An overview of the consumer electronics markets and their latest price moves.Janie Davies, Cristina Belda...Read More
Latin American steel group Ternium expects prices to remain steady in North America, despite the increase in capacity coming into the market.New projects coming onstream are expected to add around 5-6 million tonnes of flat steel capacity in the region, according to the company's estimates. But such an increase is not expected to bring prices down. "I don't see this as a driver of huge oversupply,...Read More
Brazil-based steelmaker Gerdau is investing in new flat-rolled and long steel rolling capacity at its Ouro Branco integrated mill in the country's southeastern state of Minas Gerais, chief executive officer Gustavo Werneck told journalists in a conference call on Wednesday August 4.The company will increase its capacity for hot-rolled coil (HRC) by 250,000 tonnes per year, to 1.1 million tpy, and...Read More
Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK), Russia's largest steelmaker, will increase output of hot-dip galvanized (HDG) coil by starting up a new line at its Lipetsk site in the second half of 2022.Capacity of the new line is 450,000 tonnes per year. Once the line is commissioned, NLMK's HDG capacity will increase by 36% to 1.7 million tpy.Read More
Domestic prices for cold-rolled coil in Europe declined in the week to Wednesday August 4 due to increased availability and lower import offers, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel CRC, domestic, exw Northern Europe was ?,?1,270-1,310 per tonne on August 4, down by ?,?30-40 per tonne from ?,?1,300-1,350 per tonne ex-works a week earlier.The corresponding we...Read More
Key data from the Wednesday August 4 pricing session in London.Key drivers Spot international cobalt prices widened downward on cheap offers from sellers willing to take profits in a quiet market, amid seasonally slow trading. Some sellers insisted on...Read More
Benjamin Baptista will retire and leave his role as chief executive officer of ArcelorMittal's Brazilian unit on September 30 after 12 years, with current Latin America long steel CEO, Jefferson De Paula, to replace his role, Baptista said on Tuesday August 3.Baptista joined ArcelorMittal in 1983, when it was still called Companhia Sider??rgica de Tubar??o (CST). It was later bought by Arcelor, to...Read More
Domestic steel wire rod prices in the south of Europe were broadly flat in the week to Wednesday August 4 despite seasonally slow buying and the availability of cheaper imports, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh quality), domestic, delivered Southern Europe was unchanged at ?,?830-850 ($985-1,009) per tonne on August 4.ItalyThe Italian market wa...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Bulk ferro-alloy prices have shown impressive gains again this month, with ferro-silicon, silicon metal and manganese alloy prices all making significant increases. Noble alloy markets also enjoyed upward momentum, with both vanadium and molybdenum prices rising sharply.Recovering demand from steelmakers globally, together w...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key ferro-alloy forecast highlights:?EUR? Impressive advances in ore and alloy prices persisted in March, with most markets posting significant price gains. Strengthening demand from steelmakers along with supply shortages and depleted inventories in numerous markets, as well as freight and transportation...Read More
Inner Mongolia, China's ferro-chrome production heartland, has imposed restrictions on its metallurgical sector in a move that has fueled the high-carbon ferro-chrome markets in China and Europe, and although this may ease off, the gains were unlikely to be lost while alloy ramp-ups continue, sources have told Fastmarkets.The decision to restrict energy consumption in Inner Mongolia since December...Read More
The latest forecasts and analysis of the ferrous scrap and iron metallics market from the Fastmarkets research team are ready to be viewed.Stifled automotive output this year, driven by a supply shortage of semiconductor chips used in vehicles, has tightened prime scrap availability and widened the spreads between this grade of steelmaking raw material and obsolete scrap.While wide prime-over-obso...Read More
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday August 4Please click...Read More
Global commodities producer BHP's nickel sulfate plant in Australia is nearing completion and is now at the commissioning stage, BHP Nickel West asset president Eduard Haegel said on Tuesday August 3.Haegel was speaking to the Diggers and Dealers Mining Conference in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.The plant at the Kwinana nickel refinery in Western Australia has begun production, Haegel said. Tanka...Read More
The aerospace industry is on pace for a full recovery in the next three years, with demand already rebounding in the second half of 2021 compared with Covid-19 pandemic-related lows, according to Arconic's top executive."While [aerospace] remains the biggest question mark in our portfolio, we believe that question really just boils down to timing. We fully expect the industry to return to pre-pand...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Global welded pipe prices surged in May as strong demand and still-insufficient supply lifted flat steel prices.The biggest jumps were seen in China, which was hit by the unexpected announcement of the elimination of export rebates on welded pipes in April. Chinese seaborne prices reached $1,570 per tonne fob for longitudina...Read More
China's mixed signals about its decarbonization goals have raised doubts over the country's purported plans to cut steel production in the second half of 2021, market sources said.The central Chinese government had asked steelmakers to reduce steel output in the second half for two reasons. The first is the short-term target of keeping the country's total steel output for this year from exceeding...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.United States sheet prices hit record highs again in May, with upward momentum carrying into June. Actual US HRC prices averaged $1,712 per tonne in May, largely in line with our forecast of $1,698 per tonne. Strong underlying supply-and-demand conditions both in the US and globally are supporting prices as well as long lead...Read More
Stainless steel prices continue to register new highs around the end of the first half of 2021 and steelmakers continue to enjoy outsized margins.They have responded in recent months by increasing their output, which has now pushed above pre-pandemic levels and will eventually restore balance to the market.For now, though, supply gaps are still being filled and buyers find themselves competing aga...Read More
Prices for steel hollow sections in Europe were unchanged on Wednesday August 4 due to the market heading into a seasonally slower period, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' assessment of steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe was ?,?1,400-1,430 ($1,662-1,698) per tonne on Wednesday, unchanged week on week."Prices remain above ?,?1,400 per tonne and will stay there until S...Read More