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
European buyers held back from hot-rolled coil purchases due to expectations of a decline in domestic prices and massive import volumes being released in the European Union after Friday October 1, sources told Fastmarkets on September 29. Low import offers that have emerged in Europe have also contributed to negative sentiment in the market. The latest offers of HRC have been heard at ?,?800-900 (...Read More
Spain-based ferro-alloys producer Ferroglobe has temporarily shut another furnace in the country due to expensive energy prices, according to reports and trade sources on Tuesday September 28.The company, which recently shut a silicon furnace at its Sab??n plant in Spain, has also idled a silico-manganese furnace at its Boo plant in Santander, on the northern coast of the country. Officials a...Read More
An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price moves.Janie Davies, Jon Stibbs...Read More
ArcelorMittal has secured a ?,?280 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) for research and innovation to support its decarbonization objectives, the steelmaker said.The loan will enable the company to expand its research and development (R&D) activities significantly in the field of decarbonization as well as related capital expenditure, it said on September 27.Investment spendi...Read More
Base metals prices were mixed on the morning of Wednesday September 29 while they consolidated against a backdrop of numerous headwinds. Uncertainty has picked up regarding how high US treasury yields and the dollar will go and what will the fallout be if China's Evergrande starts defaulting on foreign-owned debt. China's power rationing set to hit metal production and manufacturing, and in turn s...Read More
Rebar prices in Shanghai increased on Wednesday September 29 on restocking ahead of the National Day holidays, but demand is expected to drop in areas in north, east and central China on plans to start dust inspections at construction sites from October 1 to March 31, 2022.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,830-5,870 yuan ($902-908) per tonne, up by 40 yuan per tonneThe Ministry of Ecology and En...Read More
An overview of the consumer electronics markets and their latest price moves in the week to Wednesday September 29.Janie Davies in London;...Read More
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
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
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
Base metals prices edged down in morning trading on Wednesday September 29, with weakness in across the complex supported by the rising US Dollar Index, which pushed up to its highest level since November 2020."Copper and most of the other metals [prices fell] on Wednesday, with Asian equities suffering from a global stock sell off," Marex LME desk analyst Anna Stablum said."Wall Street [had its]...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday September 29.Key driversThe European ferro-titanium and titanium scrap markets were stable in the seven days to September 29, steady for a fourth consecutive week.Suppliers said there are buying inquiries but there have been no deals reported, and offer prices are on hold until renewed demand emerges from consumers in the...Read More
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
Export prices for Chinese heavy steel plate softened in the week to Tuesday September 28 amid an inactive market ahead of China's National Day break over October 1-7. Offer prices will probably increase after the holiday due to electricity consumption limits being imposed in various parts of the country, a source said.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for November/December shipments of steel he...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices declined on Wednesday September 29 amid thin trading; premium hard coking coal prices in both the cfr and fob markets are relatively high, which depressed buying interest in the spot market, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $592.89 tonne, down $4.17 per tonneHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $534.86 per tonne, down $3.79...Read More
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
ArcelorMittal Belgium will build a 2.5 million-tonne-per-year direct reduced iron (DRI) plant and two electric furnaces (EAFs) at its Ghent site that will drive down its carbon emissions, it said.The steelmaker has signed a letter of intent with the governments of Belgium and Flanders, supporting the ?,?1.1 billion ($1.16 billion) project, it said on Tuesday September 28.This will reduce CO2 emiss...Read More
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
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