Further reductions in Chinese steel mill operations due to ongoing power shortages are likely to hamper demand for imported semi-finished steel and steel scrap in the country, sources told Fastmarkets this week.Draconian restrictions on power supplies in China have led to a raft of electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmakers and re-rollers in key provinces such as Jiangsu, Yunnan and Zhejiang to either...Read More
Stainless steel prices continue to register new highs around the end of the first half of 2021 and steelmakers continue to enjoy outsized margins.They have responded in recent months by increasing their output, which has now pushed above pre-pandemic levels and will eventually restore balance to the market.For now, though, supply gaps are still being filled and buyers find themselves competing aga...Read More
Import prices for containerized ferrous scrap in Taiwan were supported by limited supply due to vessel congestion and high demand amid restocking activity from buyers, sources said on Tuesday September 28.Taiwan import containerized scrap prices rise on restocking needsVessel congestion remains high off Los Angeles/Long Beach portsJapanese sellers offer heavy scrap at higher prices to ChinaTaiwanS...Read More
Seaborne cfr prices improved on Tuesday September 28 due to tight seaborne coking coal supply in the cfr spot market and active trading in China's ports, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $597.06 per tonne, up $2.50 per tonneHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $538.65 per tonne, up $8.83 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $405.14 per tonne, d...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices fell on Tuesday September 28; market participants have almost finished pre-holiday restocking and more provinces in China have places further limits on electricity consumption and steelmaking production, sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $112.06 per tonne, down $7.25 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $113.45 per tonne, down $...Read More
Further reductions in Chinese steel mill operations due to ongoing power shortages are likely to hamper demand for imported semi-finished steel and steel scrap in the country, sources told Fastmarkets this week.Draconian restrictions on power supplies in China have led to a raft of electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmakers and re-rollers in key provinces such as Jiangsu, Yunnan and Zhejiang to either...Read More
The three-month nickel contract on the London Metal Exchange had the biggest fall on the morning of Tuesday September 28, while most other base metals moved slightly from their closing prices on Monday. Nickel was at $18,550 per tonne at 9am on Tuesday, compared with $18,946 per tonne at 5pm on Monday. Tuesday's morning intraday low of $18,450 per tonne is the lowest since September 21. Compared w...Read More
An overview of the chrome ore and alloy markets in Asia, Europe and the United States on Tuesday September 28 and their latest price moves.China Imported charge chrome prices continued to rise strongly; consumers who needed spot material in the tight market accepted higher offers.Spot ferro-chrome prices surged in the past week amid strict electricity controls in major production hubs, which tight...Read More
Approximately 20 workers remained trapped the morning of Tuesday September 28 in Vale's Totten nickel mine in Sudbury, due to a blocked shaft and damaged passenger lift.An estimated 19 workers who were also trapped in the facility were rescued earlier Tuesday morning, the Brazilian company said. Workers were trapped in the mine after a scoop bucket became detached and blocked the mine shaft. It d...Read More
Copper concentrates shipment from MMG's Las Bambas mine in Peru will be delayed after operations were disrupted by a community blockade, the company said at a regulatory filing on Monday September 27.The Australian-Chinese miner said in a notice to Hong Kong Stock Exchange that its mining supply could not be transported due to community protests in...Read More
Aluminium and tin had risen the most on the London Metal Exchange by the close on Tuesday September 28, while nickel and copper were both under pressure.Aluminium's three-month price closed at $2,945 per tonne on Tuesday, up from its close on Monday of $2,883.50 per tonne, which was the lowest since September 21. The metal stayed above the 20-day moving average of $2,847 per tonne, a key tech...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Iron ore remains the most bullish commodity of the year, with prices fuelled by Chinese demand and supply disruptions in Brazil, along with bullish sentiment. But prices are expected to come down because Brazilian exports have begun to recover, and have reached their highest level since the Brumadinho dam disaster in 2019. W...Read More
(Updates number of rescued workers) Sept 28 (Reuters) - Vale SA said on Tuesday that35 of its employees who were trapped in a Canadian mine hadreturned to the surface and four more were on their way out.On Monday, the Brazilian miner said 39 mine workers had beentrapped underground since Sunday at its Totten mine in Sudbury,Canada. Vale said earlier on Tuesday it expected all employees tosurface b...Read More
Swiss trading firm SiderAlloys has hired Matteo Chareun this month as manager of its commercial division, Chareun told Fastmarkets.Prior to this role, Chareun spent seven years as commercial division manager at Swiss trading house Euromet SA, a position in which he...Read More
Tin's futures contract fell by 3.9% on Monday September 27, and most other London Metal Exchange prices were also lower on the day, with somewhat bearish sentiment still holding in the complex.Tin's three-month price was at $35,100 per tonne on Monday at 5pm in London, decreasing from $36,539 per tonne at the same time on Friday.Amid concerns surrounding the supply of the metal given ongoing...Read More
Fastmarkets proposes changes to the name and specifications of its UG2 chrome ore price index.Fastmarkets proposes to change the specification for its chrome ore South Africa UG2 concentrates index basis 42%, cif China to include MG material and to amend some qualities, including to clarify a base chrome iron ratio and to implement a normalization process to meet this base level. Fastmarkets...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday September 27 that are worth another look.Brazil's Usiminas is halting its No2 blast furnace at Ipatinga for another 90-150 days after an incident on Friday, the flat steel producer said on Monday September 27.For aluminium market participants...Read More
Fastmarkets proposes to amend the publication timing of its ferro-chrome benchmark indicator and its ferro-chrome cif China price.For its ferro-chrome lumpy Cr benchmark indicator, charge basis 52% (and high carbon), Europe and ferro-chrome 50% Cr import, cif main Chinese ports price assessment, Fastmarkets proposes changing the publication time.The proposed specifications would be (proposed...Read More
For aluminium market participants globally, the global energy shortage is one of the many shortages producers of the light metal are facing.Market participants say the energy crunch, caused by a lack of incentive to produce additional supply when energy prices hit lows in 2020, will particularly be felt by producers who have large exposures to the spot energy markets, although many say that most s...Read More
The latest data for the global manganese ore market for the week ended September 27, 2021.Read More