The steel scrap sector in the United States still depends on exports to Turkey, a member of the Fastmarkets research team said during the ferrous session at the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) conference in London.This dependence persists despite the changes in the international markets created by the US' imposition of its Section 232 tariffs on imports of steel products, metals analyst Le...Read More
Seaborne pig iron has become relatively competitive versus ferrous scrap over the past year in most regions, and China is no exception. As the first chart below illustrates, the gap between the MBR's proxy for imported pig iron price in China and the Metal Bulletin's Chinese domestic heavy melt scrap price assessment had shrunk by late 2017. The premium averaged $17 per tonne this year to date, co...Read More
The closure of some induction furnaces in China in 2016 followed by the government's crackdown on all unlicensed IFs in mid-2017 freed up some scrap volumes, albeit arguably of low-quality material. Chinese domestic scrap prices came under pressure from the increased supply, which prevented them from keeping pace with the rise in steel and other raw material markets in the fourth quarter of 2016;...Read More
Comex copper prices sank once again on Thursday morning in the United States, with persistent bearish overtones and short-covering hampering the red metal.The copper price for March settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange dipped 0.60 cents to $2.6485 per lb. "Although we acknowledge that market participants prefer to adopt a cautious stance toward copper for now,...Read More
Strategic & Precious Metals Processing (SPMP) expects the initial production of pure antimony metal to take place in the next week at its antimony-gold project in Oman, SPMP parent company Tri-Star Resources said on Thursday January 24. Tri-Star has a 40% equity interest in SPMP, which is constructing the antimony and gold processing facility in Sohar, Oman. The project was initially expected to c...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday January 24 that are worth another look.An ad hoc coalition of more than 45 groups from various industries in the United States has called on President Donald Trump's administration to end the Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from Canada and Mexico.Chinese steelmakers' narrowing margins and improvemen...Read More
The uncertainty caused by the current geopolitical climate may only be temporary, but it could affect activity in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in metals and mining into 2019, according to a report by consultancy firm PwC.Geopolitical instability and trade tensions may have played a role in depressing the number of deals in 2018 compared with the previous two years, and the sector faces uncertain...Read More
Australian miner New Century Resources is delivering 14,000 tonnes of zinc concentrates on spot-market terms to Europe, the tailing reprocessing project operator said on Monday January 21.The parcel is now en route to Europe, after being sold to an existing offtake partner, according to a company statement.New Century Resources' project is the first of its kind to generate significant output from...Read More
A summary of MMG's production results for the year ended December 31, 2018. IN BRIEF: Ramp-up of Dugald River mine drove significantly-increased zinc and lead concentrate production. Las Bambas wall instability impeded mine access and...Read More
Kazakhstan-based Kaz Minerals plans to increase its copper production by developing the Baimskaya copper project in Siberia, having taken control of the asset in January 2019.The company announced its acquisition of Baimskaya at a cost of $900 million in August 2018, and finalized the acquisition this year.Kaz forecasts that, once production at the mine begins, it will average 250,000 tonnes per y...Read More
M2 Cobalt Corp and Jervois Mining Ltd are to merge in a deal that will complement the latter's ambitions in East Africa as part of its focus on the growing battery metals market. Upon completion of the deal, which has been approved by both boards, existing Jervois shareholders will own 77.9% of the new company while 22.1% will be owned by current M2 Cobalt shareholders. In late 2017, the company c...Read More
Turkish steel billet prices have increased slightly over the past week on an uptick in imported scrap values and reduced availability of billet in the CIS region, sources said on Thursday January 24.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for billet imports into Turkey was $410-420 per tonne cfr on Thursday, up from the $405-415 per tonne of last week.Suppliers in the Commonwealth of Independent Stat...Read More
Turkish domestic and export rebar prices have inched up this week, with mills in the country trying to increase their offers following higher scrap costs.Yet, demand was not supportive and no significant bookings have been heard over the past week, sources said on Thursday January 24.Turkish steel producers have raised their export offers to $445-460 per tonne fob on an actual weight basis but the...Read More
The domestic rebar price in Turkey has moved up slightly, in line with the increasing value of imported deep-sea scrap, while demand was very weak due to a seasonal slowdown in the country, sources said on Thursday January 24.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic rebar in Turkey was TRY2,820-2,850 ($531-537) per tonne ex-works on January 24, up from TRY2,800-2,830 per tonne last week."...Read More
Steel billet import prices in Egypt increased this week on higher offers despite weak demand, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday January 23.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel billet imported into Egypt was $425-440 per tonne cfr on Thursday, widening upward from $425-430 per tonne cfr last week.Billet producers from Ukraine were offering material to Egypt at...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-dipped galvanized (HDG) coil in Europe are expected to start to increase in the second half of February, sources have told Fastmarkets.In the meantime, domestic HDG prices in the region have been largely stable over the past week with demand remaining low, market participants said on Thursday January 24."The market is very quiet and buyers are waiting for the definitive dec...Read More
Consumption of ferrous scrap in the United Kingdom will continue to increase over the coming years amid an expansion in the UK operations of international metals group Liberty House, Fastmarkets MB's research team believes. UK scrap demand in 2018 is on course to rise for the first time in four years after Liberty restarted a second electric arc furnace (EAF) at its site in Rotherham, northern Eng...Read More
The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for iron ore, pig iron, direct-reduced iron and other steelmaking raw materials. Latest transaction: iron oreIron oreVale, Beijing Iron Ore Trading Center (Corex),...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices picked up on Thursday January 24 amid rises in futures and swaps markets.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $74.71 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $0.23 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $75.55 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $0.23 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $76.40 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $0.56 per tonne. MB 58% Fe Premium Index: $66.02 per tonne cfr Qingd...Read More
Import prices for steel billet in Southeast Asia staged a slight recovery this week amid limited offers and Turkey's strengthening scrap market, although participants reckon that the billet gains might be short-lived because they were not supported by demand.Fastmarkets' daily import price assessment for billet in Southeast Asia was $450-455 per tonne cfr Manila on Thursday January 24, narrowing u...Read More