Brazilian slab prices remained stable for the fourth consecutive assessment period in the week ended Friday July 2, with buyers and sellers continuing to dispute the price level.Fastmarkets' weekly assessment for steel slab, export, fob main port Brazil, was $980-1,000 per tonne fob on July 2, unchanged since June 4.A little activity was seen during the week, with the market beginning to transitio...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices increased on Monday July 5 amid higher trading activity and stronger futures prices.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 4,870-4,900 yuan ($754-759) per tonne, up by 40 yuan per tonneMarket participants expect steel production to drop in the second half of this year to meet a target set late last year by the Chinese Ministry of Industry & Information Technology (MIIT).Th...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices increased on Monday July 5 amid higher trading activity and stronger futures prices.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 4,870-4,900 yuan ($754-759) per tonne, up by 40 yuan per tonneMarket participants expect steel production to drop in the second half of this year to meet a target set late last year by the Chinese Ministry of Industry & Information Technology (MIIT).Th...Read More
China bucked the trend among major iron ore importers by continuing to increase its purchases of the steelmaking raw material from abroad in 2020.The country imported 1.17 billion tonnes of the iron ore last year, an increase of 9.4% compared with 2019.European Union countries collectively accounted for the largest decrease among major iron ore importers, with purchases tumbling 20.8% year on year...Read More
Gunnar Groebler has taken over the position of chairman of the executive board and chief executive officer of German steelmaker Salzgitter, the company said on July 1.He replaces Heinz J??rg Fuhrmannm, who has retired.Groebler intends to further the development of Salzgitter as a future-oriented steel and technology group, with a focus on the company's...Read More
Base metals, iron ore, rebar and precious metal prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were up across the board this morning, Monday July 5, with all the base metals, apart from lead, also higher on the London Metal Exchange.Markets taking comfort from Friday's US employment report. Markets likely to be quiet with the United States celebrating Sunday's Independence DayBase metalsLME three-month l...Read More
Base metals production in Peru increased significantly year-on-year during May due to the strong effects of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, but figures were also up on a monthly basis on better performances by the largest mines, the country's ministry of energy and mines, Minem, said on Friday July 2.Copper output totaled 195,999 tonnes in May, up by 52.63% from 128,412 tonnes in the corresponding...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices were largely stable in the cfr market on Monday July 5, but surged in the fob market due to some buyers starting purchase material to restock, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $203.20 per tonne, up $3.14 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $307.85 per tonne, up $0.27 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $173.42...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
The bullish momentum in China's stainless steel market in the first half of 2021 will likely extend into the third quarter, which would underpin prices for upstream products such as nickel pig iron (NPI) and ferro-chrome, market participants say.But several mills' plan to put new capacity into operation could weigh on prices in the fourth quarter, which would affect the upstream market for these r...Read More
Hot-rolled coil prices across China's domestic market cruised higher on Monday July 5, with the futures market riding an upward wave across the ferrous complex. DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,500-5,540 yuan ($851-858) per tonne, up by 60-70 yuan from 5,430-5,480 yuan per tonne. The most-traded HRC contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange gained more than 1% to end the day at 5,494 yuan per t...Read More
The latest data for the global manganese ore market for the week ended July 2, 2021.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
Base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange, apart from those for lead, were up during morning trading on Tuesday July 6. Those on the London Metal Exchange were mixed, but that was after a generally positive day on Monday.Brent crude oil climbs after Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries fail to agree a production increase.Base metalsLME three-month base metals prices were mixed t...Read More
Kalidas Madhavpeddi has been appointed as the new chairman at Glencore, the commodities company announced on Monday July 5.Madhavpeddi will take over from retiring chairman Tony Hayward on July 30. Currently non-executive director of Novagold Resources Inc, Trilogy Metals Inc and Dundee Precious Metals Inc, Madhavpeddi has more than 40 years of experience in the international mining...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were slightly lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 2 points in pre-opening trade.Gold gained $27.50 to $1,810.70 per ounce in response to U.S. Dollar weakness.Apple gained $0.29 to $140.25 after JP Morgan raised its target price from $165 to $170.Nvidia advanced $11.19 to $830.67 after KeyBanc Capital raised its target price from $775 to $950 American Express...Read More
Iron ore prices were up on Monday July 5 with market sentiment improving because of the easing of restrictions in China's steelmaking hub of Tangshan, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $221.82 per tonne, up by $3.84 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $223.14 per tonne, up by $3.57 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $184...Read More
Base metals price movements on the London Metal Exchange were mixed during trading on Monday July 5, with copper and tin making the best showings among the complex.Copper's three-month price rallied upward by more than $130 per tonne during Monday's trading, to $9,511 per tonne at the 5pm close, from $9,376.50 per tonne on Friday, despite only 12,404 lots being traded during the day.While the stro...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
Kalidas Madhavpeddi has been appointed as the new chairman at Glencore, the commodities company announced on Monday July 5.Madhavpeddi will take over from retiring chairman Tony Hayward on July 30. Currently non-executive director of Novagold Resources Inc, Trilogy Metals Inc and Dundee Precious Metals Inc, Madhavpeddi has more than 40 years of experience in the international mining...Read More