Lead fell to its lowest level since late June during morning trading on the London Metal Exchange on Wednesday September 15, while the rest of the complex bounced back from two days of declines.Three-month lead lost 2% to $2,226.50 per tonne at 9am, from its Tuesday closing price of $2,276.50 per tonne.The contract fell as low as $2,213 per tonne during early trading, its lowest since June 29, ami...Read More
Chinese battery materials producer Xiamen Tungsten New Energy Materials (XTC) has struck a deal with CNGR Advanced Materials Co for the supply of cobalt tetroxide and ternary precursor materials, XTC announced on Wedmesday September 15.Under the agreement, which runs from September 14, 2021, to December 31, 2023, CNGR is expected to supply to XTC with 20,000-25,000 tonnes per year of cobalt tetrox...Read More
China's Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) is temporarily raising the daily price limit and minimum margins for hedge trading and speculative trading for its iron ore futures contracts. The increases take effect from the settlement on Thursday September 16 until Wednesday September 22.The move is meant to manage market risk during the period leading to and after the Mid-Autumn Festival in China, the...Read More
An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price moves.Alex Cook, Janie Davies...Read More
The Cobalt hydroxide payable indicator, min 30% Co, cif China, % payable of Fastmarkets' standard-grade cobalt price (low-end) 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 hydroxide p...Read More
German steelmakers have settled their monthly steel scrap contracts for September at lower prices, following the trend in international markets and due to the increased availability of some scrap grades in the local market, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday September 15.The fall in prices of new scrap grades, including E8 grade, was less pronounced due to the continued short supply of material...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange largely edged up on the morning of Wednesday September 15 after a day of weakness, but those on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were weaker because they followed movements in London on Tuesday and reacted to weaker Chinese economic data.China retail sales rose by just 2.5% in August after a 8.5% rise in JulyChinese industrial production climbed 5.3% in...Read More
Fastmarkets has corrected the pricing rationale for MB-CO-0005 cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $ per lb, which was published incorrectly on Wednesday September 15 due to reporter errors.The range of offers was entered incorrectly for publication in the rationale as $24.30-24.80 per lb, and has been corrected to $24.60-24.80 per lb.One bid at $24.30 was discarded from the assessment due to...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...Read More
Accurate reporting of the environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance of metals and mining companies is becoming critical in securing investment, financing and offtake agreements, according to blockchain technology platform MineHub.Metals and mining companies are under enormous pressure to improve their ESG credentials, and need to produce specific data to show that they are meeting the...Read More
Shanghai copper premiums rose in the week to Tuesday September 14 with the market becoming quieter ahead of a national holiday in China, while in the United States copper cathodes continued to trade at multi-year high prices.Chinese electro-refined (ER) cathode import premiums hit peak of $85-95 per tonne before decliningUS market continues to be strongShanghai premiums rise ahead of holidayChina'...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday September 15 that are worth another look....Read More
The Cobalt sulfate 20.5% Co basis, exw China, yuan/tonne 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...Read More
China's domestic spot market for high-carbon ferro-chrome went up in the week to Tuesday September 14, reflecting tight availability and an expectation of good consumer demand.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for ferro-chrome, spot, 6-8% C, basis 50% Cr, ddp China, rose by 100-200 yuan per tonne to 10,000-10,300 yuan ($1,553-1,599) per tonne on Tuesday, from 9,800-10,200 yuan per tonne previou...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange largely edged up on the morning of Wednesday September 15 after a day of weakness, but those on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were weaker because they followed movements in London on Tuesday and reacted to weaker Chinese economic data.China retail sales rose by just 2.5% in August after a 8.5% rise in JulyChinese industrial production climbed 5.3% in...Read More
Chinese heavy steel plate export prices edged up in the week to Tuesday September 14, despite only limited trading activity, possibly influenced by vessel shortages and higher freight fees, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for November-shipment steel heavy plate, export, fob China main port was $910-920 per tonne on Tuesday, up by $5-10 per tonne from a week earlier.Ying...Read More
Export prices for Japanese ferrous scrap received a boost after key local buyer Tokyo Steel said it would pay more for the steelmaking raw material, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday September 15.fob Japan scrap market participants expect further price increasesChina buyers remain wary amid production cutsJapanese H1&H2 scrap (50:50) loses appeal in TaiwanJapanTokyo Steel, Japan's largest oper...Read More
Domestic prices for heavy plate in Europe declined in the week to Wednesday September 15 due to lower slab costs, sources told Fastmarkets.Sentiment in the market remains negative despite healthy demand."Demand is still good, whereas the sentiment is a bit more negative; everybody expects price reductions and has to state approximately ?,?100 per tonne loss on prices till now," a German distributo...Read More
Negative sentiment is prevailing among European buyers of hot-rolled coil, but mills managed to keep prices fairly stable in Italy and Northern Europe on Wednesday September 15, sources told Fastmarkets.Reduced demand from the automotive sector and cheap import material booked earlier this year that has arrived in the European Union and is awaiting customs clearance have been supporting the bearis...Read More
The domestic steel wire rod market in Northern Europe was quiet in the week to Wednesday September 15, with buyers expecting prices to decline in line with weakening scrap values and lower-cost imports.Producers, however, were in no hurry to drop their offer prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh-quality) domestic, delivered Nort...Read More