Zinc producers in China's southwestern province of Yunnan should be able to fully resume their operations by mid-June, sources said.Yunnan will remove its power restrictions by the end of June that have stunted local zinc output, the provincial energy bureau said.A few zinc smelters in Yunnan have already resumed production, however, sources that spoke to Fastmarkets said.Production capa...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Recent weeks have brought two key developments with regard to trade policy on stainless steel products that will be to the detriment of consumers.In China, the country's stainless steelmakers no longer enjoy a 13% export rebate as of May 1, reducing greatly their incentive to export and instead leading them to focus on supply...Read More
London Metal Exchange ring dealing members have a decision to make - whether to remain one or not.The LME has just announced it will reopen the open outcry trading floor, which was temporarily closed due to Covid-19, on September 6.Its plan, however, comes with a twist; some ring dealers say, a knife.The official prices - which the global trade and industry use as the global reference for physical...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.With nickel prices down by almost 20% over the space of around ten days during late February and early March, one might have been expecting us to be reporting sharply-lower prices of stainless steel, at least for the most common nickel-containing grades of stainless steel.This is not the case, at least in Europe and the Unite...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key ferro-alloy forecast highlights:?EUR? Impressive advances in ore and alloy prices persisted in March, with most markets posting significant price gains. Strengthening demand from steelmakers along with supply shortages and depleted inventories in numerous markets, as well as freight and transportation...Read More
Activities at the S??o Francisco do Sul port, in Brazil's southern Santa Catarina state, resumed after a truckers' road blockade prevented normal operations during this past week, a spokesperson for the port's operator told Fastmarkets on Friday September 10.According to a report from the country's infrastructure ministry, blockades ended entirely on Friday. Demonstrations that broke out across Br...Read More
Swedish steelmaker SSAB will deliver fossil-free steel to Finnish provider of cargo and load handling solutions Cargotec for cargo handling equipment manufacturing, SSAB said on September 8.SSAB and Cargotec will work together on the introduction of fossil-free steel to the cargo handling industry. The companies will start coordinated development toward the use...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.United States sheet prices hit record highs again in May, with upward momentum carrying into June. Actual US HRC prices averaged $1,712 per tonne in May, largely in line with our forecast of $1,698 per tonne. Strong underlying supply-and-demand conditions both in the US and globally are supporting prices as well as long lead...Read More
Germany's federal government plans to fund ?,?55 million ($65 million) for the construction of the first industrial-scale hydrogen direct-reduced iron (DRI) plant at ArcelorMittal Hamburg steelworks, the company said on September 8.The German government will provide half of the total required investment of ?,?110 million. The funding plan now must be approved by the European Commission (EC) before...Read More
If any member was going to leave the London Metal Exchange ring trading floor, the exchange was probably hoping it wouldn't be Triland Metals Ltd.The company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi, is one of the exchange's longest serving Category 1 members, having joined in 1972 after being founded in the prior year. Having a unit of Japan's largest trading company as a ri...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.As we approach the end of the first half of 2021, steel markets in Europe and the United States continue to heat up. This six-month period is largely unprecedented, with both steel prices and steelmakers' margins hitting a number of new record highs throughout.The rally is likely nearing its end, however, with global steel ou...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.In the iron ore market, supply issues including heavy rains at the start of the year, followed by staffing problems during the Covid-19 pandemic, have affected exports from Brazil. This has helped Australia gain a larger market share, but since June, Brazilian export volumes have returned to levels last seen before the...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Global welded pipe prices surged in May as strong demand and still-insufficient supply lifted flat steel prices.The biggest jumps were seen in China, which was hit by the unexpected announcement of the elimination of export rebates on welded pipes in April. Chinese seaborne prices reached $1,570 per tonne fob for longitudina...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices and margins for stainless steel producers have risen notably over the past few months in both Europe and the United States, but there are now signs that the rally is petering out.A clear reason for the halt to rising prices comes from the near 20% drop in nickel prices seen in late February/early March,...Read More
Base prices for cold-rolled stainless steel in Europe increased in the week ended Friday September 10 due to the ongoing supply shortage, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for stainless steel cold-rolled sheet, 2mm, grade 304, base price domestic, delivered Northern Europe rose to ?,?1,800-1,850 ($2,128-2,187) per tonne on September 10, up by ?,?50 per tonne week on wee...Read More
Wait times to deliver aluminium out of London Metal Exchange warehouses in Johor and Port Klang, Malaysia fell during August to a 47-day delivery wait time for copper, zinc and lead in Johor by the end of the month, according to the LME's latest report. The 47-day queue at Johor's Istim warehouses is down from 78 days for aluminium deliveries out of the warehouse in July.For zinc, copper and lead...Read More
Premium hard coking coal prices jumped on Friday September 10, with offers rising to $335 per tonne fob Australia, and market sources blaming tight supply for the increase.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $480.65 per tonne, up by $4.17 per tonneHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $444.04 per tonne, up by $1.76 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $333.12 per tonne, up...Read More
Domestic steel wire rod prices in Poland declined slightly in the seven days to Friday September 10, affected by cheaper imports and a downtrend in raw materials prices, source told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (drawing quality), domestic, delivered Poland, was 4,050-4,100 zloty ($1,056-1,069) per tonne on September 10, down from 4,100-4,180 zloty per tonne s...Read More
Prices for shredded steel scrap imports into Pakistan inched upward in the week to Friday September 10, supported by healthy demand, sources told Fastmarkets.Prices in India showed small week-on-week rises but have fluctuated in narrow ranges through the week, with trading activity limited.PakistanFastmarkets calculated its weekly steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Port Qasim, Pakistan, at...Read More
Premium hard coking coal prices jumped on Friday September 10, with offers rising to $335 per tonne fob Australia, and market sources blaming tight supply for the increase.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $480.65 per tonne, up by $4.17 per tonneHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $444.04 per tonne, up by $1.76 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $333.12 per tonne, up...Read More