Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange were mixed during the morning of Thursday May 27, as were broader markets - are these pauses, or early signs of a stall?More US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) members seem to be getting off the fence about talking about tapering Chinese yuan continues to strengthen, is China using the yuan to reduce inflationary pr...Read More
The European Commission (EC) has officially terminated its anti-subsidy case into hot-rolled coil from Turkey without imposing any duties, Fastmarkets understands.This decision was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on Thursday May 27.In April 2021,...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...Read More
Experts from the battery value chain shared their understanding and insights into lithium price evolution and the new lithium futures contract during a Fastmarkets' webinar on Tuesday May 25.CME Group in the United States launched a cash-settled lithium futures contract on May 3. The contract is settled against Fastmarkets' assessment of the lithium hydroxide monohydrate, 56.5% LiOH.H2O min, batte...Read More
Russia has decided to increase the duty imposed on steel scrap exports to ?,?70 ($85.57) per tonne in a bid to keep enough material within the domestic market against a background of rising global prices, the country's ministry of economic development said on Wednesday May 26."The percentage [at which the duty is applied] is being kept at 5% of the customs value," the ministry said. "And in order...Read More
German copper producer Aurubis has started tests for the use of hydrogen and nitrogen to replace natural gas in its copper anode production processes, advancing the company's goal of achieving carbon-neutrality by 2050, it announced on Thursday May 27.The tests started on Thursday and were intended to investigate hydrogen use in continuous operation until the late summer. The long-term goal was to...Read More
Turkish rebar and wire rod export prices made a downward correction in the week to Thursday May 27, having risen steadily since the end of April, market participants told Fastmarkets this week.Turkish steelmakers lowered their rebar export offers to $750-780 per tonne fob on an actual-weight basis, down from last week's $780-790 per tonne. The downward movement followed a downturn in Asian steel p...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in Europe were broadly flat day on day, reflecting a lack of trading activity in the spot market while supply is tight, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday May 27.Fastmarkets calculated its steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe at ?,?1,138.33 ($1,391.57) per tonne on May 27, down by ?,?2.67 per tonne from ?,?1,141 per tonne on May 26. The i...Read More
Copper's 2.4% price rise at the close of trading on Thursday May 27, supported by the start of a strike at BHP's operations center in Chile, led the rest of the London Metals Exchange base-metals complex higher, making it the first day of strong rises following a week of lower prices.The three-month price of copper was $10,221 per tonne on Thursday at the close, up from Wednesday's $9,979 per tonn...Read More
Energy majors Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil and Chevron received landmark rebukes - in court or from investors - on Wednesday May 26 in attempts to force the companies into reducing carbon emissions.In a Dutch court, Shell was ordered to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 45% from 2019 levels, and to do so by 2030 - doubling its current pace.Activist shareholders Engine No1 will hold two seats on...Read More
Prices for steel billet imported into Egypt fell in the week to Thursday May 27, largely due to a lack of demand, sources told Fastmarkets.Global billet prices have been decreasing recently and there was hardly any demand for imports into Egypt, they added.Fastmarkets' daily steel billet index, export, fob Black Sea, was $659 per tonne on May 27, down from $691 per tonne on May 20.Demand for rebar...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday May 27 that are worth another look.Energy majors Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil and Chevron received landmark rebukes - in court or from investors - on Wednesday May 26 in attempts to force the companies into...Read More
China's relentless "suggestions" to industry that it wants to see stable commodity prices appear to have suppressed speculative behavior and are beginning to cool bullish market conditions, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday May 27.Rising commodity prices were highlighted for the third time in 14 days, on Wednesday May 26, during the the weekly executive meeting of China's State Council, le...Read More
Rio Tinto is partnering with Swedish research and development firm Comptech AB to bring a new generation of aluminium alloys to the market for use in advanced technologies, such as electric vehicles (EV) and 5G antennas, the UK-listed mining company said.The company said the products are currently undergoing qualification with automakers in Europe, who are stepping up efforts to increase their sha...Read More
Exporters of metals such as tin, tantalum and cobalt from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were closely monitoring the situation in the country following the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano over the weekend of May 22-23.The eruption, and the subsequent aftershocks, have forced the evacuation of thousands of people from the city of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, which is around...Read More
Prices for steel billet imported into Egypt fell in the week to Thursday May 27, largely due to a lack of demand, sources told Fastmarkets.Global billet prices have been decreasing recently and there was hardly any demand for imports into Egypt, they added.Fastmarkets' daily steel billet index, export, fob Black Sea, was $659 per tonne on May 27, down from $691 per tonne on May 20.Demand for rebar...Read More
Import prices for steel scrap in China weakened further on Thursday May 27 amid a continued lack of buying interest, sources told Fastmarkets.The continued price drop came despite the most-traded rebar and hot-rolled coil futures contracts on the Shanghai Futures Exchange inching up on May 27 after more than a week of consecutive losses.Fastmarkets' daily price assessment for steel scrap...Read More
Energy majors Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil and Chevron received landmark rebukes - in court or from investors - on Wednesday May 26 in attempts to force the companies into reducing carbon emissions.In a Dutch court, Shell was ordered to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 45% from 2019 levels, and to do so by 2030 - doubling its current pace.Activist shareholders Engine No1 will hold two seats on...Read More
Seaborne premium hard coking coal prices climbed up in both the cfr and fob markets on Thursday May 27, with the supply of north American premium hard coking coal to China still limited and more buying activity in the fob market, source told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $152.76 per tonne, up $12.16 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $262.29 per t...Read More
Canada will seek to work with its allies and partners to develop supply chains that will help them to meet global climate goals, according to the associate deputy minister at the Department of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).Shawn Tupper said that this will include building mineral value chains and downstream processing, products and technologies, and leveraging mining practices, to position Cana...Read More