Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday January 9 that are worth another look.Asian steel markets are in for another tumultuous year judging by the rate at which new developments are expected to spring up in 2019.In the United States, the chairs of seven committees in the House of Representatives requested that the US Treasury Department delay the terminat...Read More
Steel producers in Egypt will benefit from higher steel demand and low rates of imports in 2019, George Matta, chief marketing officer of Ezz Steel, said at Fastmarkets' North Africa Steel Summit in Dubai in December.Egypt is the largest steel-consuming country in the North Africa region and, in the long term, the share of its steel consumption that is supplied by imported steel products may start...Read More
Prices for hollow steel sections in Europe remained flat on Wednesday January 9 while market participants digested the news about a revised import quota regime for the region.Fastmarkets' domestic price assessment for commodity-size, grade-S235 square hollow sections made in Northern Europe remained at ?,?635-650 ($727-744) per tonne delivered on Wednesday.Less than 5,000 tonnes remains to be allo...Read More
Turkish steel mills were absent from the deep-sea market on Wednesday January 9, with no bookings recorded and no change in prices, sources told Fastmarkets. On January 8, three steel producers booked four deep-sea cargoes from the United States and Europe at steady prices and then started to watch the finished steel markets.A long steel producer in Izmir was said to be selling 50,000 tonnes...Read More
Physical iron ore markets weakened on Wednesday January 9 following downward corrections in futures and steel prices.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $73.90 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $0.56 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $74.04 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $0.56 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $75.68 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $0.52 per tonne. MB 58% Fe Premium Index: $...Read More
China's ferrous futures largely rose during morning trading on Wednesday January 9, with only the iron ore contract dipping slightly.Futures closing prices - morning session Shanghai Futures Exchange May rebar: 3,541 yuan ($516.50) per tonne, up 30 yuan per tonneMay hot-rolled coil: 3,442 yuan per tonne, up 24 yuan per tonneDalian Commodity Exchange May iron ore: 514.50 yuan per tonne, down 0.50 y...Read More
Asian steel markets are in for another tumultuous year judging by the rate at which new developments are expected to spring up in 2019.China remains the center of interest, and rightly so, because its economic and governmental policies have cascading effects on the international steel market.While its progressive economic policies have served it well in sustaining its domestic steel sector in the...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices dropped slightly on Wednesday January 9 on softening winter demand.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,720-3,760 yuan ($543-548) per tonne, down 10-20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,640-3,680 yuan per tonne, widened down 10 yuan per tonneRebar traders cut prices slightly amid continued weakness in demand even though both billet and futures prices tick...Read More
The European molybdenum markets fell in trading this week to a six-month low, with suppliers cutting their offer prices in the face of stubborn resistance among consumers against paying more.Both the alloy and oxide markets in the second week of January were at prices last seen in July 2018.Moreover, there has been an abundance of spot ferro-molybdenum available since the past quarter, as well as...Read More
Key data from the Wednesday January 9 pricing session in Europe.Key driversThe market has been quiet during the first week of the calendar year, with only a small drop in ferro-titanium prices, while the price of scrap was stable. Liquidity is expected to increase throughout January.Around 110 tonnes was reported traded between $4.30 per kg and...Read More
Asian steel markets are in for another tumultuous year judging by the rate at which new developments are expected to spring up in 2019.China remains the center of interest, and rightly so, because its economic and governmental policies have cascading effects on the international steel market.While its progressive economic policies have served it well in sustaining its domestic steel sector in the...Read More
Turkish pipe export prices have continued to fall with weak demand and lower costs for pipemaking raw materials, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday January 9.Steel pipe mills reduced their offers for EN10219-standard, grade-S235 tube, with 2mm wall thickness, to $570-580 per tonne fob from the $590-600 per tonne heard last month.Fastmarkets' monthly export price assessment for tube of this grad...Read More
Prices for hollow steel sections in Europe remained flat on Wednesday January 9 while market participants digested the news about a revised import quota regime for the region.Fastmarkets' domestic price assessment for commodity-size, grade-S235 square hollow sections made in Northern Europe remained at ?,?635-650 ($727-744) per tonne delivered on Wednesday.Less than 5,000 tonnes remains to be allo...Read More
Domestic prices for steel beams in Europe remained unchanged again on Wednesday January 9, with the market slow to return to trading after the New Year break, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets MB's weekly price assessment for domestic S235-grade, 200x200mm, category-2 H-beam in Northern Europe was unchanged at ?,?620-645 ($710-739) per tonne on January 9.In December, mills had been pu...Read More
The price for rebar produced and delivered in Northern Europe stayed flat on Wednesday January 9, although the European Commission's recent proposal for 2019 steel import tariffs has removed some of the uncertainty in the market. Fastmarkets MB's weekly price assessment for domestic rebar in Northern Europe remained at $540-560 ($618-641) per tonne delivered on Wednesday, with no new deals reporte...Read More
Asian steel markets are in for another tumultuous year judging by the rate at which new developments are expected to spring up in 2019.China remains the center of interest, and rightly so, because its economic and governmental policies have cascading effects on the international steel market.While its progressive economic policies have served it well in sustaining its domestic steel sector in the...Read More
European long steel buyers were quiet throughout December on uncertainties arising from the United States' various trade wars, but a European Commission quota proposal in January has offered some hope of more certainty to sellers. The EC proposal for new import quotas for steel products in Europe has finally offered some clarity on what form those quotas will take in 2019, but the US governme...Read More
Fastmarkets MB launched an assessment of chrome ore inventories at the main Chinese ports of Tianjin, Qinzhou, Lianyungang and Shanghai on Monday January 7. After a one-month consultation period following the initial proposal, Fastmarkets MB has decided to launch this assessment to reflect the chrome ore inventory changes at major ports in China. The first assessment was published on January 7. Fa...Read More
The opening of the import window in China's zinc market kept premiums stable in the country while the rest of Asia was experiencing a wide backwardation. Meanwhile, lead premiums in India went up amid a reduction in supply from Iran. Chinese zinc import window remains open. Italian zinc premiums and Indian lead premiums move up. US market quiet after holidays.Chinese zinc import window opens to lo...Read More
Increased numbers of spot market inquiries exposed the greater availability of cobalt in Europe in the first half of the week that began on Monday January 7, with metal prices continuing to fall as a result.Standard-grade cobalt prices dropped to $24.75-26.25 per lb, in-warehouse, on January 9, from $25.75-27.25 per lb at the end of last week.Alloy-grade prices remained slightly lower on January 9...Read More