The Vietnam Steel Association (VSA) is leading an industry-wide pushback against the country's proposed export tax of 5% on steel billet, it said on Friday July 23."The proposal to increase export taxes on billet and reduce import taxes on finished steel products is not suitable with the current situation of steel production," the association said.This was in response to domestic demand for steel...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices increased in both the cfr and fob markets on Friday July 23 due to more trading activities, sources told Fastmarkets.Prices for seaborne pulverized coal injection (PCI) inched up in the cfr market in the week to July 23 due to tight domestic supply for high quality resources. The fob market also continued to increase due to strong coking coal prices, sources said.Fastma...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in China cruised higher on Friday July 23 after the country's third-largest steelmaking province announced a ceiling for its crude steel output for 2021.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,860-5,910 yuan ($905-913) per tonne, up by 10-60 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tangshan) weekly assessment: 5,720-5,730 yuan ($884-885) per tonne, up by 10 yuan per tonne The...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices rose on Friday July 23 on stronger restocking demand and lower production, but end-user demand weakened in the eastern coastal region ahead of an upcoming typhoon.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,280-5,300 yuan ($815-818) per tonne, up by 50 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing) weekly assessment: 5,160-5,200 yuan per tonne, up by 80-90 yuan per tonneTyphoon In-fa...Read More
Base metals prices on both the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange were generally stronger this morning, Friday July 23, the exception was lead on the LME that was down by 0.5%, but that was after a strong gain on Thursday. Lead, tin and nickel all pushed the boundary on the upside on Thursday with gains of 1.5% or moreEuropean Central Bank projected a dovish outlook on monetary po...Read More
An overview of the aerospace materials markets and the latest price moves.Jessica Long, Ruby Liu and...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...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.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
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....Read More
Italian steel re-roller Marcegaglia has been short-listed for the purchase of Italian stainless steelmaker Acciai Speciali Terni (AST), which is owned by German steelmaker Thyssenkrupp."We are really interested [in purchasing AST]. There has been the due diligence; we visited the plant this week. August will be the time for negotiations... [at the start of] September probably there will be some in...Read More
European steelmakers are returning to the bulk alloys markets for quarterly deliveries to be shipped between October and December due to persistent supply tightness, shipping delays and container shortages and strong steel production and prices, sources told Fastmarkets.It had appeared that steelmakers were satisfied with their current quarterly intake of ferro-alloys and would typically return fo...Read More
Prices for containerized ferrous scrap in the Taiwan import market continuedto fall during the week to Friday July 23 due to a resurgence of Covid-19 cases in many parts of Asia causing more lockdowns, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' daily price assessment for containerized steel scrap, heavy melting scrap 1&2 (80:20), United States material import, cfr main port Taiwan was $450 per tonne on...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday July 22 that are worth another look.Production of steel will be halted for at least two weeks in the key Bangladesh market when the country's latest Covid-19-related lockdown starts on Friday July 23, sources have told Fastmarkets.Read More
Fastmarkets is inviting feedback from the industry on the pricing methodology for MB-AL-0005 aluminium pressure diecasting ingot DIN226/A380, delivered Europe, and MB-AL-0040 aluminum alloy A380.1, delivered Midwest, as part of a methodology review process to meet the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) principles.This consultation, which is open until August 18, seeks to...Read More
Base metals prices were up across the board at the 5pm close of trading on the London Metal Exchange on Thursday July 22, with the market appearing to calm down after a recent period of choppy trading."Two positive macro dynamics were at work this morning, and have provided the LME base metals with much-needed support," Fastmarkets analyst Andy Farida said on Thursday."The US Dollar Index has star...Read More
A large-scale expansion at Freeport-McMoRan's El Abra copper mine in Chile is still being evaluated, although potential changes to the country's fiscal regime could lead to its deferment, the US copper producer said.The expansion would see the plant in northern Chile process additional sulfide material and achieve higher levels of copper recovery. According to Freeport, El Abra's large sulfide res...Read More
Freeport McMoRan's subsidiary PT-Freeport Indonesia (PT-FI) is advancing agreements to expand its Gresik copper smelter and refinery by 30% and plans to up its stake in PT Smelting to a majority interest, the company said. The expansion is targeted for completion by the end of 2023 and will see annual capacity at PT Smelting - in which PT-FI currently has a 39.5% stake - increase by 300,000 tonnes...Read More
Fastmarkets has corrected its alumina index, fob Australia, which was published incorrectly on Tuesday July 20 and Wednesday July 21 due to an index calculation error.On July 20, the alumina index, fob Australia, should have been $289.74 per tonne but was incorrectly published as $289.62 per tonne.On July 21, the alumina index, fob Australia, should have been $291.11 per tonne but was incorrectly...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday July 22 that are worth another look.Production of steel will be halted for at least two weeks in the key Bangladesh market when the country's latest Covid-19-related lockdown starts on Friday July 23, sources have told Fastmarkets.Read More