An arbitrage between two of the world's main copper contracts has had the market chasing shadows over the week ended Wednesday July 28.On July 26, the Comex active (September) contract traded at more than $300 per tonne above London Metal Exchange price levels for the month to date, in what was a record spread between the two contracts.The massive premium came at the end of a month in which the Ch...Read More
An arbitrage between two of the world's main copper contracts has had the market chasing shadows over the week ended Wednesday July 28.On July 26, the Comex active (September) contract traded at more than $300 per tonne above London Metal Exchange price levels for the month to date, in what was a record spread between the two contracts.The massive premium came at the end of a month in which the Ch...Read More
China's domestic sellers for hot-rolled coil kept prices stable on Wednesday July 28 due to stronger demand and exporters insisted on high offers ahead of the month end, sources told Fastmarkets.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,880-5,900 yuan ($904-907) per tonne, unchangedThe weather was clear in Zhejiang and Shanghai, so demand and logistics resumed, supporting HRC prices.Demand in parts of J...Read More
An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price moves.Janie Davies, Fleur...Read More
Prices in the coking coal market in China held firm on Wednesday July 28 but climbed in the fob Australia market on increased buying interest, market sources said.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $215.55 per tonne, up by $1.25 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $315.76 per tonne, unchangedHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $182.41 per tonne, up by 0.50 per tonneHard co...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
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday July 28 that are worth another look.German steelmaker Salzgitter has delivered green strip steel to automotive producer Mercedes-Benz, the company recently announced.The main workers union at Escondida, the world's largest copper mine, has called on its members...Read More
Prices in the coking coal market in China held firm on Wednesday July 28 but climbed in the fob Australia market on increased buying interest, market sources said.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $215.55 per tonne, up by $1.25 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $315.76 per tonne, unchangedHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $182.41 per tonne, up by 0.50 per tonneHard co...Read More
China's domestic sellers for hot-rolled coil kept prices stable on Wednesday July 28 due to stronger demand and exporters insisted on high offers ahead of the month end, sources told Fastmarkets.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,880-5,900 yuan ($904-907) per tonne, unchangedThe weather was clear in Zhejiang and Shanghai, so demand and logistics resumed, supporting HRC prices.Demand in parts of J...Read More
Prices for steel billets imported to the Philippines have jumped in the week to July 28 after Chinese buying activity inflated offer prices for mills in Southeast Asia, sources told Fastmarkets.Trading activity into the Philippines had been quiet the previous week in the face of huge Chinese demand, with just one deal for Vietnamese induction furnace (IF) billet heard done at $688 per tonne cfr Ma...Read More
German steelmaker Salzgitter has delivered green strip steel to automotive producer Mercedes-Benz, the company recently announced.Salzgitter subsidiary Salzgitter Flachstahl will supply green strip steel products with a 66% reduced CO2 footprint to four German plants of Mercedes-Benz, with three factories already receiving the material, sources told Fastmarkets.The low CO2 steel grades are produce...Read More
Iron ore prices were largely flat despite gain in futures on Wednesday July 28 due to the tight trading activity in the physical market, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $202.68 per tonne, up $0.11 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $203.08 per tonne, up $0.11 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $168.23 per tonne, up $...Read More
China's domestic and imported ferro-chrome prices were both boosted again in the week ended Tuesday July 27 after major stainless steel mills raised their August tender prices by 2,400 yuan ($369) per tonne from the previous month, to a level not seen in the past 13 years.Due to continuing supply interruptions and strong demand for material, Tsingshan announced its tender price for August-delivery...Read More
Domestic prices for heavy steel plate in Italy moved down in the week ended Wednesday July 28 due to lower slab costs and competitive imports, sources have told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel domestic plate, 8-40mm, exw Southern Europe, was ?,?950-970 ($1,122-1,145) per tonne on July 28, down by ?,?15-20 per tonne from ?,?970-985 per tonne on July 21.The assessment was based o...Read More
The Southern European domestic steel rebar market was quiet with largely stable prices, although a slight uptick in Italian demand pushed prices up, Fastmarkets heard on Wednesday July 28.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, delivered Southern Europe was ?,?760-815 ($897-962) per tonne on Wednesday, compared with ?,?760-810 per tonne one week previously...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday July 28 that are worth another look.German steelmaker Salzgitter has delivered green strip steel to automotive producer Mercedes-Benz, the company recently announced.The main workers union at Escondida, the world's largest copper mine, has called on its members...Read More
Prices for steel billets imported to the Philippines have jumped in the week to July 28 after Chinese buying activity inflated offer prices for mills in Southeast Asia, sources told Fastmarkets.Trading activity into the Philippines had been quiet the previous week in the face of huge Chinese demand, with just one deal for Vietnamese induction furnace (IF) billet heard done at $688 per tonne cfr Ma...Read More
A growing number of steelmakers cutting production in China has prompted steel mills to reduce their consumption of direct-charge iron ore - iron ore pellets and lumps, market sources told Fastmarkets.Earlier in July, several steelmakers in various regions across China told Fastmarkets that they intend to keep this year's steel output levels from exceeding last year's.Growing uncertaintyThis has c...Read More
Base metals prices remained mixed on the London Metal Exchange at the 5pm close of trading on Wednesday July 28, with the month-end approaching and the market still waiting for signals of fresh direction from the US Federal Reserve bank."While we are very positive on the fundamentals [for copper] in the long term, we remain cautious in the short term due to the presence of macro headwinds," Fastma...Read More
China's domestic and imported ferro-chrome prices were both boosted again in the week ended Tuesday July 27 after major stainless steel mills raised their August tender prices by 2,400 yuan ($369) per tonne from the previous month, to a level not seen in the past 13 years.Due to continuing supply interruptions and strong demand for material, Tsingshan announced its tender price for August-delivery...Read More