After a one-month consultation period, Fastmarkets has amended the timing specifications for its assessment of Italian SHG (special high grade) zinc premiums.The frequency of the assessments, which are currently weekly, will move to a fortnightly basis after the next assessment date on June 15. The change is due to the Italian zinc market being largely centered around long-term contracts...Read More
The latest deals for containers of steel scrap imported into Bangladesh over the past seven days have shown small price increases from deals in the previous week, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday June 10.Overall scrap demand in the country remained low, particularly given the start of the monsoon season this month, but sources said that buyers in the container market have been forced to raise...Read More
The emergence of an additional Wednesday deep-sea scrap purchase by a Turkish steel mill has helped to keep prices on a upward trend, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday June 10.The cargo from Canada was booked by a still mill in the Iskenderun region, comprising 9,500 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (95:5), 7,500 tonnes of rails and 12,000 tonnes of plate & structural (P&S) scrap at an average price of $...Read More
Domestic steel rebar and wire rod prices in Turkey have remained mostly stable over the past week, market sources said on Thursday June 10.Despite recent price increases for Turkish scrap imports, long steel prices did not change in the country because of limited demand, Fastmarkets heard.Fastmarkets calculated the daily index for steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), North Europe origin, cfr Turkey,...Read More
Prices for steel billet imported into Egypt remained stable during the week to Thursday June 10 amid recovering demand, sources told Fastmarkets.New regulations for construction in the country that allow new building permits, in effect from June 1, have buoyed demand, sources said.New construction projects are still limited due to the detailed procedures to access permits but a partial removal of...Read More
German flat steel producer Salzgitter has declared force majeure after a lightning strike over the weekend, the company's spokesman told Fastmarkets on Thursday June 10.The lightning strike on Saturday June 5 interrupted the power supply to the plant, and thus plant operations, market sources said."A lightning strike interrupted operations last Saturday. [But] we are back in operation and striving...Read More
Steel reinforcing bar prices in the United States increased again on Wednesday June 9, with another round of mill hikes expected soon.Fastmarkets' assessment for steel rebar, fob mill US was $44.50 per hundredweight ($890 per short ton) on Wednesday, up 1.14% from $44 per cwt the previous week.US marketThe increase follows recent mill hikes, rising shredded scrap prices in Chicago and Detroit...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were little changed at the 5pm close of trading on Thursday June 10, with slight increases for aluminium and nickel, while prices dipped elsewhere on the complex.The three-month copper price fell by 0.9% to $9,890 per tonne during Thursday trading, down from $9,978.50 per tonne at Wednesday's 5pm close, despite reaching an intraday high of $9,992.50...Read More
The European Commission (EC) plans to set a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) for imports of some goods, including steel and aluminium, to prevent the risk of carbon leakage, according to a draft of the EC's proposal seen by Fastmarkets on June 10.The mechanism will integrate into the EU's current system that it established for greenhouse gas emissions allowance trading via the application...Read More
Swedish battery maker Northvolt has announced the signing of a $2.75 billion private placement to expand the capacity of its gigafactory in the country, Northvolt Ett, to 60GWh from 40GWh to meet increased customers' demand, it said on Wednesday June 9.The private placement was jointly led by Swedish pension funds AP1, AP2, AP3 and AP4, and Omers Capital Markets, alongside existing investors Goldm...Read More
LME base metals have looked tired, having lost their upward momentum in the past few days, but underlying support looks plentiful, with all the base metals on the SHFE being in positive territory this morning, Wednesday June 9. US 10-year treasury yields have fallen, not on haven buying, but because the market seems more sanguine that central banks will not rock the boat anytime soon......but will...Read More
Turkish steel mills continued their deep-sea scrap purchases for July shipment at slightly higher prices on Wednesday June 9, having only just resumed buying activity on Tuesday after a near-two-week break, market participants told Fastmarkets.A steel mill in the Marmara region booked a Baltic Sea cargo, comprising HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $498 and bonus scrap at $508 per tonne cfr.The same mill also bo...Read More
An overview of the consumer electronics markets and their latest price moves.Dalila Ouerghi and Cristina Belda...Read More
An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price moves.Ewa Manthey, Charlotte...Read More
Prices in China's domestic and import spot ferro-chrome markets rose during the week to Tuesday June 8 on growing concerns over supply tightness amid strong consumption.Fastmarkets' price assessment for ferro-chrome, spot, 6-8% C, basis 50% Cr, ddp China was 7,500-7,800 yuan ($1,172-1,219) per tonne on Tuesday, up 100 yuan, or 1.3%, from 7,400-7,700 yuan per tonne the previous week.Production loss...Read More
Two Chinese investors into Kamoa Kakula copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have signed offtake agreements for phase 1 output, operator Ivanhoe Mines said on Wednesday June 9.CITIC Metal (HK) Limited and Zijin Mining's subsidiary Gold Mountains (HK) International Mining Co will each have access to 50% of Kamoa Kakula's copper concentrate and blister copper, Ivanhoe said The offta...Read More
The 60-64.9% ferro-chrome market narrowed upward in the week to June 8, on high offer prices for Indian ferro-chrome to Europe.Fastmarkets' price assessment for ferro-chrome, high carbon, 6-8.5% C, basis 60-64.9% Cr, max 3% Si, cif Europe, narrowed upward by 5 cents (+2.4%) to $1.05-1.10 per lb Cr on June 8, from $1.00-1.10 per lb Cr one week earlier."There is a scarcity of material and the domest...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday June 9 that are worth another look.Export prices for Chinese cold-rolled coil and hot-dipped galvanized coil largely trended downward over the past week due to limited trading activity in the spot market.Two Chinese investors...Read More
The US nickel market was active in the week to Tuesday June 8, with a consensus that falling supply and healthy spot demand will support the current premium range. US premiums poised for possible increase if miners' strike in Canada endures. Continued arbitrage losses push some Chinese traders away from nickel plate. European London Metal Exchange warehouse stocks fall 400 tonnes, but...Read More
Prices on the London Metal Exchange were mostly unchanged at the close of trading on Wednesday June 9, with futures contracts sticking to a consolidation phase at high levels so far this week.Zinc's three-month price, at $3,019.50 per tonne, was up b only $2.50 per tonne from Tuesday's closing price, but was at its highest value at the 5pm close since June 2, when it closed at $3,082.50 per tonne....Read More