Alumina prices climbed on Monday August 23 to their highest since February 1 last year, after trading sideways for most of this month.Fastmarkets' alumina index, fob Australia, was assessed at $305.00 per tonne on Monday, up from $301.32 per tonne on August 20.A deal was reported at $305 per tonne on an fob Western Australia basis earlier on Monday. But market participants were focused on the poss...Read More
A summary of China's battery raw materials imports for July 2021, according to the latest Chinese customs data released on Friday August 20.In brief Imports of cobalt rose month on month despite unappealing import profits in June and July. A trader source told Fastmarkets that some cobalt arriving in a Chinese bonded warehouse in July was immediately exported again, meaning the actual amount circu...Read More
Nickel and lead posted price increases of almost 2% in morning trading on the London Metal Exchange on Monday August 23, ahead of the Federal Reserve's Jackson Hole summit which starts on Thursday.Three-month nickel traded at $18,805 per tonne at 9am, up from Friday's $18,463-per-tonne closing price. The metal lost 5.4% of its value last week, with the spread of the Delta variant of Covid-19 denti...Read More
While nickel briquette started to become a viable alternative as a precursor of nickel sulfate for Chinese battery raw materials producers in early 2021, their enthusiasm for the product appears to have waned in recent weeks, resulting in a less active spot market.Previously, a sharp decrease in nickel briquette inventory levels at London Metal Exchange warehouses had Chinese market participants w...Read More
Nickel ore prices in China rose to new highs in the week to Friday August 20 amid increasing freight rates while the country's nickel pig iron (NPI) market held steady.Fastmarkets' latest assessment for laterite ore with 1.5% Ni content, cif China was $85-88 per tonne last Friday, up by $1-3 per tonne (2.4%) from $84-85 per tonne a week earlier.Fastmarkets' assessment for laterite ore with 1.8% Ni...Read More
Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States stood firmly above $96.50 per hundredweight ($1,930 per short ton) for a third consecutive business day, while sources remained split as to whether hot band prices are beginning to plateau.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $96.57 per cwt ($1,931.40 per ton) on Monday August 23, falling by 0.27% from $96.83 per...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in Northern Europe and Italy were broadly unchanged during the week to Friday August 20 amid low trading activity during the summer holiday slowdown.Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe at ?,?1,142.50 ($1,336.45) per tonne on Friday, down by ?,?0.63 per tonne day on day from ?,?1,143.13 per tonne. The index...Read More
Domestic hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices in China extended their gains on Monday August 23, buoyed by constrained production but subdued by rising inventories and persistent concerns over demand.DomesticSteel hot-rolled coil domestic, ex-whs Eastern China (Shanghai) was 5,660-5,700 yuan ($870-876) per tonne, up by 30-40 yuan per tonne from Friday August 20.The most-traded HRC contract on the Sha...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices moved up on Monday August 23 on strengthening demand in many parts of the country, though heavy rain continued to keep demand in a few provinces subdued. DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,130-5,170 yuan ($788-794) per tonne, up by 50-60 yuan per tonneConstruction activity has increased in large parts of China, such as the eastern and northern region, on clear weathe...Read More
Spot prices for steel rebar imports into Singapore dipped in the week to Monday August 23 amid pressure on traders to offload cargoes after iron ore prices collapsed last week.Traders were offering Indian rebar at $735-740 per tonne cfr Singapore on a theoretical weight basis, down by $5 per tonne from the previous week."The Hong Kong import market has also been receiving offers at these levels,"...Read More
The rising cost of coking coal has led to a sharp drop in demand for iron ore lump, sources told Fastmarkets on Monday August 23.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $136.71 per tonne, down $3.73 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $137.22 per tonne, down $3.93 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $106.64 per tonne, down $2.16 per tonne65% Fe Brazil...Read More
China's domestic coking coal market rose sharply in the week to August 23 due to the supply shortage from Mongolia, which also weighed on market sentiment in seaborne coking coal prices in the cfr China market. The fob Australia market inched up amid steady buying interest for October-laycan cargoes, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $381.73 per to...Read More
China imported 88,218 tonnes of ferrous scrap in July, a 16% increase from June, according to the latest Chinese customs data.Of the total, 66,096 tonnes - or 74.92% - originated in Japan.South Korea remained China's second-largest scrap supplier in July, accounting for 14,464 tonnes (16.4%) of imports.Taiwan (3,590 tonnes; 4.07%) and Hong Kong (1,214 tonnes; 1.38%) were other significant sources...Read More
Prices for seaborne iron ore pellets and concentrate plunged further in the week ended Friday August 20 amid weak demand and a downtrend in the futures market.Fastmarkets iron ore indicesIron ore pellet premium over 65% Fe fines, cfr China: $34.50 per tonne, down $6.70 per tonne. 65% Fe blast furnace pellet, cfr Qingdao: $207.74 per tonne, down $20.62 per tonne.66% Fe concentrate, cfr Qingdao: $16...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session on Monday August 23.Key drivers The spot cobalt international metal price for both alloy and standard grades widened downward on lower offers from sellers in a quiet market, with limited buyers seeking spot units and...Read More
Tianyuan Manganese Industry Group (TMI), said to be the world's largest producer of manganese flake, has not halted production, it told Fastmarkets, dispelling a recent rumor that has helped to drive manganese prices to new heights worldwide.Distorted reports of an explosion some time in the week ended Friday August 13 near TMI's operations in Zhongwei, in China's Ningxia province, were heard amid...Read More
The Cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lbtrade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets assessed Cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb...Read More
The Cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets assessed Cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam,...Read More
A summary of China's minor metals exports and imports for July 2021.In brief China's exports of antimony continued to increase in July. The United States remained the biggest buyer of Chinese antimony, importing 379,801 tonnes of the material during the month. The remainder of China's exports went mainly to Japan, the Netherlands, Belgium, Pakistan and South Korea. China...Read More
A summary of China's battery raw materials exports for July 2021, according to the latest Chinese customs data released last Friday August 20.In brief?EUR?Lithium hydroxide exports fell month on month due to a shortage in China amid lithium feedstock supply constraints coupled with strong demand from the...Read More