The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Global welded pipe prices surged in May as strong demand and still-insufficient supply lifted flat steel prices.The biggest jumps were seen in China, which was hit by the unexpected announcement of the elimination of export rebates on welded pipes in April. Chinese seaborne prices reached $1,570 per tonne fob for longitudina...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Bulk ferro-alloy prices have shown impressive gains again this month, with ferro-silicon, silicon metal and manganese alloy prices all making significant increases. Noble alloy markets also enjoyed upward momentum, with both vanadium and molybdenum prices rising sharply.Recovering demand from steelmakers globally, together w...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
Steel wire rod prices in Northern Europe increased as expected in the week to Wednesday June 16, mainly propelled by the continuing tightness of supply, but aggravated by restricted access to imports due to the trade safeguard measures currently in place, Fastmarkets has heard.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh-quality), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?860-90...Read More
Prices for steel hollow sections in Europe remained flat on Wednesday June 16 with feedstock costs remaining stable, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?1,320-1,340 ($1,600-1,625) per tonne on June 16, unchanged week on week."Stocks are diminishing rapidly, and new rollings are hard to come by with hot-roll...Read More
Price movements on the London Metal Exchange futures complex were mixed at the close of trading on Wednesday June 16, but were within the range of its Tuesday prices ahead of the US Federal Reserve's statement later in the day.Copper's three-month price, which fell by 4% on Tuesday to $9,569.50 per tonne, strengthened by 1% on Wednesday at 5pm to $9,667 per tonne. Its intraday low of $9,489 per to...Read More
Sources expect the Chinese government to sell its copper inventory at a slight discount to end consumers to combat the recent price spike in base metals, sources told Fastmarkets.As a country that is usually highly secretive about its buying and selling intentions China made a high-profile announcement to sell its copper, aluminium and zinc reserves in batches to participants in the downstream sec...Read More
Copper premiums traded as high as 8.5 cents per lb in the United States on Tuesday June 15, which remains the strongest physical market for cathodes, given continued weakness in China and an expected summer slowdown in Europe. US premium range widens on diverging market outlooks China premiums drop further amid government announcement it will sell some strategic reserves European mark...Read More
A correction has been issued for this article. The...Read More
Premiums for spot zinc material were stable in the week to June 15, with the US premium for lead holding at an all-time high. Zinc premiums in Europe are at their highest since 2019 due to low availability of spot material, but may drop in summer 2021. US lead premiums continue at their peak of 14.50-16.50 cents on tight supply and logistics issues, with the latter also affecting the European zinc...Read More
A summary of the financial results for Egypt's biggest steelmaking group, Ezz Steel, for the period from January 1 to March 31, 2021.In briefEarnings increased in line with increased production of flat steel, specifically hot-rolled coil, and exports, the company said in a release to London Stock Exchange on Wednesday June 16."With respect to flat steel, a significant development has occurred in t...Read More
Increased feedstock costs as well as solid demand pushed the rebar price in Southern Europe up further in the week to Wednesday June 16. Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, delivered Southern Europe at ?,?760-785 ($921-952) per tonne on Wednesday, up from ?,?740-760 per tonne last week. The price has been rising steadily since early May when it st...Read More
European steel H-beam prices rose again on Wednesday June 16, with some mills closing their order books for July bookings, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel beams, domestic, delivered Northern Europe was ?,?1,000-1,030 ($1,212-1,249) per tonne on June 16, up from ?,?970-1,000 per tonne one week earlier.Various European mills have stepped out of the market...Read More
Steel rebar prices in the north of Europe continued to rise in the week to Wednesday June 16, gaining support from strong demand, short supplies and rising feedstock costs, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, delivered Northern Europe was ?,?840-860 ($1,018-1,043) per tonne on June 16, up from ?,?800-820 per tonne on June 9.The...Read More
Turkish steel mills remained silent in the scrap markets on Wednesday June 16, with market participants mulling the likely direction of price movements.The mills did not book any new cargoes on Wednesday, having agreed two deals the day before at lower prices, marking a potential change in direction for the market, which had become more positive so far in June.One market participant said, however,...Read More
There will be multiple routes taken to achieving net-zero emissions targets in the steel sector, not just one fix, the chief executive officer and managing director of India-based Tata Steel has said.According to TV Narendran, meeting decarbonization targets will be a challenge, but it is achievable."The transition isn't going to be easy or cheap - there are multiple solutions. I don't think there...Read More
Low offers for seaborne premium hard coking coal caused prices to drop in the cfr market on Wednesday June 16, while hard coking coal fob rose on buying interest.High transaction prices and positive market sentiment are supporting the fob market, sources said.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $173.86 per tonne, up $1.59 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $282.04...Read More
European non-integrated steel traders and wire rod processors strongly oppose the European Commission's proposal to extend import safeguard measures for three more years, claiming that the decision neglects the interests of downstream steel users, Fastmarkets learnt on Wednesday June 16.On June 11, the EC presented a draft document of the adjusted measures to member states, suggesting a three-year...Read More
Steel scrap import prices into China remained stable on Wednesday June 16 despite reports of a new transaction for Shindachi busheling from Japan to China.A deal for 3,000 tonnes of Shindachi, the prime scrap grade traded in Japan, was heard at $550 per tonne cfr China. The deal was believed to have been done on Tuesday.There were mixed views about whether there was any price difference between Sh...Read More
Austrian steelmaking group Voestalpine has developed an industrial scale process for carbon-neutral steel production without the use of fossil carbon and secured the intellectual property rights to the process from the European Patent Office, the company said on June 15.The patent is valid in all major European steel manufacturing countries and specifically covers the production of sponge iron - d...Read More