The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key ferro-alloy forecast highlights:Bulk and noble alloys both moved largely in line with our price forecasts globally over the past month, though several markets surprised to the upside, exceeding our forecast gains. Stronger-than-forecast pricing momentum was primarily triggered by supply shortages in numerous...Read More
Steel scrap prices in the main Mexican markets of Monterrey and Bajio continued their downward trend in the week ended Friday October 15, but prices diverged widely between buyers.Price cuts of 300-700 pesos ($14-34) per tonne were common last week, with some scrap buyers seeing comfortable inventory levels and steady supply.Fastmarkets' assessment of the steel scrap No1 heavy melt, consu...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Tuesday October 19 that are worth another look.Vietnam's Hoa Phat Steel is close to obtaining certification from the United Kingdom Certification Authority for Reinforcing Steels (Cares), which would allow it to sell its rebar to the key markets of Singapore...Read More
Vietnam's Hoa Phat Steel is close to obtaining certification from the United Kingdom Certification Authority for Reinforcing Steels (Cares), which would allow it to sell its rebar to the key markets of Singapore and Hong Kong, sources told Fastmarkets this week.Obtaining the certification means that a mill is able to produce construction steel to certain standards. For instance, in Singapore, reba...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in Northern Europe and Italy moved downward on Tuesday October 19 on increased supply to the spot market resulting from lower consumption by the automotive sector, sources told Fastmarkets.As a result, buyers have been cautious in their purchasing because they believed that cheaper prices would be available soon.Auto-industry output - and, consequently, steel de...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices were relatively stable on Tuesday October 19, with no trading activity heard. And the seaborne premium fob price will likely remain steady for the rest of the year, several sources said.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $612.12 per tonne, down by $0.44 per tonneHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $565.06 per tonne, unchangedPremium hard coking coal,...Read More
Steel rebar and billet buyers in the United Arab Emirates were waiting for new local rebar prices to be announced in the week ended Tuesday October 19; they expect a price increase of around $30 per tonne, sources told Fastmarkets.Rebar producers normally announce new prices fortnightly in the UAE, but they have not made any changes since September 29.Domestic rebarRebar producers in the UAE sold...Read More
The London Metal Exchange has imposed a series of temporary measures to maintain an orderly copper market after wild outright and spread price moves and dwindling inventories in recent days, the exchange said.In a notice to members, the LME said its Special Committee had been monitoring the ongoing tightness in the copper market, with exchange inventories falling and nearby carries tightening. The...Read More
Exporters of billet from the Commonwealth of Independent States aggressively increased offers on October 19, although no sales were heard at the higher levels.Fastmarkets' calculation of its daily steel billet index export, fob Black Sea, CIS was $650 per tonne on October 19, up by $1 per tonne...Read More
Digitalization can provide the metals trading industry with several benefits, including access to buyers' and suppliers' networks, panellists said at an LME Week seminar in London on October 11.The primary driver for adopting digital platforms so far has been that it offers a new route to the market and growth in customer base, said John Eastwood, head of stainless-steel raw materials sales at Ang...Read More
Tokyo Steel has increased its domestic scrap purchase prices for the fourth time in October, keeping Japan's export offers for steel scrap well supported, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday October 19.?EUR?Tokyo Steel raises scrap buy prices?EUR?Japanese material unaffordable to buyers in China?EUR?Taiwanese buyers bid higherJapanTokyo Steel, Japan's largest operator of electric-arc furnaces, ann...Read More
Base metals prices continued to soar higher this morning, Tuesday October 19, with cash prices rising at an even faster pace while shorts are squeezed. Cash copper prices on the London Metal Exchange were evaluated on Monday evening at $1,103.50 per tonne.All of the LME base metals' cash/three-month spreads, except that for aluminium, are in backwardation.Risk appetite is fairly upbeat despite gen...Read More
The Russian government has removed or reduced existing export duties on ferro-alloys, effective October 15, after responding to domestic industry concerns, trade sources said.Russia implemented its latest export tax changes on Friday October 15, a move which included scrapping the export taxon ferro-alloys such as ferro-titanium and ferro-tungsten.On Monday, Russia's Ministry of Economic Developme...Read More
Vale's operational license at its On??a Puma nickel mine in northern Brazil has again been suspended by the state court of Par??, the Brazilian mining company said on Monday October 18.A judge revoked a previous legal injunction from October 7 that allowed the company to run On??a Puma, according to Vale, thus reinstating a suspension of its operational license issued on October 1.Par?? state...Read More
The Commonwealth of Independent States' (CIS) billet export prices increased following a couple of Black Sea cargoes reportedly sold to Turkey, sources told Fastmarkets on Monday October 18.A 10,000-tonne cargo from Russia was reportedly sold to Turkey at $650 per tonne fob late last week, several sources told Fastmarkets.Another billet cargo of around 20,000 tonnes was sold from Ukraine to Iskend...Read More
Manganese ore prices at Chinese ports rose markedly in the week to Friday October 15 amid an improved demand outlook and easing production headwinds in some major alloy-producing regions.The price differential between low-grade and high-grade manganese ore grew to 8.50 yuan ($1.32) per dry metric tonne unit (dmtu) on Friday, the widest since Fastmarkets started assessing the markets in January 201...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange mostly rose during morning trading on Monday October 18, due to continued fears of supply tightness.Copper has hit a high of $10,452 per tonne already this morning. The three-month copper price was last at $10,292.50 per tonne, up slightly from $10,281 per tonne at Friday's close. Available stocks on the LME hit their lowest since 1974 per tonne on F...Read More
The Commonwealth of Independent States' (CIS) billet export prices increased following a couple of Black Sea cargoes reportedly sold to Turkey, sources told Fastmarkets on Monday October 18.A 10,000-tonne cargo from Russia was reportedly sold to Turkey at $650 per tonne fob late last week, several sources told Fastmarkets.Another billet cargo of around 20,000 tonnes was sold from Ukraine to Iskend...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil declined in the European Union in the week to Friday October 15, reflecting bearish sentiment in the market and poor demand from the automotive segment.Buyers and sellers have held back from making deals, with only limited volumes traded in Europe during the week.Steel prices have been under downward pressure from weak automotive demand, high distributor stocks...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday October 18 that are worth another look.Toyota will invest approximately $3.4 billion in automotive batteries in the United States through 2030, the Japanese automaker said on October 18.Argentinian aluminium producer Aluar will...Read More