The three-month base metals prices traded on the London Metal Exchange were stronger across the board with gains averaging 0.3% on the morning of Wednesday February 20, compared with Tuesday's closing levels.Copper has generally led the move higher in recent days with prices reaching a high of $6,350.50 per tonne this morning, which has taken it well into the resistance area on the chart that lies...Read More
Trader-miner Glencore expects healthy future demand for cobalt and a bottoming out of prices after a difficult second half of 2018, its senior executives said on Wednesday February 20 during its full-year results announcement. Glencore's adjusted earnings before interest and tax (Ebit) came to $2.5 billion in its marketing business for the full-year 2018, down 17% year on year. The company attribu...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil (HRC) in Southern Europe have increased over the past week, supported by higher import offers, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday February 20.In Northern Europe, domestic prices picked up slightly, but buyers largely resisted the rises. This region's steel sector has traditionally been less exposed to the influence of imports and more focused on its domestic...Read More
Flat steel import prices in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia increased over the past week, but buying activity remained limited.Deals were scarce because market participants were waiting to see if the price increases will be permanent, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday February 12.The buyers wanted to see if the price increases will be permanent, because raw material prices ha...Read More
Export prices for Chinese hot-rolled coil edged up further on Wednesday February 20, with exporters insisting on high offers amid expectations that the domestic market - though it weakened during the day - would pick up due to rising costs upstream.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,720-3,750 yuan ($550-554) per tonne, down 30 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,670-3,700 yuan per tonne, do...Read More
Wire rod prices in the United States have decreased due to slower market activity while import pricing remains firm due to a lack of fresh offers, market sources said.Fastmarkets' assessment for industrial quality low-carbon rod was $38.25-40 per hundredweight ($765-800 per short ton) fob mill on Tuesday February 19, down from $39.25-41.25 per cwt previously. Prior to the latest drop, wire rod pri...Read More
Slight price increases have begun to emerge for domestic hollow steel sections in Europe as a result of increases in the upstream steel coil market. ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steelmaker, announced on Tuesday February 19 that its prices for hot-rolled coil, cold-rolled coil and hot-dipped galvanized coil would increase by ?,?30 per tonne with immediate effect. The producer's higher HRC off...Read More
Steel beam prices in the domestic Northern European market were stable-to-soft this week, with poor demand continuing to outweigh rising raw material costs, Fastmarkets heard on Wednesday February 20.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic S235-grade, 200x200mm, category-2 H-beam in Northern Europe was ?,?600-630 ($679-713) per tonne delivered on February 20, widening downward by ?,?10 p...Read More
Turkish scrap import prices went down as expected on Wednesday February 20, following news of a fresh deal for a deep-sea cargo.A steel mill in the Marmara region booked a UK cargo of 10,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $316 per tonne cfr.The news of this cargo sent the daily scrap indices down sharply on Wednesday.The daily index for Northern Europe-origin HMS 1&2 (80:20) was...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices fell across the board on Wednesday February 20 amid a quiet trading day, while Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) announced its product discount levels for March.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $88 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $1.21 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $87.40 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $1.21 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $89.10 per tonne...Read More
China's steel and iron ore futures fell during morning trading on Wednesday February 20, while the coking coal and coke contracts ended the session a tad higher than their opening prices.Futures closing prices - morning session Shanghai Futures Exchange May rebar: 3,592 yuan ($531) per tonne, down 38 yuan per tonneMay hot-rolled coil: 3,591 yuan per tonne, down 27 yuan per tonneDalian Commodity Ex...Read More
Iranian mills have managed to achieve higher export sales prices in Asia and the Middle East North Africa (Mena) region due to the uptrend in global billet prices and reduced availability of material from the CIS.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for Iranian export billet was $390-410 per tonne fob on Wednesday February 20, compared with $400-410 per tonne fob a week earlier.A la...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices dropped on Wednesday April 20 amid sustained weakness in demand. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,670-3,700 yuan ($542-547) per tonne, down 30-50 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,680-3,700 yuan per tonne, down 70-80 yuan per tonneLow temperatures in northern China and rain in the eastern region dampened post-holiday demand, market sources said.This has le...Read More
The latest ferro-vanadium and vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) transactions, bids, offers and assessments in Europe and China. To view the latest price assessments, follow the links below: Europe - Ferro-vanadium, delivered duty-paid in Europe, $ per kg V - Vanadium pentoxide, in-warehouse Rotterdam, $ per lb V2O5 China - Ferro-vanadium, 78% min, fob China, $ per kg V - Vanadium pentoxide, 98% min, fob C...Read More
Slight price increases have begun to emerge for domestic hollow steel sections in Europe as a result of increases in the upstream steel coil market. ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steelmaker, announced on Tuesday February 19 that its prices for hot-rolled coil, cold-rolled coil and hot-dipped galvanized coil would increase by ?,?30 per tonne with immediate effect. The producer's higher HRC off...Read More
BHP does not see a case for any major new investment for the iron ore sector in its long-term view of the market despite recent supply disruptions in Brazil."[...] we have been concentrating for some time on maximizing the capacity of our existing investment, and we continue to do that and [...] have no plans we would change as a consequence of what is happening and the current high price, because...Read More
Mining companies in Brazil that operate 'upstream' tailings dams will have to completely decommission them by August 15, 2023, according to a new resolution issued by the country's mining agency ANM on Friday February 15.The document, published in the Brazilian official gazette on Monday February 18, showed that 84 dams currently operate through the upstream method, or an 'unidentified' one, and a...Read More
Brazilian miner Vale has pre-emptively evacuated about 200 people living close to another of its iron ore tailings dams after reviewing an independent report, the company said on Sunday February 17.The people were taken from Nova Lima, close to the Mar Azul mine in the south-eastern state of Minas Gerais. Level 2 of the country's emergency action plan for tailings dams was triggered by Vale a...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil (HRC) in Southern Europe have increased over the past week, supported by higher import offers, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday February 20.In Northern Europe, domestic prices picked up slightly, but buyers largely resisted the rises. This region's steel sector has traditionally been less exposed to the influence of imports and more focused on its domestic...Read More
Europe frets over the stability of Indonesian tin supply, China sees less product coming from Myanmar and US buyers are trying to wait out the current high tin prices. Europe mulls how to make up for lost Indonesian supply Chinese premiums flat while import window closed US sees little spot buying, with buyers said to be waiting for rising LME tin prices to subside.European premiums flatIn Europe,...Read More