Base Metal Stock Articles

FOCUS: China's power cut policy threatens the battery materials supply chain

September 30, 2021 / Staff reporter

China's power-cut policy has caused disruption in the battery raw materials supply chain and has brought uncertainty to the price of materials like nickel and cobalt, sources told Fastmarkets.The country started introducing power-consumption limits in some provinces in July 2021 due to power shortages following its carbon-reduction policy, and the curbs have been extended into more provinces and h...Read More

NEWSBREAK: Chinese smelters target copper TC/RC at $70/7 for Q4; eye benchmark negotiations

September 30, 2021 / Staff reporter

Chinese copper smelters are looking to buy concentrates for the fourth quarter of this year, citing better availability of spot materials. China's Copper Smelters Purchase Team (CSPT) set the fourth-quarter base price for treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) at $70 per tonne/ 7 cents per lb on Wednesday September 29, sources told Fastmarkets. The price floor...Read More

China's electricity constraints spark leap in ferro-chrome prices

September 30, 2021 / Staff reporter

China's spot domestic ferro-chrome market jumped in the week ending Tuesday September 28 due to a supply shortage amid production disruptions.Fastmarkets assessed ferro-chrome, spot, 6-8% C, basis 50% Cr, ddp China at 11,100-11,500 yuan per tonne on Tuesday, up 1,100-1,200 yuan from 10,000-10,300 yuan per tonne on September 21. Last week, the assessment was rolled over from the previous week due t...Read More

GLOBAL NICKEL WRAP: US briquette premium hits fresh high on lower supply

September 30, 2021 / Staff reporter

The US nickel briquette price hit a new all-time high; premiums in Asia and Europe remain unchanged. China premiums stable ahead of Chinese National Holidays US briquette hits new all-time high amid extreme shortage European premiums remain flat Shanghai premiums stable ahead of holidays The premiums on nickel cathodes imported into China remained stable in the week to Tuesday September 28,...Read More

FOCUS: Renewed appetite for cobalt briquettes in China amid tight availability of intermediates

September 30, 2021 / Staff reporter

Limited supplies of cobalt hydroxide on the spot market and rising feedstock prices have revived interest in cobalt briquettes among refineries looking to secure near-term supplies of raw materials.In the week to Friday September 24, several tens of tonnes cobalt briquettes were purchased in the spot market by cobalt salts refineries, after barely any had changed hands in previous weeks, trader so...Read More

GLOBAL NICKEL WRAP: US briquette premium hits fresh high on lower supply

September 30, 2021 / Staff reporter

The US nickel briquette price hit a new all-time high; premiums in Asia and Europe remain unchanged. China premiums stable ahead of Chinese National Holidays US briquette hits new all-time high amid extreme shortage European premiums remain flat Shanghai premiums stable ahead of holidays The premiums on nickel cathodes imported into China remained stable in the week to Tuesday September 28,...Read More

EUROPE SECTIONS: Prices weaken ahead of import quota renewal

September 30, 2021 / Staff reporter

The price of steel hollow sections in Europe softened in the week to Wednesday September 29, ahead of the renewal of European Union import quotas, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel sections (medium) domestic, delivered Northern Europe was ?,?1,300-1,330 ($1,519-1,554)per tonne on Wednesday September 29, down from ?,?1,350-1,400 per tonne on Wednesday September 2...Read More

SOUTHERN EUROPE REBAR: Slow trading drags prices down further

September 30, 2021 / Staff reporter

Steel rebar prices in Southern Europe continued to slide during the week to Wednesday September 29 amid slow buying activity, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' assessment of steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, delivered Southern Europe was ?,?725-740 ($841-865) per tonne on Wednesday, down by ?,?5-30 per tonne from ?,?730-770 per tonne last week.ItalyRebar demand in Italy has been weak du...Read More

FOCUS: China's power cut policy threatens the battery materials supply chain

September 30, 2021 / Staff reporter

China's power-cut policy has caused disruption in the battery raw materials supply chain and has brought uncertainty to the price of materials like nickel and cobalt, sources told Fastmarkets.The country started introducing power-consumption limits in some provinces in July 2021 due to power shortages following its carbon-reduction policy, and the curbs have been extended into more provinces and h...Read More

FOCUS: China's power cut policy threatens the battery materials supply chain

September 30, 2021 / Staff reporter

China's power-cut policy has caused disruption in the battery raw materials supply chain and has brought uncertainty to the price of materials like nickel and cobalt, sources told Fastmarkets.The country started introducing power-consumption limits in some provinces in July 2021 due to power shortages following its carbon-reduction policy, and the curbs have been extended into more provinces and h...Read More

ASIA STEEL SCRAP DIGEST: India prices down again on muted demand

September 30, 2021 / Staff reporter

Prices in the Indian import steel scrap market have dropped in recent days amid continued weak demand in the country, while power shortages are constraining Chinese scrap demand, market sources told Fastmarkets.Weak demand in India continues to pressure pricesChina's restrictions on power usage depress buying interests furtherTaiwan secures containerized scrap cargoes at $465 per tonne cfrIndiaPri...Read More

IRON ORE DAILY: Seaborne prices inch up amid restocking

September 30, 2021 / Staff reporter

Seaborne iron ore prices moved up slightly on Wednesday September 29 amid restocking activity by steel mills at Chinese ports, but liquidity thinned ahead of the week-long national holidays, sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $114.13 per tonne, up $2.07 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $115.02 per tonne, up $1.57 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade prem...Read More

LIVE FUTURES REPORT 29/09: Nickel almost below $18,000/t; all LME prices fall with dollar at 10-month high

September 30, 2021 / Staff reporter

Nickel was almost at a four-month low, while all prices on the London Metal Exchange declined on Wednesday September 29, pushed down by the continued uncertainty over demand given high energy prices and a US Dollar Index that was at its highest since November 2020.The US Dollar Index reached 94.28 on Wednesday, a near-one-year high and a 1.9% increase from 92.50 at the start of September. The...Read More

PRICING NOTICE: Correction to Fastmarkets' Iran export slab assessment

September 30, 2021 / Staff reporter

Fastmarkets has corrected the pricing assessment for steel slab, export, fob ports Iran, which was published incorrectly on Wednesday September 29 due to a reporter error.The assessment range for steel slab, export, fob ports Iran was entered incorrectly as $672-782 per tonne, and has been corrected to $672-682 per tonne.Fastmarkets' price database has been updated to reflect the change.For m...Read More

Iranian slab export prices keep sliding amid weaker customer markets

September 30, 2021 / Staff reporter

Export slab prices from Iran continued to decrease in the week to Wednesday September 29 amid weakening customer markets.Southeast Asia and China are currently the main destinations for Iran-origin slab.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index export, fob main port China, was $ 910 per tonne on September 29, unchanged day on day but down by $15 per tonne week on week.In such conditions...Read More

DAILY STEEL SCRAP: Turkish mills step back from deep-sea bookings

September 30, 2021 / Staff reporter

Turkish steel mills stepped away from the deep-sea scrap import market after booking a number of cargoes earlier in the week, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday September 29.Steelmakers booked at least three deep-sea cargoes earlier this week. A steel mill paid $426 per tonne cfr for Europe-origin HMS 1&2 (80:20), while another steel mill paid $434 per tonne for the same material from Venezuela...Read More

US hot-rolled coil index consolidates around $98/cwt

September 30, 2021 / Staff reporter

Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States consolidated around the $98-per-hundredweight ($1,960-per-short-ton) level on Wednesday September 29, though opinions diverged on whether the current pricing level can hold in the coming months.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $97.92 per cwt ($1,958.40 per short ton) on Wednesday, a decrease of 0.11% from $98....Read More

Plusmining, Simon Hunt Strategic Services in collaborative consultancy venture

September 30, 2021 / Staff reporter

Plusmining and Simon Hunt Strategic Services (SHSS) are entering into a collaborative agreement to exchange ideas relating to the metals and mining industry to jointly undertake general and client-specific studies, the consultancy companies said in a joint statement. The new copper-focused advisory service firm, G&H Metals & Mining Consultancy, will combine Plusmining's focus on the mining sector...Read More

SOUTHERN EUROPE REBAR: Slow trading drags prices down further

September 30, 2021 / Staff reporter

Steel rebar prices in Southern Europe continued to slide during the week to Wednesday September 29 amid slow buying activity, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' assessment of steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, delivered Southern Europe was ?,?725-740 ($841-865) per tonne on Wednesday, down by ?,?5-30 per tonne from ?,?730-770 per tonne last week.ItalyRebar demand in Italy has been weak du...Read More

Toyota's Japan sales, production decline by 19.4%, 39.3% in August; company faces supply chain disruptions

September 30, 2021 / Staff reporter

Japan's August production and sales of Toyota's new vehicles, including those of its subsidiaries Daihatsu and Hino Motors, fell on a monthly basis amid the severe shortage of semiconductor chips and raw materials, which have disrupted supply chains this year.Toyota's Japan August production of new vehicles fell by 39.3% and 11.4% on a monthly and yearly basis respectively, to 244,342 vehicles. To...Read More

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