The sharp decline in emerging market currencies combined with a collapse in oil prices are providing a twin saving grace for many metals and mining companies during the Covid-19 pandemic. For producers of energy-intensive metals like aluminium, and in particular the low-cost ones, the benefit is even greater. It's an emerging trend that is starting to be reflected in the earnings of corporates in...Read More
Aurubis' attempts to get regulatory approval for its takeover of secondary copper-tin smelter Metallo continue, Europe's largest copper smelter said, with the decision delayed in the midst of Covid-19 uncertainty.The Germany-based company has been attempting to gain antitrust regulatory approval for a ?,?380 million ($424 million) takeover of Belgian-Spanish recycler Metallo Chimique since May las...Read More
One day after dropping below $22 per hundredweight ($440 per short ton), hot-rolled coil prices in the United States have rebounded above $23 per cwt ($460 per ton) while domestic mills are reportedly staying firm on their latest price increase efforts.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $23.67 per cwt ($473.40 per ton) on Friday May 1, up by 8.1...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in Europe were largely stable day on day on Friday Monday 1, but sentiment in the market remains negative, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, ex-works Northern Europe, was ?,?425.63 ($463.83) per tonne on Friday May 1, down by ?,?0.08 per tonne from ?,?425.71 per tonne on April 30.Friday's index was calculated base...Read More
Demand for CIS-origin billet mainly came from the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) region this week, sources told Fastmarkets Friday May 1.By the end of the week, Fastmarkets had heard of three deals to the region, with the latest being a 50,000-tonne billet cargo sold to a customer in Saudi Arabia at around $360 per tonne cfr (or $335 per tonne fob Black Sea, excluding freight costs...Read More
Russia's largest steelmaker, Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) forecasts that the share of its sales that goes to exports will increase to 72% in May, compared with 54% in March and 52% in February, according to a financial report released by the company on Thursday April 30.In April, the share of export sales from NLMK's Russia Flat Steel Division and Long Steel Division reached 61%. These divisions inclu...Read More
Evraz's steel product output at its CIS-based assets surged by 9.3% year on year to 3.12 million tonnes in January-March 2020.The assets - West Siberian Iron & Steel Works (ZSMK) Nizhniy Tagil Iron & Steel Works (NTMK) and Evraz Caspian Steel - specialize in production of semi-finished steel products as well as railway and construction products.Of the total, NTMK produced 1,03 million tonnes...Read More
With competition in the global steel markets remaining fierce, Fastmarkets provides an update on the new, progressing and closed trade cases from around the world in April 2020.The case list below includes only updates. For other continuing cases...Read More
Indian authorities have withdrawn the operating license from at least one shipping line after allegations that charges were being wrongfully applied to cargoes stranded at ports across the country, Fastmarkets has learnt.On April 21, India's ministry of shipping (MoS) ordered the cancellation of fees including penalty charges, demurrages and detention charges at all major ports and container freig...Read More
The price of containerized ferrous scrap imports into India slumped further this week due to the continued lack of trading under the lockdown conditions in the country, as well as a drop in the global scrap markets, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday May 1.Fastmarkets calculated the steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Nhava Sheva, India, at $259.38 per tonne on Friday, down from $269.13 per...Read More
The pig iron market in the United States strengthened in the week to Friday May 1, with several buyers restocking material, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for pig iron, import, cfr Gulf of Mexico, US, was $295-300 per tonne on Friday, up by $5 from $290-295 per tonne last week.One purchase of Ukraine-origin pig iron was done...Read More
The Turkish deep-sea scrap import market ended the week with a lower-priced deal coming to light on Friday May 1, in line with market expectations for the direction of prices, sources told Fastmarkets.News of the cargo came to light late on Thursday, with a steel mill in the Iskenderun region buying a European cargo comprising 17,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $236 per tonne cfr, and 7...Read More
The inter-merchant spot price for light iron scrap in the UK has edged up over the past week, climbing by ?5 ($6) per tonne amid increased competition among some major shredders for feed, while a slowdown in export markets has limited stronger advances, sources said on Friday May 1.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel scrap 5C, loose old light, domestic, delivered inter-merchant, UK, wa...Read More
The market for pig iron exports from the Commonwealth of Independent States improved during the week to Thursday April 30 on new sales to traditional outlets. Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for high-manganese pig iron, export, fob main port Black Sea, CIS, was $280-289 per tonne on April 30, up by $5-9 from $275-280 per tonne last week.A sale of Ukraine-origin pig iron was done to the United...Read More
Weak steel demand globally continued to put pressure on the direct-reduced (DR) iron pellet market, with suppliers and buyers still unable to agree a premium for the second quarter. Fastmarkets' assessment of the iron ore DR-grade pellet premium, Middle East reference, was $30 per tonne on Thursday April 30, unchanged month on month."We have not reached any agreement with suppliers, so t...Read More
Outright cobalt hydroxide prices came under pressure in April with limited demand from end-users in Asia outweighing the impact of delays and supply uncertainty stemming from South Africa's lockdown. Fastmarkets' cobalt hydroxide index, min 30% Co, cif China, was calculated at $9.98 per lb on Thursday April 30, down by 9.27% from $11 per lb at the end of March. The monthly index is a tonnage-weigh...Read More
Sherritt International has seen only modest impacts to its production as a result of Covid-19, but withdrew its production guidance for 2020 due to a number of market and economic uncertainties caused by the pandemic.Prior guidance for 2020 nickel production was 32,000-34,000 tonnes, while cobalt guidance was for 3,300-3,600 tonnes this year. The company has a 50% stake in the Moa joint venture, w...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Asia, Europe and the United States for the week ended Friday May 1.China The rise in UG2 chrome ore prices slowed down after China's major stainless steel mills all raised their ferro-chrome tender prices by a lower-than-expected amount. The imported charge chrome price ticked upward by $0.01 per tonne on improving sentiment and with availability of material f...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday April 30 that are worth another look.Indian steel mills are unlikely to cut domestic hot rolled coil prices for sales in May, private mill sources in the country told Fastmarkets this week.ABN AMRO Bank has filed a claim against China's largest private copper smelter Dongying Fangyuan, according to a court document seen by Fastmar...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices have fared relatively well over the past couple of months in the face of the threat from the Covid-19 pandemic.In grade-304 material, the most common grade of stainless steel, prices were down by about 5-7% since the turn of the year - not bad, when compared with the falls in prices of other assets so f...Read More