London Metal Exchange base metal futures barring tin traded higher on Friday July 9 after the market responded to news that China's central bank will boost liquidity to small and medium sized businesses.The People's Bank of China said it would reduce the Reserve Requirement Ratio (RRR), the amount of cash banks have to hold in reserve, by 0.5%, equivalent to the release of a trillion yuan ($154 bi...Read More
Global scrap prices broadly fell over the week to Friday July 9. Spot demand in Asia remained weak, with buyers looking at lower Turkish steel scrap prices for indications of better buying opportunities in the future.Turkey resumes deep-sea importsPrime grades perform best in USVietnam demand soft but billet demand could offer hopeChinese price uptrend capped by production cutsTaiwan continues to...Read More
Domestic steel wire rod producers in Poland have nearly completed July bookings and are yet to quote for August, with prices to be rolled over despite the seasonal buying slowdown, sources told Fastmarkets on July 9.Domestic steel wire rod producers in Poland have nearly completed July bookings and are yet to quote for August, with price rollover expected despite the seasonal buying slowdown, sour...Read More
China's domestic rebar market ended the week with increased prices in both eastern and northern regions, though prices were stable on Friday July 9.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,020-5,050 yuan ($775-780) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Beijing) weekly assessment: 4,950-4,990 yuan per tonne, up by 170 yuan per tonneEastern rebar prices halted their rise on Friday due to weak demand but pr...Read More
An overview of the new energy materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Susan Zou, Yingchi Yang and...Read More
Activity in the market for pig iron exports from Brazil was at a standstill in the week to Friday July 9, but local demand for such material was strong, sources have told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for pig iron, export, fob port of Vitoria/Rio, Brazil, was $620-625 per tonne on Friday, stable week on week.Suppliers in the south of Brazil were heard to be inactive as regards...Read More
Activity in the market for pig iron exports from Brazil was at a standstill in the week to Friday July 9, but local demand for such material was strong, sources have told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for pig iron, export, fob port of Vitoria/Rio, Brazil, was $620-625 per tonne on Friday, stable week on week.Suppliers in the south of Brazil were heard to be inactive as regards...Read More
Sandfire Resources' Motheo copper mine in Botswana will come online in 2023, the mid-tier copper and gold miner said this week, after acquiring a mining license for the project. The construction of the Motheo copper mine will accelerate in the coming months and should deliver 30,000 tonnes of copper and 1.2 million ounces of silver for the first 12-and-a-half years of mine life, the Canada-listed...Read More
Base metals registered an increase in inventories at Shanghai Futures Exchange-registered warehouses during the week to Friday July 9, with nickel increasing the most in percentage terms, up 20.62%.Nickel stocks totaled 7,555 tonnes on Friday, up by 1,292 tonnes from 6,263 tonnes a week ago. The largest inflow was at Zhongchu Dachang warehouse, Shanghai, where volumes were up by 1,214 tones or 46....Read More
Bullish sentiment in the aluminium supply chain fueled increases in premium foundry alloy (PFA) premiums in Europe in the week ended Friday July 9. The PFA premium in the US was flat once again.EuropeSoaring premiums for P1020 aluminium, expensive logistics and solid demand pushed the premiums for primary foundry alloy (PFA) in Europe to new all-time highs this week.Fastmarkets' assessment of the...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices were steady in the cfr market on Friday July 9 while market participants awaited further information about second-half production cut plans at Chinese steel mills. The fob coking coal market surged amid necessary procurement demand from Asia, market sources said.Prices for seaborne pulverized coal injection (PCI) decreased in the cfr market in the week to July 9 because...Read More
The inter-merchant light iron scrap market in the United Kingdom was unchanged this week although increased demand could result in small price rises in the coming weeks, participants told Fastmarkets on Friday July 9.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel scrap 5C, loose old light, domestic, delivered inter-merchant, UK, was ?175-190 ($241-262) per tonne on Friday, unchanged since June 18...Read More
The price of cold-rolled stainless steel in Europe increased further this past week due to the severe material shortage that has been ongoing, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday July 9.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for stainless steel cold-rolled sheet 2mm grade 304 transaction domestic, delivered north Europe was ?,?3,600-3,650 ($4,257-4,316) per tonne on Friday, up by ?,?150 from ?,?...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices were steady in the cfr market on Friday July 9 while market participants awaited further information about second-half production cut plans at Chinese steel mills. The fob coking coal market surged amid necessary procurement demand from Asia, market sources said.Prices for seaborne pulverized coal injection (PCI) decreased in the cfr market in the week to July 9 because...Read More
The introduction of a Russian export duty on steel products carries serious risks for the country's steel industry, Russia's steel association Russkaya Stal warned last week.The duties, which cover 340 metal products, will apply from August 1 through to December 31 and have a base rate of 15%, with a specific minimum rate for each product.The measures will inevitably cut the profitability of steel...Read More
Prices in the CIS export billet market improved some more by the end of the week. Offers were mainly coming from Ukrainian mills, while Russian producers preferred to stay away from the market assessing the situation with export duty introduction in August.The duties will apply from August 1 through to December 31 and have a base rate of 15%, with a specific minimum rate of $115 per tonne for stee...Read More
Expectations of cuts to steel production across China in the second half of 2021 have fueled the country's eager return to the steel billet import market this week, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday July 9.Numerous Chinese steelmakers were now expected to reduce output in the second half of the year, with China's authorities targeting 2021 steel production below last year's total of 1.07 billion...Read More
The price of cold-rolled stainless steel in Europe increased further this past week due to the severe material shortage that has been ongoing, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday July 9.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for stainless steel cold-rolled sheet 2mm grade 304 transaction domestic, delivered north Europe was ?,?3,600-3,650 ($4,257-4,316) per tonne on Friday, up by ?,?150 from ?,?...Read More
China's domestic rebar market ended the week with increased prices in both eastern and northern regions, though prices were stable on Friday July 9.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,020-5,050 yuan ($775-780) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Beijing) weekly assessment: 4,950-4,990 yuan per tonne, up by 170 yuan per tonneEastern rebar prices halted their rise on Friday due to weak demand but pr...Read More
The introduction of a Russian export duty on steel products carries serious risks for the country's steel industry, Russia's steel association Russkaya Stal warned last week.The duties, which cover 340 metal products, will apply from August 1 through to December 31 and have a base rate of 15%, with a specific minimum rate for each product.The measures will inevitably cut the profitability of steel...Read More