Most base metals stocks in Shanghai Futures Exchange-registered warehouses went down in the week to Friday June 4, with aluminium recording the largest drop in percentage terms. Aluminium stocks totaled 313,699 tonnes on Friday, down by 15,873 tonnes (4.8%) from 329,572 tonnes a week ago. The largest outflow was from HenanGuochu Gongyi warehouse in Henan province, where volumes were down by 8,050...Read More
Hot-rolled coil prices in China's domestic market extended their gains on Friday June 4, as the futures prices saw another choppy trading session.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,580-5,630 yuan ($872-879) per tonne, up by 30 yuan per tonne.Northern China (Tangshan) weekly assessment: 5,520-5,580 yuan per tonne, up by 170-200 yuan per tonne.Friday's small increase in spot prices came with gains...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices edged up on Friday June 4 on stronger demand ahead of the weekend, ending the week 200-yuan-per-tonne above the previous Friday's close in the eastern region, sources said.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,030-5,060 yuan ($785-790) per tonne, widening upward by 10 yuan per tonne.Northern China (Beijing) weekly assessment: 5,160-5,200 yuan per tonne, up by 160-170 yu...Read More
Domestic steel wire rod producers in Poland have nearly finalized June bookings and are yet to quote for July, while prices for imports surged amid strong demand and short supply, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday June 4.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (drawing quality), domestic, delivered Poland was 3,700 zloty ($1,009) per tonne on Friday, narrowing upward by 50 zloty f...Read More
Domestic prices for steel rebar in Poland increased again in the week to Friday June 4, pushed by limited supply and good demand, Fastmarkets has heard.Buying activity in Poland's rebar market has remained quite strong, despite a surge in prices, with customers being more concerned about securing volumes."Demand from the construction sector is strong, but in fact the prices are largely being drive...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices edged up on Friday June 4 on stronger demand ahead of the weekend, ending the week 200-yuan-per-tonne above the previous Friday's close in the eastern region, sources said.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,030-5,060 yuan ($785-790) per tonne, widening upward by 10 yuan per tonne.Northern China (Beijing) weekly assessment: 5,160-5,200 yuan per tonne, up by 160-170 yu...Read More
Appetites for steel scrap exports were broadly subdued in the week to Friday June 4, with the exception of imports into India and Pakistan.Turkey cooled its importing activity amid softer demand for finished steel, adjusting offers downwardPrices for cargoes from the East and West Coasts of the US divergedVietnamese importers stayed out of the market amid price-trend confusionChinese appetites wer...Read More
The pig iron import market in the United States was firm during the week to Friday June 4 because buyers needed to accomplish further restocking.Fastmarkets' price assessment for pig iron, import, cfr Gulf of Mexico, US, was $665 per tonne on Friday, unchanged week on week.Sources had estimated the market level at $665 per tonne and one fresh booking of Russia-origin material was reported at this...Read More
The export pig iron market from the Commonwealth of Independent States was calm during the week to Thursday June 3 amid an uncertain price trend.Fastmarkets assessed the price of high-manganese pig iron, export, fob main port Black Sea, CIS at $625-635 per tonne on Thursday, widening downward from $630-635 per tonne on June 2.The latest sales from CIS to the United States were reported at $665 per...Read More
Export prices for Brazil-origin steel slab rose in the week to Friday June 4 and touched $1,000 per tonne for the first time due to higher offers to the United States and overall expectations that the global uptrend will persist.Fastmarkets assessed the price for steel slab export, fob main port Brazil at a fresh all-time high of $980-1,000 per tonne on Friday, up by $10 per tonne from $970-990 pe...Read More
Prices for CIS-origin billet changed little over the week ended Friday June 4 amid a lack of trading activity, with the number of deals limited by a mismatch between offers and bids.Fastmarkets' daily steel billet index, export, fob Black Sea, CIS, was $653 per tonne on June 4, unchanged day on day and back to the level seen on Monday after a midweek dip.Billet offers from mills and traders to Tur...Read More
Prices for cargoes of steel billet imported to Asia increased over the week amid greater restocking demand from buyers and a slight upward movement in Chinese futures markets, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday June 4.Offers for blast furnace (BF) billet from Indonesia were heard at $720 per tonne cfr China at the start of the week, up from $700 per tonne cfr, while BF material from Vietnam was he...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange have attracted dip-buying this morning, Friday June 4, after weakness on Thursday when prices fell across the board by an average of 2.2%. At the same time, prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were weaker this morning while they reacted to yesterday's weakness on the LME.Thursday's strong US data, including employment data, bodes well for today's...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
Battery-grade lithium hydroxide prices in Asia moved up over the week ended Thursday June 3 against the backdrop of continued tight supply and firm buying appetite.Battery-grade lithium hydroxide prices in both domestic Chinese and seaborne Asian markets were underpinned by robust demand. Battery-grade lithium carbonate price in China was flat, although concerns persisted over increased supply. Eu...Read More
Australian spodumene producer Galaxy Resources has increased its full year production guidance for 2021 to 195,000-210,000 dry metric tonnes (dmt) of spodumene concentrate in response to strong demand, it said on Wednesday June 2.The company had previous estimated an annual output of 185,000-200,000 dmt. Galaxy's Mt Cattlin operation in Western Australia has continued to operate at full capacity d...Read More
Prices in Turkey for hot-dipped and pre-painted galvanized steel coil were forced downward during the week to Friday June 4 in order to remain competitive, sources have told Fastmarkets.Demand was strong to moderate in the export markets, but the prices offered by Vietnam to Europe were about $30-40 per tonne lower than offers from Turkish suppliers.As a result, Turkish coated coil producers decre...Read More
Indian steel mills have increased their domestic hot-rolled coil prices by 2,500-5,000 rupees ($34-68) per tonne for sales in June, bringing local prices closer to international HRC prices, Fastmarkets heard on Friday June 4.The price of steel HRC, domestic ex-whse India, was assessed by Fastmarkets at 68,500-70,500 rupees ($938-965) per tonne on Friday, compared with last week's assessment at...Read More
Most flat steel prices in Turkey decreased during the week to Friday June 4 amid slightly weaker demand compared with previous weeks due to low-priced imports.The country's currency is also losing value,resulting in cautiousness in the market, sources told Fastmarkets. The Turkish lira was trading at 8.67 lira to $1 onFriday, compared with 8.27 lira to $1 on May 1, and 7.42 lira to $1 on January1...Read More
Indian steel mills have increased their domestic hot-rolled coil prices by 2,500-5,000 rupees ($34-68) per tonne for sales in June, bringing local prices closer to international HRC prices, Fastmarkets heard on Friday June 4.The price of steel HRC, domestic ex-whse India, was assessed by Fastmarkets at 68,500-70,500 rupees ($938-965) per tonne on Friday, compared with last week's assessment at...Read More