The US Dollar Index was at its highest since July 27 and was weighing on London Metal Exchange base-metal prices in the afternoon of Friday August 6, with all metals ending the week below where they were on Monday.The US index touched a week-and-a-half high of 92.84 on Friday afternoon, following the release of positive employment data in the country.There were 943,000 jobs added to the US economy...Read More
Fastmarkets has identified a necessary clarification to the nickel sulfate specification with regard to delivery time.The delivery time for Fastmarkets' nickel sulfate ex-works China price assessment is seven days, which was not reflected in the specifications when the price was launched in July 2018.Fastmarkets confirms that the specifications read as follows, with the clarification in italics:MB...Read More
The tight Chinese domestic tin market may loosen after China's Yunnan Tin, the world's largest tin producer, resumed production in early August after its annual maintenance, sources said.Although a tin shortage remains in China, sources expect tightness to alleviate in the near future.Sources estimate that Yunnan Tin's maintenance reduced tin output by approximately 1,500-2,000 tonnes, althou...Read More
An overview of the new energy materials markets and their price moves in the week to Friday August 6.Susan Zou, Yingchi Yang and...Read More
Steel scrap prices in the key global markets moved down over the week to Friday August 6 with demand for material remaining tepid.Turkish mills make fresh bookings at lower pricesUS export prices consistent in recent bookingsVietnam scrap prices down on weak demandChinese import prices fall alongside domestic pricingTaiwanese scrap prices continue downtrend on poor demandIndian scrap offers withdr...Read More
An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price moves.Janie Davies, Dalila...Read More
Spot differentials for low-carbon aluminium in Europe were stable during July, but some deals and offers for 2022 supply were reported well above current spot levels.Fastmarkets assessed the aluminium low-carbon differential value-added product (VAP), Europe at $10-15 per tonne Friday August 6, unchanged from the previous assessment on July 2.Offers for 2022 VAPs were reported between $20 and abov...Read More
The light iron scrap market in the United Kingdom dropped by ?5 ($7) per tonne over the week ending Friday August 6, with weaker European export markets into Turkey and the Indian subcontinent dragging down British dockside prices, which had a knock-on effect on the domestic market, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel scrap 5C, loose old light, domestic, delive...Read More
Turkey's domestic transaction prices for hot-dipped galvanized and pre-painted galvanized coil prices were mostly stable in the week ended Friday August 6 due to limited trading, sources told Fastmarkets.Domestic buyers have mainly been holding back from acquiring substantial material volumes, waiting for the trend to settle.Fastmarkets' assessment for steel HDG coil domestic, exw T...Read More
Chinese copper smelter Guangxi Nanguo has brought forward its maintenance schedule because the local government has stepped up its measures to restrict power consumption by industrial facilities, Fastmarkets has learnt.The private smelter, which has capacity for 300,000 tonnes per year, will be shut for 45 days across August-September and therefore will not be procuring extra copper raw material o...Read More
Battery-grade lithium prices in China's domestic market continued to edge upward in the week ended Thursday August 5, while other global markets were steady with participants focused closely on the aftereffects of Pilbara Minerals' inaugural spodumene concentrate auction that attracted higher-than-expected bids.Battery-grade lithium prices in China rise further with producers broadly sold out afte...Read More
An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price moves.Janie Davies, Dalila...Read More
Spot buying appetite from Chinese copper smelters remained low in the week to Friday August 6, with standard tonnages being traded in the mid to high $50s per tonne range.Deals for blended cargoes of lower-grade copper concentrate were reported in the low $60s per tonne. Regional power restrictions in China have led to copper smelters bringing forward their maintenance plans which created reduced...Read More
Cold-rolled and galvanized steel sheet prices in the United States set fresh records this past week, and all indications point to further gains in the coming weeks.Some mills were offering sporadic spot material at levels much higher that those recorded previously, and while some buyers have been pushing back those in dire need of material were paying the premium price.Fastmarkets' weekly price as...Read More
Spot prices for imported containerized ferrous scrap in Taiwan continued on a downward trend in the week to Friday August 6 amid the current buyers' market caused by poor demand, market sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' daily price assessment for containerized steel scrap, heavy melting scrap (HMS) 1&2 (80:20), United States material import, cfr main port Taiwan was $430-432 per tonne on...Read More
Major steelmakers in China and Japan lowered their domestic scrap buy prices on Friday August 6 amid reduced intake volumes, sources told Fastmarkets.Large Chinese steelmakers drop domestic scrap purchase pricesJapan's Tokyo Steel reduces buy prices for most grades at most factoriesSouth Korea closes deals at lower prices for Japanese scrap.ChinaTwo major mills in Jiangsu province lowered their do...Read More
An overview of the aerospace materials markets and the latest price moves.Jessica Long, Ruby Liu and Carrie...Read More
A summary of operational results for Ukrainian steelmaker Metinvest for the second quarter of 2021In brief?EUR? Merchant slab production decreased by 19% quarter on quarter to 395,000 tonnes due to the redistribution of slab to flat-rolled product.?EUR? Flat product output increased by 9%...Read More
German industrial group Thyssenkrupp has agreed the sale of its Infrastructure business to compatriot company FMC Beteiligungs KG, an entrepreneur-led investment firm, Thyssenkrupp said on Thursday August 5.The deal was expected to be closed later this year but will be subject to approval from merger control authorities as well as Thyssenkrupp's own supervisory board. The financial details of the...Read More
Chinese copper smelter Guangxi Nanguo has brought forward its maintenance schedule because the local government has stepped up its measures to restrict power consumption by industrial facilities, Fastmarkets has learnt.The private smelter, which has capacity for 300,000 tonnes per year, will be shut for 45 days across August-September and therefore will not be procuring extra copper raw material o...Read More