Madagascan nickel and cobalt producer Ambatovy has signed a three-year deal with London-based Stratton Metals for the marketing of its cobalt briquettes production, a spokesperson for Stratton told Fastmarkets on Wednesday August 18.The agreement is for the sale of Ambatovy cobalt briquettes in Europe and the United States and is set to start on January 1, 2022, the source confirmed."Volumes will...Read More
Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States consolidated around the $96-per-hundredweight ($1,920-per-short-ton) level on Wednesday August 18, with opinion split among market sources whether the price will soon peak.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $95.98 per hundredweight ($1,919.60 per short ton) on August 18, rising by 0.11% from $95.87 per cwt on Tu...Read More
The steel rebar market in Southern Europe remained quiet, with prices flat, in the week to Wednesday August 18, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, delivered Southern Europe was unchanged at ?,?760-805 ($893-945) per tonne on August 18.Trading in Italy and Spain was seasonally low, with buyers and mills holding back from the ma...Read More
An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price moves.Dalila Ouerghi and...Read More
Prices of hot-rolled coil in China's domestic market dropped to their lowest in about two weeks on Wednesday August 18 after market sentiment was subdued by dismal economic data released earlier in the week.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,690-5,710 yuan ($878-881) per tonne, down by 70-90 yuan per tonneThe HRC contract for January delivery has become the most-traded HRC contract on the Shangha...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices decreased on Wednesday August 18 amid sharp losses in the futures market and subdued restocking demand. DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,140-5,170 yuan ($793-798) per tonne, down by 50 yuan per tonneRebar futures plunged during the day on market participants' pessimistic outlook for demand in the next few months. Housing investments in the first seven...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday August 18 that are worth another look.The chief executive officer of steel group Techint, Paolo Rocca, was acquitted of all charges in the "notebooks case," an investigation in Argentina into alleged payments made by the company to government officials in 2008.Read More
A six-week price rally in the UG2 chrome ore market since late June was reversed in the week to Tuesday August 17, mainly due to falling demand for material from both the seaborne and portside markets.Fastmarkets' calculation of the chrome ore, South Africa UG2 concentrates index, basis 42%, cif China, nudged down by $2 per tonne to $182 per tonne on August 17, from $184 per tonne one week earlier...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday August 18 that are worth another look.The chief executive officer of steel group Techint, Paolo Rocca, was acquitted of all charges in the "notebooks case," an investigation in Argentina into alleged payments made by the company to government officials in 2008.Read More
The Cobalt sulfate 20.5% Co basis, exw China, yuan/tonne 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...Read More
Eight of the nine Category 1 members of the London Metal Exchange have indicated their support for continuing to trade official lunchtime prices in the open-outcry ring.Does this mean that one company does not support ring trading? And could one of the exchange's members be preparing to leave the trading floor?The exchange revealed on Monday August 9 that it had majority support for the ring, in a...Read More
Low-carbon wire rod prices in the United States rose by $30 per short ton in August to a record high set in 2008, while imports slipped from a record high. Fastmarkets' monthly assessment for steel wire rod (low carbon) industrial quality, fob mill US was $56-59 per hundredweight ($1,120-1,180 per short ton) on Tuesday August 17, up by 2.68% from $55-57 per cwt on July 20, and up by 6.48% fro...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices rose sharply in the cfr China market on Wednesday August 18 due to stable procurement demand and supply tightness. The fob Australia market also inched up on the same day with more buying interest for premium low-volatility hard coking coal, market sources said.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $225.48 per tonne, up by $3.06 per tonneHard cokin...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...Read More
The Cobalt hydroxide payable indicator, min 30% Co, cif China, % payable of Fastmarkets' standard-grade cobalt price (low-end) 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 hydroxide p...Read More
July imports of steel scrap to South Korea increased both on a month-on-month and year-on-year basis following another strong month in June, according to data from the Korea International Trade Association.Steel scrap imports were 462,729 tonnes in July, up 11.9% month on month from June's 413,567 tonnes and up by 49% year on year from 310,620 tonnes in July 2020.But a comparatively sluggish start...Read More
European steel H-beam prices remain unchanged on Wednesday August 18 while the market considers its post-summer strategy, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel beams, domestic, delivered Northern Europe was ?,?1,050-1,080 ($1,233-1,268) per tonne on Wednesday, unchanged week on week.Following the seasonal summer slowdown in July and August, the reopening of t...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday August 18 that are worth another look.The chief executive officer of steel group Techint, Paolo Rocca, was acquitted of all charges in the "notebooks case," an investigation in Argentina into alleged payments made by the company to government officials in 2008.Read More
Swedish steelmaker SSAB has produced and delivered the world's first fossil-free steel, it said on Wednesday August 18.At a ceremony at SSAB Oxel??sund, the company announced that it has produced what it says is steel made with iron produced using HYBRIT technology, meaning the iron is reduced by 100% hydrogen instead of coal and coke.The technology was developed through a partnership between SSAB...Read More
An overview of the chrome ore and alloy markets in Asia, Europe and the United States on Wednesday August 18, and their latest price movesChina The UG2 chrome ore market lost its upward traction due to falling demand after previous purchasing activity against weakened portside prices and rising inventories at ports. The imported charge chrome market softened amid an absence of liquidity; buyers sh...Read More