Iron ore prices went down slightly on Friday June 18 on news of state monitoring of the commodities markets, new operational restrictions in Tangshan and market rumors about capacity reductions.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $218.90 per tonne, down by $1.92 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $220.24 per tonne, down by $1.77 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade prem...Read More
All base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were lower on Friday June 18 than at the start of the week, by an average of 5.6%, brought down by a mixture of macroeconomic factors that have stifled the complex's recent bullish run.The decline across the complex to Friday was led by copper's fall on the LME, down by 8.3% on Friday to $9,135 per tonne from Monday's closing price of $9,971.50 p...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
Hot-rolled coil prices in China's domestic market edged higher on Friday June 18, while export prices fell as overseas buyers became more cautious due to the potential imposition of export taxes.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,500-5,530 yuan ($853-858) per tonne, up by 20-30 yuan per tonne.Northern China (Tangshan): weekly assessment: 5,450-5,480 yuan per tonne, down by 90-100 yuan per tonne.S...Read More
China has started cautioning state-owned enterprises (SOEs) regarding overdependence on imported commodities and overexposure in commodity-based financial derivatives, market sources told Fastmarkets this week.In the past few days, there had been rampant market chatter the country's State-owned Assets Supervision & Administration Commission (Sasac) asking SOEs to report their positions in commodit...Read More
Most base metals stocks in Shanghai Futures Exchange-registered warehouses decreased in the week to Friday June 18, with zinc recording the largest drop in percentage terms. Zinc stocks totaled 50,417 tonnes on Friday, down by 6,165 tonnes (10.9%) from 56,582 tonnes a week ago. The largest outflow was recorded at the R&S Logistics MHC warehouse in Shanghai, where volumes were down by 2,835 tonnes...Read More
The global lithium hydroxide complex extended its firm tone over the week ended Thursday June 17 against a backdrop of persistent supply constraints and optimism for growing demand.Battery-grade lithium hydroxide prices in both the domestic Chinese and seaborne Asian markets rallied because consumers are still finding it difficult to secure adequate feedstock. Battery-grade lithium carbonate suppl...Read More
Rebounds were under way in the base metals complex in London this morning, Friday June 18, while in Shanghai the base metals mostly reflected the weakness seen on the London Metal Exchange on Thursday.The more hawkish stance from the United States Federal Reserve on Wednesday lifted the dollar but has weighed on sentiment......as has China's decision to release state reserves of copper, aluminium...Read More
Prices for shredded steel scrap imported into India and Pakistan have risen on active purchasing that tailed off toward the end of the week, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday June 18.Fastmarkets' steel scrap shredded, index, import, cfr Nhava Sheva, India, was $533.93 per tonne on June 18, up from $516.47 per tonne on June 11.Offers heard this week were in the range of $520-540 per tonne cfr, whi...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
Global scrap prices in the key markets diverged in the week to Friday June 18, with those in Asia moving upward, while Turkish scrap prices fell amid slow buying driven by uncertainty over finished steel sales.Turkish buyers had to pay a premium for US-origin shredded scrapUS export market reported new sales to TurkeySolid demand in Vietnam resulted in higher pricesChina reported stability in impo...Read More
Import prices in Vietnam rose during the week to Friday June 18 despite weak demand from end users, sources told Fastmarkets. Higher offers forJapanese bulk cargoes after the recent Kanto Tetsugen auction supported higherimport prices, sources said. A transaction for a bulk Japanese H2 was concludedat $500 per tonne cfr Vietnam in the week to June 18, against offersat $500-510 per t...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.Fastmarkets assessed Cobalt alloy...Read More
Iron ore prices went down slightly on Friday June 18 on news of state monitoring of the commodities markets, new operational restrictions in Tangshan and market rumors about capacity reductions.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $218.90 per tonne, down by $1.92 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $220.24 per tonne, down by $1.77 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade prem...Read More
Copper concentrate treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) rose during the week to Friday June 18, with smelters buying cargoes at higher levels and traders also assessing material from miners at TCs in the $30s.Chinese smelters bought several cargoes in the high $30s per tonne/3 cents per lb this week, picking up units for the third quarter....Read More
The latest analysis from recent activity on the CME Group's cobalt metal futures contract, cash-settled against Fastmarkets' price assessment for cobalt, standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam.Key tradesJune 2, 2021: 120 tonnes (10 tonnes each month from January to December 2022, all at $21.45 per lb)June 17, 2021: 240 tonnes (10 tonnes each month from January to December 2022, all at $22.95 per lb; 10...Read More
The United States' pig iron import prices softened during the week to Friday June 18, with buyers having predominantly restocked while material for near-term shipment remained available in the market. Fastmarkets' price assessment for pig iron, import, cfr Gulf of Mexico, US, was at $650-665 per tonne on Friday, down by 2.16% from $672 per tonne a week earlier."We have bought enough and do not nee...Read More
An overview of the aerospace materials markets and the latest price moves.Cristina Belda in London; Jessica...Read More
Prices for flat-rolled steel products imported into South America increased in the week ended Friday June 18 amid reports of higher freight rates and more expensive deals.Demand for August-shipment material was steady, and close to levels seen in previous months, according to market participants. But clients were still uneasy due to the possibility of tax changes in China.Most sources were expecti...Read More
The EU member states have voted in favor of the proposed extension of the safeguard measures on imports of steel products, market sources told Fastmarkets on Friday June 18.The vote was supported by 17 member states, the sources said.The European Commission had not released an official statement at the time of publication.On June 11, the Commission sent a draft proposal to the World Trade Organiza...Read More