A strengthening of the yuan against the dollar is resulting in higher export offers for Chinese minor metals and ferro-alloys while also making buyers in China more willing to pay higher for imports.Following a strong economic recovery in China after the turmoil caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Chinese currency hit a 17-month high against the dollar on Friday October 9 - the first working day...Read More
The price of magnesium in China rose in the week to Friday October 16, supported by active purchasing by exporters looking to secure material for month-end deliveries and rising production costs, market sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for magnesium 99.9%, exw China was 12,300-12,400 yuan ($1,837-1,852) per tonne on October 16, an increase of 200 yuan per tonne (1.6%)...Read More
Half of the base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange have in recent days risen to multi-month highs, with copper reaching levels not seen since June 2018, and all of the metals are pushing higher this morning, Wednesday October 21.* Some strike action in copper in Chile has added fuel to copper’s rally* High expectations for a further stimulus ahead of the US presidential election has...Read More
Long term U.S. Treasury iShares (TLT) moved below $158.28 extending a short term downtrend. Chile iShares (ECH) moved above $24.44 extending an intermediate uptrend. Units are responding to higher copper prices. Chile is the world's largest copper producing country.Biogen (BIIB), a NASDAQ 100 stock moved below $265.05 extending an intermediate downtrend. The stock responded to disappointing third...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday October 19 that are worth another look....Read More
Further measures to increase transparency and investments for metal producers were required to expand the sustainable metal market, participants said on a sustainability panel during the London Metal Exchange's online LME Week seminars on Monday October 19.Harald Friedl, sector lead at Climate Champions, said that the issue of sustainable metals supply chains has continued to gain traction among t...Read More
The three-month price of zinc on the London Metal Exchange was the standout performer at the close of trading on Monday October 19, rallying by more than 2.5% against positive forward spreads and robust demand.Meanwhile, a firm contango for LME tin resulted in high trading volumes pushing the metal's outright price to a 14-month high.Zinc's outright price on the LME closed at $2,491 per tonne on M...Read More
Canada-based Lundin Mining Corp is to suspend operations at its Candelaria copper mine in Chile after mediation talks with a second union at the site failed to result in an agreement .Around 550 workers represented by the Candelaria AOS Union can now legally strike from October 20. They will join around 350 members of the Mine Workers Union who began industrial action at Candelaria on Oc...Read More
Seaborne prices for both low- and high-grade manganese ore in China continued to move downward in the week to Friday October 16, with producers lowering their offer prices for 37% material and sentiment weakening for 44% ore, market participants told Fastmarkets.Increasing stock levels and falling portside ore prices also weighed on demand, they added.Fastmarkets' manganese ore index, 37% Mn, cif...Read More
The latest data for the global manganese ore market for the week ended October 19, 2020.Read More
Spot demand for cobalt metal has remained at minimal levels in recent weeks, leading market participants to question the level of discount that would be achievable in the forthcoming "mating season."Sellers confirmed on Monday October 19 that consumers continued to take any additional requirements of metal from long-term contracts, enjoying discounted prices arranged last year.This has left only t...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday October 19 that are worth another look....Read More
Recycled copper and aluminium that meet China's standards for renewable metals instead of solid waste can be freely imported into the country starting from November 1, according to the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment. The customs commodity codes of recycled copper raw materials and recycled cast aluminium alloy raw materials are 7404000030 and 7602000020 respectively, the ministry said...Read More
Domestic prices for ferrous scrap in Italy have been fairly stable over the month to the middle of October, market sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' monthly price assessment for steel scrap, No E3 (old thick scrap), domestic, delivered mill, Italy, was unchanged over the month at ?,?220-240 ($258-281) per tonne on Friday October 16. The assessment was based on transactions heard in the market....Read More
Canada-based Lundin Mining Corp is to suspend operations at its Candelaria copper mine in Chile after mediation talks with a second union at the site failed to result in an agreement .Around 550 workers represented by the Candelaria AOS Union can now legally strike from October 20. They will join around 350 members of the Mine Workers Union who began industrial action at Candelaria on Oc...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange were mainly firmer this morning, Monday October 19, supported by economic data out of China, especially the 6.9% rise in industrial production, but gross domestic production (GDP) data came in lower than expected.China's GDP climbed by 4.9% in the third quarter, this after a 3.2% rise in the second quarter, it had been e...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday October 19 that are worth another look....Read More
Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States have continued to move higher, supported by tightening supply brought on by rising demand in face of still-constrained domestic production.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $33.39 per hundredweight ($667.80 per short ton) on Monday October 19, up by 0.7% from $33.17 per cwt on Friday October 16 and 3.2% higher...Read More
Domestic prices for steel hot-rolled coil across Europe inched upward over the week to Friday October 16, with buyers expecting prices to rise further.Buyers expected that the mills would soon announce the next round of increases in offer prices.Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, at ?,?495.83 ($580.74) per tonne on October 16, up by ?,?2.33...Read More
Offer prices for domestic steel rebar in Russia's Central Federal District around Moscow increased as expected this week, although buyers said it was hard to pass them on to downstream customers, sources said on Monday October 19.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, cpt Moscow, Russia was 40,000-41,000 roubles ($514-527) per tonne on October 1...Read More