Base metals traded on the Shanghai Futures Exchange enjoyed more broad-based price gains during the morning trading session on Tuesday March 3, with risk sentiment buoyed by expectations of further stimulus measures to offset the negative economic impact of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCOV) outbreak.The continued positivity in global markets comes ahead of scheduled talks between Group of Seven (G...Read More
A buildup of manganese ore at Chinese ports is set to escalate in the coming weeks when a jump in fresh imports adds to a spillover of material into minor ports, manganese market sources predict. Manganese ore stocks in main Chinese ports stand at 4.64-4.85 million tonnes according to Fastmarkets' latest assessment on Monday March 2, compared with 4.52-4.64 million tonnes at the end of 2019....Read More
Broader markets are mixed this morning, Wednesday March 4, with markets in Asia generally weaker, while the London Metal Exchange base metals and western equities are recovering after having taken fright from the United States Federal Reserve’s rate cut on Tuesday. The US central bank’s emergency 50-basis-point rate cut led the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) to close down by 2.94% o...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 61 points in pre-opening trade.The Canadian Dollar is up 0.18 to U.S.74.88 cents prior to an announcement at 10:00 AM EST by the Bank of Canada on interest rate policy. Consensus is that the Bank of Canada will reduce its overnight lending rate to major Canadian Banks by at least 0.25% to 1.50%.Hewlett Packard Enterpri...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday March 2 that are worth another look.The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) has issued 1,615 force majeure certificates to businesses in China affected by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCOV) outbreak.The price of European aluminium ingot 226 continued to climb on Friday February 28 due to strong domesti...Read More
Publication of Fastmarkets' assessment of blister copper refining charges (RCs) for February was delayed by a reporter error.The copper blister 98-99% RC, spot, cif China, is normally published on the last trading day of the month.The price should therefore have been published on Friday February 28. It was instead published on Monday March 2. The price was $135-145 per tonne in the latest assessme...Read More
Spot trading interest in copper intermediate products has surged among Chinese smelters who are eager to make up for copper output lost during the coronavirus (2019-nCoV)-led logistics lockdown in February. Logistics operations are resuming across Chinese provinces and copper production has picked up, leading to several thousand tonnes of blister copper reported as being sold into the country. Fas...Read More
Spot trading interest in copper intermediate products has surged among Chinese smelters who are eager to make up for copper output lost during the coronavirus (2019-nCoV)-led logistics lockdown in February. Logistics operations are resuming across Chinese provinces and copper production has picked up, leading to several thousand tonnes of blister copper reported as being sold into the country. Fas...Read More
Cesco Santiago, one of the biggest annual events for the copper industry, has been canceled, organisers confirmed to Fastmarkets. "Both the World Copper Conference organized by CRU and Cesco Dinner will not take place this year," the organization said in a press release dated Monday March 2 after confirming by phone. The organization had been under pressure to at least delay the event because many...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday March 2 that are worth another look.The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) has issued 1,615 force majeure certificates to businesses in China affected by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCOV) outbreak.The price of European aluminium ingot 226 continued to climb on Friday February 28 due to strong domesti...Read More
The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) has issued 1,615 force majeure certificates to businesses in China affected by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCOV) outbreak.Local exporters that applied for the force majeure "legal shield" cover over 30 different sectors, according to a CCPIT announcement on its website on February 26. The legal provision is traditionally used...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday March 2 that are worth another look.The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) has issued 1,615 force majeure certificates to businesses in China affected by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCOV) outbreak.The price of European aluminium ingot 226 continued to climb on Friday February 28 due to strong domesti...Read More
The Turkish steel producers have extended their absence from the deep-sea scrap markets in expectation of lower prices, but suppliers were holding firm, sources said on Monday March 2.After buying several cargoes in the first three weeks of February, the mills stepped back from purchase activity at the beginning of last week.The most recent deep-sea transactions had put the price of HMS 1&2 (80:20...Read More
The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) has issued 1,615 force majeure certificates to businesses in China affected by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCOV) outbreak.Local exporters that applied for the force majeure "legal shield" cover over 30 different sectors, according to a CCPIT announcement on its website on February 26. The legal provision is traditionally used...Read More
China's official manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) slumped to 35.7 in February from 50 previously, but despite this the base metals are up across the board this morning, Monday March 2, and Asian equity indices are for the most part firmer too. The buoyancy seems to stem from expectations that central banks will continue to pump liquidity into their economies to cushion the economic bl...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday March 2 that are worth another look.The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) has issued 1,615 force majeure certificates to businesses in China affected by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCOV) outbreak.The price of European aluminium ingot 226 continued to climb on Friday February 28 due to strong domesti...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in Europe were fairly stable day on day on Monday March 2, buoyed by a continued lack of competitive import offers, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, ex-works Northern Europe, was ?,?484.55 ($534.22) per tonne on Monday March 2, down by ?,?0.35 per tonne day on day from ?,?484.90 per tonne on February 28.The index...Read More
The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) has issued 1,615 force majeure certificates to businesses in China affected by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCOV) outbreak.Local exporters that applied for the force majeure "legal shield" cover over 30 different sectors, according to a CCPIT announcement on its website on February 26. The legal provision is traditionally used...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 February 2020.The case list below includes only updates. For other continuing cases this year, see the...Read More
The D? 1/4 sseldorf wire and tube fair has been postponed due to the spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), the fair organizer, Messe D? 1/4 sseldorf, said on Saturday February 29.The international trade fair for wire, cable, tube and pipe industries was due to take place on March 30 to April 3. "We are following the recommendation of the crisis management team of the German government to ta...Read More