Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Friday September 17 that are worth another look.A dire shortage of truck drivers and rail cars and unforeseen levels of demand while businesses reopen from Covid-19 pandemic-related shutdowns are among the factors contributing to the current logistics woes in the United States that have sparked...Read More
Nucor Corp plans to spend roughly $2.7 billion to build a 3-million-ton "lower-carbon" sheet mill to serve customers in the Midwest and Northeast markets, particularly in the automotive sector, the steelmaker announced on Monday September 20.The Charlotte, North Carolina-based company is evaluating locations in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The 84in greenfield mill will produce hot-rolled...Read More
Brazilian apparent steel consumption rose by 22.7% in August amid soaring imports of flat and long products, according to figures released by the country's steel institute, A??o Brasil.Apparent steel use reached 2.34 million tonnes last month, up from 1.91 million tonnes in August 2020, the institute said on Friday September 17.Flat steel consumption rose by 25.4% to 1.34 million tonnes, while lon...Read More
European buyers of hot-rolled coil were holding back from making new deals on Monday September 20 on expectations of a price decline, sources have told Fastmarkets.Negative sentiment has been generated by reduced demand for flat steel from the automotive sector. European car manufacturers were unlikely to consume coil at the rate previously expected because of the global shortage of semiconductor...Read More
Weakening sentiment in the European hot-rolled coil market has been driven by reduced demand from the automotive sector and high volumes of imports awaiting customs clearance, sources said during the week to Friday September 17.European automotive manufacturers are unlikely to consume coil products at the rate previously expected due to the knock-on effects of the global shortage of semiconductor...Read More
Egypt consumed 720,000 tonnes of rebar in August 2021, 61.43% more than the 407,000 tonnes consumed in August 2020, Ramy Saleh, chief business development officer at El Marakby Steel, said.The country's rebar consumption in July 2021 was 407,000 tonnes, Saleh added.The reason for the increased...Read More
Turkish steel mills started the week in silence, with deals from the previous week just coming to light, market participants told Fastmarkets on Monday September 20.A shipment of United States-origin scrap was heard booked last Wednesday by a mill in the Iskenderun region, comprising unspecified volumes of HMS 1&2 (90:10) at $442...Read More
Turkish domestic scrap prices were stable amid moderate demand and low stock levels during the week to Monday September 20, sources told Fastmarkets.Scrap import prices in Turkey increased last week, with several deals heard.Fastmarkets' index for steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), North Europe origin, cfr Turkey was calculated at...Read More
Iron ore prices moved down on Monday September 20, with Fastmarkets' index for iron ore 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao falling below $100 per tonne for the first time in 14 months.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $92.98 per tonne, down $8.97 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $94.07 per tonne, down $9.88 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $64.73 pe...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices in the fob market on Monday September 20 were up amid firm buying interest and limited supply in the physical spot market, market sources said.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $565.77 per tonne, unchangedHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $491.97 per tonne, unchangedPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $386.11 per tonne, up by $6.77 per tonneHard c...Read More
Prices for seaborne iron ore concentrate and pellets fell in the week ended Friday September 17 amid an overall weakness in demand for steelmaking raw materials.Fastmarkets iron ore indicesPellet premium over 65% Fe fines, cfr China: $33.70 per tonne, up $0.40 per tonne66% Fe concentrate, cfr Qingdao: $135.54 per tonne, down $15.71 per tonne65% Fe blast furnace pellet, cfr Qingdao: $173.03 per ton...Read More
All base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were lower on the morning of Monday September 20, with a number of uncertain macroeconomic factors weighing on the market. The three-month copper price, for example, touched $9,052 per tonne on Monday during early trading - its lowest since June 21. This is a 2.8% decrease from its closing price of $9,312 per tonne last Friday. The red metal fell...Read More
The Cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lbtrade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets assessed Cobalt alloy grade, in-whs...Read More
The Cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets assessed Cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb...Read More
Spain-based ferro-alloys producer Ferroglobe is idling one of its silicon metal furnaces at its Sabon plant in Galicia because of high electricity prices, according to local trade union Confederaci??n Intersindical Galega (CIG).Ferroglobe has three furnaces at its Sabon plant, each with a nameplate annualized capacity of about 14,000 tonnes. Typical output is around 10,000 tonnes per year of a mix...Read More
Chinese cobalt producer GEM Jiangsu has begun a 20-day production pause at its plant in Taizhou city, Jiangsu province in response to the "dual control" energy-consumption policy in the region, a company source told Fastmarkets on Friday September 17.Local authorities have instructed all manufacturers in Taizhou city and Xinghua city to halt production from September 17 to October 8to curb energy...Read More
Ferro-vanadium prices have been under pressure since August 18, Fastmarkets has heard, with traders taking profit and cutting their offers to encourage sales, which has led some producers to step out of the market.Now, in mid-September, some market participants expect prices to stabilize with more demand from steel mills in Europe, while others remained pessimistic due to current market headwinds...Read More
Base metals prices have generally been under pressure in recent days while broad-based risk-off has weighed on the market, but the metals were looking more mixed on the morning of Tuesday September 21, suggesting consolidation after Monday’s average loss of 1.6% across the London Metal Exchange base metals.The risk-off sentiment seems to be tied in with concerns about whether Chinese property...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 28 points in pre-opening trade. Index futures were virtually unchanged following release of the August Housing Starts report at 8:30 AM EDT. Consensus was an increase to 1.555 million units from 1.534 million units in July. Actual was an increase to 1.62 million unitsThe Canadian Dollar added 0.35 to US78.35 cents foll...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 79 points in pre-opening trade.Canadian National Railway was unchanged at U.S. $118.31 despite a target increase by Cowen from US $110 to $US119.Thermo-Fisher dropped $6.80 to $590.00 despite target increases by JP Morgan, Stifel Nicolaus and KeyBancNike dropped $2.50 to $153.92 after Deutsche Bank lowered its target...Read More