading Center (Corex), 100,000 tonnes of 65% Fe Iron Ore Carajas, traded at $109.30 per tonne cfr China, laycan...Read More

Spot prices for seaborne coking coal sold to China fell on Monday April 29 despite a strengthening metallurgical coke market.A cargo of a top Australian brand that is already headed for China was sold to a mill in the country's northeastern region at $205.95 per tonne cfr China, various sources confirmed.This is around $2 per tonne below a transaction involving the same brand that was concluded at...Read More

Trading activity involving both seaborne iron ore concentrate and pellets thinned last week, which resulted in softer prices.Concentrate The weekly Fastmarkets MB 66% Fe Iron Ore Concentrate Index stood at $105.35 per tonne cfr China last Friday April 26, down $2.49 per tonne from a week earlier.The daily Fastmarkets MB 65% Fe Iron Ore Index averaged $107.64 per tonne cfr China last week, down $0....Read More

Three-month copper and aluminium prices on the London Metal Exchange were subdued across morning trading on Monday April 29, with price sentiment dampened by sizable inflows into various LME-registered locations, while scheduled US-China trade talks this week could boost buying sentiment. Over 37,000 tonnes of copper was delivered into LME-registered warehouses in Asia, Europe and North America th...Read More

The latest selenium transactions, bids, offers and assessments in Europe reported to Fastmarkets.Unless otherwise stated, all prices are per lb and on an in-warehouse Rotterdam basis. Delivered prices are netted back.To view the latest price assessment, click here.To see all Fastmarkets' pricing methodology and specification documents, go to: www.metalbulletin.com/prices/pricing-methodologyWednesd...Read More

Key data from the pricing session in Europe on Friday April 26.Key drivers Several producers of chromium metal are already destocking ahead of the summer lull, according to sources; this destock usually does not happen before late May-June. Sources see this as a clear sign of slow demand. The chromium market has been following a...Read More