Proposed changes to the London Metal Exchange's market structure may actually have the opposite effect to its desired intention: destroying liquidity, not increasing it.Attention has been focused on the proposed permanent closure of the LME ring, the incentivization of electronic trade and changes to margin methodology, which were central issues in the exchange's recently closed discussion paper.B...Read More
The seaborne premium hard coking coal price in the cfr market jumped on Monday May 31, with a deal heard done at $275 per tonne cfr China, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $153.89 per tonne, up $1.09 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $284.64 per tonne, up $21.19 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $129.95 per tonne, unchangedHard coki...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Recent weeks have largely been a repetition of the weeks leading up to our previous tracker in mid-April. A flurry of price increases have been announced, and largely obtained, by leading steelmakers in both Europe and the United States while buyers struggle to secure spot tonnages.Although steel output is rising in both reg...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key North American steel forecast highlights:Unprecedentedly high flat steel product pricing in the United States was forecast to persist through the current quarter and well into the second half of 2021.Actual US hot-rolled coil prices in April slightly outpaced our forecasts, with Fastmarkets' US HRC index ave...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.The upward momentum in United States' flat product prices is yet to show any signs of slowing, with US HRC prices hitting new record highs during April. Steel supply is forecast to remain short of demand due to no improvement in underlying supply and demand fundamentals, which is propelling US flat product prices higher...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Market conditions are clearly extraordinary when we find ourselves adjusting the axis on our pricing charts to display the new record-high prices each month.After reporting record price highs in Europe and the United States with regards to coated steel products, we find ourselves repeating the same line this month. In Europe,...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key ferro-alloy forecast highlights:?EUR? Impressive advances in ore and alloy prices persisted in March, with most markets posting significant price gains. Strengthening demand from steelmakers along with supply shortages and depleted inventories in numerous markets, as well as freight and transportation...Read More
Inner Mongolia, China's ferro-chrome production heartland, has imposed restrictions on its metallurgical sector in a move that has fueled the high-carbon ferro-chrome markets in China and Europe, and although this may ease off, the gains were unlikely to be lost while alloy ramp-ups continue, sources have told Fastmarkets.The decision to restrict energy consumption in Inner Mongolia since December...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
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices and margins for stainless steel producers have risen notably over the past few months in both Europe and the United States, but there are now signs that the rally is petering out.A clear reason for the halt to rising prices comes from the near 20% drop in nickel prices seen in late February/early March,...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.With nickel prices down by almost 20% over the space of around ten days during late February and early March, one might have been expecting us to be reporting sharply-lower prices of stainless steel, at least for the most common nickel-containing grades of stainless steel.This is not the case, at least in Europe and the Unite...Read More
The latest data for the global manganese ore market for the week ended May 31, 2021.Read More
Seaborne iron ore concentrate and pellet prices plunged further in the week ended Friday May 28 amid downward pressure from the bigger fines segment of the market.Fastmarkets iron ore indicesPellet premium over 65% Fe fines, cfr China: $61.00 per tonne, down $0.10 per tonne66% Fe concentrate, cfr Qingdao: $213.91 per tonne, down $30.21 per tonne65% Fe blast furnace pellet, cfr Qingdao: $279.82 per...Read More
China's nickel pig iron (NPI) prices widened downward last week amid a sliding stainless steel market, while the cif China discount for ferro-nickel decreased in the past month.Fastmarkets assessed the nickel pig iron, high-grade NPI content 10-15%, spot, ddp China at 1,125-1,150 yuan ($177-181) per nickel unit on Friday May 28, widening downward by 10 yuan (0.4%) per nickel unit from 1,135-1,150...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices rose on Monday May 31 amid support from increasing billet prices in China over the weekend and a potential easing of restrictions on steelmaking in Tangshan. Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $198.83 per tonne, up $8.32 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $201.26 per tonne, up $8.59 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $17...Read More
Hot-rolled coil prices in China's domestic market cruised higher on Monday May 31, with the futures market extending its rally.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,500-5,600 yuan ($864-880) per tonne, up by 100 yuan per tonne.The most-traded HRC October contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange hit a high of 5,535 yuan per tonne on Monday morning, extending its rally from late last week.While spot...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices rose sharply on Monday May 31 following strong gains in the billet market over the weekend, but demand decreased in response to the increases.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,000-5,030 yuan ($785-790) per tonne, up by 170 yuan per tonne A $6-trillion budget for the United States' fiscal year 2022 unveiled by President Joe Biden last Friday led to bullish sentiment...Read More
Import prices for rebar in Singapore continued to fall in the week to Monday May 31 amid sustained bearishness in the Asian market, sources said.Buyers continued to abstain from purchases, and instead watching out for when offers stop falling in the region before they commit to any cargoes, a buyer source in Singapore told Fastmarkets.Most major buyers also have a lot of inventory, which makes it...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in China on Friday May 28.Key drivers Price has declined steadily since peaking at 69,000-70,000 yuan ($10,833-10,990) per tonne in early March.Most Chinese participants chose to temporarily withdraw from the market given weak demand from the downstream...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 22 points in pre-opening trade. The Canadian Dollar was virtually unchanged at US83.13 cents following release of Canada's March GDP report at 8:30 AM EDT. Consensus was a month-to-month increase of 1.0% versus a gain of 0.4% in March. Actual was an increase of 1.1%Crude oil gained $2.28 to a three year high at $68.60...Read More