Steel scrap import prices into China remained steady despite supplies of domestic scrap being tightened by the rainy season in the north and by high temperatures in the south, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday July 15.Fastmarkets' daily price assessment for steel scrap, heavy recycled steel materials, cfr China, which takes into account prices at ports in eastern China, was $530-540 per tonne o...Read More
The European Commission (EC) adopted on Wednesday July 14 a package of proposals under the EU Green deal that affect the metals industry, including a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).The CBAM will apply to imports into the EU of iron and steel, aluminium, cement, fertilizers and electricity.During a transition period from 2023 to 2025, importers will have to report the emissions embodied...Read More
Vietnam is proposing to impose a 5% export tax on steel billet, which could make offer prices from the country's mills uncompetitive in key Asian markets, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday July 15.The proposal has been drafted by the Vietnam Ministry of Finance, but is not yet official policy as it is awaiting final government approval, according to key billet trading sources.News of the propos...Read More
Brazilian steel producers have accepted a reduction of 10% in import duties, and agreed to avoid raising domestic prices further, according to the country's economy minister, Paulo Guedes.The government has been in talks with representatives of steel producers, the country's construction industry and other end users. They are discussing options to normalize supply of rebar and other steel products...Read More
The European Commission (EC) has proposed a revision of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) that would substantially reduce the overall cap on carbon dioxide emissions and increase the annual rate of reduction as part of the EU Green Deal, it said on Wednesday July 14.The EC has an ambitious target to achieve net reductions in emissions of at least 55% by 2030, compared with 1990 levels. The pre...Read More
China's domestic stainless steel prices rose sharply over the week to Wednesday July 14 on concerns of tighter supply amid growing expectations for mills to cut production.Gains in the nickel market provided further support to stainless steel prices.The three-month nickel contract on the London Metal Exchange ended the official trading session on Wednesday at $18,698 per tonne, up by $381 per tonn...Read More
The European hot-rolled coil market remained quiet on Thursday July 15 on seasonally slow trading, with prices largely unchanged, supported by strong order books at steel mills and long lead times, sources told Fastmarkets.European buyers were still abstaining from making large bookings due to the still-high prices and sufficient stocks at most distributors. Exhausted credit lines were also limiti...Read More
First Cobalt has held preliminary discussions with Canadian government officials on the creation of a lithium-ion battery park on the same site as its battery materials hydrometallurgical refinery north of Toronto, the company said.The goal is to attract a precursor manufacturer to the site to recycle black mass from spent lithium-ion batteries, recovering nickel and cobalt in the process, it note...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.With nickel prices down by almost 20% over the space of around ten days during late February and early March, one might have been expecting us to be reporting sharply-lower prices of stainless steel, at least for the most common nickel-containing grades of stainless steel.This is not the case, at least in Europe and the Unite...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices and margins for stainless steel producers have risen notably over the past few months in both Europe and the United States, but there are now signs that the rally is petering out.A clear reason for the halt to rising prices comes from the near 20% drop in nickel prices seen in late February/early March,...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Recent weeks have brought two key developments with regard to trade policy on stainless steel products that will be to the detriment of consumers.In China, the country's stainless steelmakers no longer enjoy a 13% export rebate as of May 1, reducing greatly their incentive to export and instead leading them to focus on supply...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
Glencore has described rioting in South Africa as a "force majeure event" in a letter to customers about a number of ores, alloys and metals exported from the country, although this is not a declaration of force majeure. In a notice to customers on July 14, seen by Fastmarkets, the trader-miner warned that ongoing violence in South Africa could potentially prevent them from fulfilling contracts wi...Read More
Brazilian steel producers have accepted a reduction of 10% in import duties, and agreed to avoid raising domestic prices further, according to the country's economy minister, Paulo Guedes.The government has been in talks with representatives of steel producers, the country's construction industry and other end users. They are discussing options to normalize supply of rebar and other steel products...Read More
Benchmark futures were mostly higher on the London Metal Exchange at Thursday's 5pm close following positive economic data released from China and a sustained dovish stance from the US Federal Reserve on interest rates.The three-month copper contract continued to rally, reaching $9,486.50 per tonne at Thursday's 5pm close, up by 1.5% from $9,342.50 per tonne on Wednesday. Despite recent consolidat...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
Turkish steel producers were inactive in the deep-sea scrap import markets on Thursday July 15 due to a public holiday in the country, sources have told Fastmarkets.Steel and scrap trading were expected to slow in the coming weeks because of several public and religious holidays. Turkish market participants were not at work on Thursday with the country...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
Brazilian steel producers have accepted a reduction of 10% in import duties, and agreed to avoid raising domestic prices further, according to the country's economy minister, Paulo Guedes.The government has been in talks with representatives of steel producers, the country's construction industry and other end users. They are discussing options to normalize supply of rebar and other steel products...Read More
Steel reinforcing bar prices in the United States increased on Wednesday July 14 for the first time since June 16. Fastmarkets' assessment for steel rebar, fob mill US was $49 per hundredweight ($980 per short ton) on Wednesday, up 2.08% from $48 per cwt the previous week and up 70.44% from $28.75 per cwt at the same time last year.US marketNucor Corp and Mid-Continent Steel and Wire each increase...Read More