China's rebar prices continued to experience sharp falls on Wednesday November 21 in both the domestic and export markets.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,970-4,010 yuan ($572-577) per tonne, down 170-180 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,800-3,840 yuan per tonne, down 130-140 yuan per tonneThe price of billet plunged by 130 yuan per tonne late on Tuesday followed by another decline of...Read More
The European ferro-molybdenum market has dropped this week because of slow demand from consumers in the steel sector and from traders, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday November 21.Moreover, more price losses can be expected in the near term if consumer demand does not pick up, they added, while suppliers typically try to clear out most of their inventories ahead of the new calendar year.Fastm...Read More
Prices for hollow steel sections in Northern Europe remained unchanged this week, even as feedstock prices continued to fall, Fastmarkets heard on Wednesday November 21. Fastmarkets' domestic price assessment for commodity-size, grade-S235 square hollow sections made in Northern Europe was ?,?640-660 ($731-753) per tonne delivered on November 21, unchanged week on week.Although feedstock prices co...Read More
The European ferro-molybdenum market has dropped this week because of slow demand from consumers in the steel sector and from traders, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday November 21.Moreover, more price losses can be expected in the near term if consumer demand does not pick up, they added, while suppliers typically try to clear out most of their inventories ahead of the new calendar year.Fastm...Read More
Base metals price changes on the London Metal Exchange were mixed at the close of trading on Wednesday November 21, with positive moves in copper, lead and zinc futures contrary to the continued slide in nickel, while the complex remained broadly impervious to continued strength in the US dollar index.Lead futures improved amid a nine-year low in total LME inventory, rising by 2.2% over the day's...Read More
An overview of the minor metals markets and the reasons for any price moves.Read More
The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Thursday November 22.Base metals price changes on the London Metal Exchange were mixed at the close of trading on...Read More
The latest metal markets news and price moves to start the North American day on Wednesday November 21.The latest metal markets news and price moves to start the North American day on Wednesday November 21.Base metals on the London Metal Exchange were all higher during morning trading, with risk-averse investors capitalizing on lower prices earlier in the week amid a slight downturn in the US doll...Read More
Good morning from Fastmarkets MB's offices in Asia as we bring you the latest news and pricing stories on Wednesday November 21.Base metal prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were broadly lower during Asian morning trading on Wednesday amid a rise in risk-off sentiment stemming from weakness in global equity markets and a collapse in oil prices.Check Fastmarket MB's live futures report here. M...Read More
Base metals price changes on the London Metal Exchange were mixed at the close of trading on Wednesday November 21, with positive moves in copper, lead and zinc futures contrary to the continued slide in nickel, while the complex remained broadly impervious to continued strength in the US dollar index.Lead futures improved amid a nine-year low in total LME inventory, rising by 2.2% over the day's...Read More
The London Metal Exchange is planning to launch a lithium contract in the second half of 2019 to meet growing demand from the electric vehicle industry, Fastmarkets learned during Asia Copper Week in Shanghai. The contract, announced as part of the exchange's Strategic Pathway in September 2017, will be settled against an index price, with Fastmarkets MB's lithium spot price index one of those bei...Read More
Base metals on the London Metal Exchange were all higher during morning trading on Wednesday November 21, with risk-averse investors capitalizing on lower prices earlier in the week amid a slight downturn in the US dollar and continued uncertainty over US-China trade relations.Climbing just under 1% over the morning, copper's three-month price pushed back above $6,200 per tonne while volumes remai...Read More
European prices for mesh-quality wire rod were flat across the Northern and Southern parts of the continent on Wednesday November 21, while concerns over the import quotas imposed by the European Commission (EC) continued to grow.Fastmarkets' weekly domestic price assessments for mesh-quality wire rod in both Southern and Northern Europe stayed at ?,?540-560 ($616-639) per tonne delivered on Wedne...Read More
The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Thursday November 22.Base metals price changes on the London Metal Exchange were mixed at the close of trading on...Read More
Zinc premiums narrowed in Southeast Asia but were stable elsewhere in the week ended Tuesday November 20 after zinc forward price spreads became the most widely backwardated since at least 2004. Lead premiums dropped in Taiwan, with lower offers moving levels down. Zinc cash/three-month price spread backwardation soars to $98 per tonne Taiwan lead premium falls pressed by increase in I...Read More
China continues to rely heavily on imported bauxite, with imports set to reach a five-year high of 70 million tonnes this year, Pi Jianqing, deputy manager of the non-ferrous department of Hanzhou Jinjiang Group, said last week. "China is expecting to import 70 million tonnes of bauxite in 2018. This [is the highest] since 2013, when the market stockpiled large quantities of bauxite on tightness c...Read More
Trafigura's rescue package for Nyrstar comes at a price, with the trader taking greater ownership of one of the world's largest zinc smelter's prized assets in return for helping it bridge a nine-day liquidity crunch. Nyrstar announced on Wednesday November 21 that its biggest shareholder, Trafigura, had granted it a committed working capital facility of $650 million, effective November 30. The Be...Read More
Comex copper prices bounced back during the midweek trading session with a softer dollar and technical support boosting the red metal.The copper price for December settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange gained 1.20 cents to $2.7785 per lb.Prices could be volatile today with market participants sidelined due to the upcoming...Read More
Daily PDFs will be downloadable until Thursday November 22. After that, because of a public holiday, the next daily PDF will be downloadable on Tuesday November 27, 2018. Read More
China's Belt and Road Initiative is expected to generate around 6.5 million tonnes of copper demand across more than 60 Asian and European countries over 2018-2027, according to new research from MarchWin Consulting as commissioned by the International Copper Association (ICA). The Belt and Road Initiative was first unveiled by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013 and aims to strengthen infrastruc...Read More