Vietnamese buyers of imported ferrous scrap have dismissed higher offers this week due to the lower Kanto Tetsugen auction prices, while Taiwanese buyers are slowly increasing their bids in light of higher prices in key market Turkey. Market participants said they expect more spot trading activity next week when a clearer price outlook emerges. Vietnam Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Shanghai on Thursday April 9. Key drivers Extended lockdowns globally to tackle the spread of the Covid-19 virus has further stifled demand for aluminium including China's exported aluminium products. The front-month aluminium contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange hovers near four-year lows of 11,310 yuan ($ 1,601.30) per tonne, be...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil prices rose on Thursday April 9 despite moderate trading activity, with sentiment improving on gains in the futures market.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,270-3,280 yuan ($463-464) per tonne, up 50 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,200 yuan per tonne, narrowing upward by 10 yuan per tonneA Shanghai-based trader said trading activity on Thursday was just moderat...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices increased on Thursday April 9 amid reports of a drop in inventory levels at mills and the spot market. Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,400-3,430 yuan ($481-486) per tonne, up by 30 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,350-3,380 yuan per tonne, up 10-20 yuan per tonneSteel stocks continued to drop over the past week due to good demand. Data showing this decline releas...Read More
The London Metal Exchange three-month tin price was boosted during morning trading on Thursday April 9, with a fresh outflow of 115 tonnes, while LME zinc's fresh cancellation of 8,525 tonnes offset an inflow of around 8,950 tonnes.LME tin's outright price was recently at $14,750 per tonne, an uptick over 2% from Wednesday's closing price of $14,397 per tonne, while just over 100 lots of material...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange were mixed this morning, Thursday April 9, as were Asian-Pacific equity indices. Markets seem to be consolidating after a show of strength earlier in the week, which was fueled by reports that business activity was ramping up and some of the Covid-19 hotspots in Europe were showing some early signs of peaking. While the...Read More
Stainless steel prices in China declined over the past week amid poor demand from both downstream industries within the country and overseas buyers. Market participants said that stainless steelmakers were limited in their ability to slash prices any further because of the recent stability in the price of nickel. The three-month nickel contract on the London Metal Exchange has remained rangebound...Read More
Brazilian mining company Vale has decided to extend the care and maintenance period at its Voisey's Bay nickel mine, in northeast Canada, for up to three months to prevent the spread the Covid-19 coronavirus, the company said on Wednesday April 8.The Long Harbour Processing Plant in Newfoundland, Canada, however, will maintain activity using stockpiled nickel and cobalt concentrates, the miner sai...Read More
Airbus, Europe's largest manufacturer, will cut aircraft production of its core three aircraft models by roughly a third, the company said in a release on Wednesday April 8. The aircraft manufacturer will sharply reduce production from the bestselling A320 single-aisle jet to 40 per month from 60 per month previously, assembled in Toulouse and Hamburg. It will also cut production of the A350 jet t...Read More
The spread of the Covid-19 virus is forcing shutdowns and a reassessment of consumers' cobalt requirements. Prices of cobalt - metal, intermediates and salts - have so far taken a hit amid concerns of a general, global economic slowdown caused by the virus; a slower uptake in electric vehicle usage; and disrupted demand from the aerospace sector. But lockdowns aimed at limiting the spread of the v...Read More
The price of stainless steel in the European domestic market was largely unchanged this week with low nickel prices and a mill restart in Italy preventing further significant increases, Fastmarkets heard on Thursday April 9.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for stainless steel cold-rolled sheet, 2mm, grade 304, transaction domestic, delivered North Europe, was ?,?2,090-2,105 ($2,271-2,287) per...Read More
Prices in Southeast Asia's steel billet market held steady on Thursday April 9 amid a stalling of imports into China. Fastmarkets' daily price assessment for steel billet, import, cfr Southeast Asia, which mainly looks at 120-150mm 5sp grade billet sold into Manila, was $365-375 per tonne on Thursday, unchanged from a day earlier.The range is down $5 per tonne on the low end compared with $370-375...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday April 9 that are worth another look.South American flat steel import prices were mostly stable week on week as market liquidity dipped in the continent amid lockdowns and weakened demand due to the Covid-19 pandemic.The aerospace industry has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, with companies in the sector forced to take drast...Read More
Aluminium billet premiums across the globe declined on Thursday April 9, with the Covid-19 pandemic continuing to dampen downstream aluminium demand and prices across the supply chain.Fresh record lows in Germany, ItalyBrazil premium at 44-month lowAuto shutdowns pressure US marketNo spot business in Thailand Huge drops in EuropeLiquidity was minimal throughout Europe this week as the coronavirus...Read More
Fastmarkets' price assessment for the aluminium extrusion billet premium, cif Brazil was published later than scheduled on Thursday April 9 due to a technical error.Fastmarkets' price book and database have since been updated for the aluminium 6063 & 6060 extrusion billet premium,...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday April 9 that are worth another look.South American flat steel import prices were mostly stable week on week as market liquidity dipped in the continent amid lockdowns and weakened demand due to the Covid-19 pandemic.The aerospace industry has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, with companies in the sector forced to take drast...Read More
Fastmarkets' copper concentrates treatment charge and refining charge (TC/RC) index dropped below the annual benchmark level in a week characterized by force majeures and mines being put on care and maintenance. The index, which tracks spot market activity for Asia Pacific, stood at $60.10 per tonne/ 6.01 cents per lb on Friday April 9, down by 8.5% from $65.70 per tonne/ 6.57 cents per lb a week...Read More
Brazilian mining company Vale has decided to extend the care and maintenance period at its Voisey's Bay nickel mine, in northeast Canada, for up to three months to prevent the spread the Covid-19 coronavirus, the company said on Wednesday April 8.The Long Harbour Processing Plant in Newfoundland, Canada, however, will maintain activity using stockpiled nickel and cobalt concentrates, the miner sai...Read More
The Peruvian government has extended the national state of emergency by two weeks to April 26 in an attempt to contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus in the country. President Mart?-n Vizcarra announced the extension to the lockdown on Wednesday April 8. It was first declared on March 15. In Peru, 4,342 people had tested positive for Covid-19 by the time of publication, and 121 people have died...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday April 9 that are worth another look.South American flat steel import prices were mostly stable week on week as market liquidity dipped in the continent amid lockdowns and weakened demand due to the Covid-19 pandemic.The aerospace industry has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, with companies in the sector forced to take drast...Read More