The recent decline in aluminium prices stoked bearish sentiment in the alumina market, pushing prices down 5% on Friday October 29.Fastmarkets calculated its daily alumina index, fob Australia at $452.16 per tonne on Friday, down from $476.73 per tonne on Thursday.A deal was reported on Friday for 30,000 tonnes at $450 per tonne fob Western Australia, for loading in the second half of November loa...Read More
Silicon prices in the United States reached a new all-time high on Thursday October 28, making the price for US material - which has almost tripled in seven weeks - now the most expensive in the world. The US price for standard grade silicon (5-5-3) surpassed that in Europe, which had been the most expensive region prior to Fastmarkets' assessment there on Friday October 29.Fastmarkets assessed th...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Recent weeks have brought two key developments with regard to trade policy on stainless steel products that will be to the detriment of consumers.In China, the country's stainless steelmakers no longer enjoy a 13% export rebate as of May 1, reducing greatly their incentive to export and instead leading them to focus on supply...Read More
Prices for domestic and imported merchant bar quality (MBQ) steel in the United States were flat in October for the second consecutive month following two rounds of mill base price increases in July and August.Fastmarkets' monthly assessment for steel bar 2 x 2 x 1/4 -inch angle merchant products, fob mill US was $58.30 per hundredweight ($1,116 per short ton) on Friday October 29, unchanged fro...Read More
Seaborne low-vol PCI prices in both the fob and cfr markets fell following the drop in thermal coal prices. And China's National Development & Reform Commission intervention, plus the news that stranded Australian coal was allowed to clear Chinese customs, have put market participants in a wait-and-see mode.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $608.12 per tonne, unchange...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key North American steel forecast highlights:US prices for hot-rolled coil moved in line with our forecasts in August, averaging $1,910 per ton, within 1% accuracy of our forecast of $1,925 per ton. The market has achieved much-needed stability in recent weeks, with prices fluctuating in the range of $1,900-1,94...Read More
A summary of production figures and financial results from Brazilian steelmaker Usiminas for the third quarter of 2021, as shown in its earnings report published on Friday October 29.In brief?EUR?Usiminas' strategy of buying third-party steel slab to be rolled at the Cubat??o mill was maintained, with a significant increase in purchases year-on-year in the third quarter to 502,000 tonnes, from 240...Read More
China's nickel sulfate price was unchanged in the week to Friday October 29, with minimal spot trading activity reported during the pricing period due to the weaker demand in the downstream precursor ternary market, Fastmarkets heard.Fastmarkets assessed the price of nickel sulfate, min 21%, max 22.5%; cobalt 10ppm max, exw China, at 35,500-36,000 yuan ($5,552-5,630) per tonne on Friday, unchanged...Read More
Battery-grade lithium prices in Asia nudged higher over the week to Thursday October 28 on lingering tightness in supply, costlier feedstock and monthly restocking among buyers. ?EUR? Chinese suppliers of seaborne battery-grade lithium hydroxide price succeed in translating higher offers into transactions in the Asian spot market.?EUR? Lithium prices in China's domestic market rise on month-end re...Read More
The recent decline in aluminium prices stoked bearish sentiment in the alumina market, pushing prices down 5% on Friday October 29.Fastmarkets calculated its daily alumina index, fob Australia at $452.16 per tonne on Friday, down from $476.73 per tonne on Thursday.A deal was reported on Friday for 30,000 tonnes at $450 per tonne fob Western Australia, for loading in the second half of November loa...Read More
The price of silicon in China has dropped several times over recent weeks, after setting a then-record price of $9,000-10,000 per tonne on September 24. Downstream demand then fell through October, clouding market confidence, and offer prices went lower and lower.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for silicon, export, 98.5% Si min, fob China, dropped to $5,000-5,500 per tonne on Friday October 2...Read More
The price of UK inter-merchant light-iron steel scrap narrowed on Friday October 29 with the domestic and export markets remaining strong, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel scrap 5C, loose old light, domestic, delivered inter-merchant UK, was ?185-195 ($255-268) per tonne on Friday, narrowing from ?175-195 per tonne the week before."It's quite busy. There is a lot...Read More
Prices for cold-rolled and galvanized steel sheet in the United States were flat on Thursday October 28, with many market participants relying on existing inventory or foreign steel purchases while they wait for mill prices to drop.Fastmarkets' weekly assessment for steel cold-rolled coil, fob mill US was unchanged from the previous week at $108 per hundredweight ($2,160 per short ton) on October...Read More
Brazilian pig iron sellers are more optimistic amid increased demand in global markets, but no deals have been heard in the country's main producing regions.Sellers have been closely watching the improvement in prices of scrap in Turkey and expect further upside. Fastmarkets' price assessment for pig iron, export, fob port of Vitoria/Rio, Brazil was $500-510 per tonne on Friday October 2...Read More
The iron ore seaborne market supply might lose 40 million tonnes in 2022 compared with 2021, the ferrous director at Brazilian mining company Vale, Marcello Spinelli, said on Friday October 29.This reduction follows from a trend that began this year of important iron ore suppliers - including Brazil, India and the Commonwealth of Independent States - focusing more on their domestic marke...Read More
Prices in the Brazilian flat steel market were expected to stabilize following recent discounts made to distributors, according to steelmaker Usiminas.Since September, flat steel distributors have been receiving discounts of 7%, according to Usiminas' commercial vice president, Miguel Homes."We foresee a stability in prices during the fourth quarter [of 2021]," Homes said on Friday October 29.Read More
The price of UK inter-merchant light-iron steel scrap narrowed on Friday October 29 with the domestic and export markets remaining strong, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel scrap 5C, loose old light, domestic, delivered inter-merchant UK, was ?185-195 ($255-268) per tonne on Friday, narrowing from ?175-195 per tonne the week before."It's quite busy. There is a lot...Read More
The price of silicon in China has dropped several times over recent weeks, after setting a then-record price of $9,000-10,000 per tonne on September 24. Downstream demand then fell through October, clouding market confidence, and offer prices went lower and lower.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for silicon, export, 98.5% Si min, fob China, dropped to $5,000-5,500 per tonne on Friday October 2...Read More
Steel beam prices were flat in the United States' domestic and import markets on Thursday October 28 following three rounds of mill price increases over the summer and bringing a welcome pause to upward pressure in market that has been tightly supplied.Fastmarkets' monthly assessment for steel beams 8- x 8-in, fob mill US was $68 per hundredweight ($1,360 per short ton) on Thursday October 28, unc...Read More
Mill-grade aluminium scrap prices declined week on week following decreases in primary aluminium prices on the London Metal Exchange, while the non-ferrous auto shred (twitch) price remained supported by solid export demand.Fastmarkets' assessment of the segregated low copper alloy clips 5052, mills specialty consumers' buying price, fob shipping point US decreased by 9 cents to $1.33-1.37 pe...Read More