Most base metals futures prices continued to rise in early trading on the London Metal Exchange on Friday November 19, following a strong performance at the close on Thursday."A weaker [United States] dollar and constructive US macro data provided some support [to base metal prices]," ED&F Man commodity research head Edward Meir said.The three-month aluminium price led the complex, increasing by 2...Read More
Although sentiment in the US carbon steel plate market has grown less decidedly bullish in recent weeks, the price has held steady at its all-time high - surpassing hot-rolled coil for the first time in more than a year.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel cut-to-length plate carbon grade, fob mill US held at $90 per hundredweight ($1,800 per short ton) on Friday November 19, unchanged for two...Read More
Prices for cold-rolled and galvanized steel sheet in the United States tumbled, partially catching up with the accelerating downturn in pricing for hot-rolled coil substrate, which has declined by more than 8% from its peak two months ago. Fastmarkets' weekly pricing assessment for steel cold-rolled coil, fob mill US skidded to $104 per hundredweight ($2,080 per short ton) on Thursday Novembe...Read More
Slab export prices from Brazil remained stable in the week to Friday November 19, amid an ongoing tug of war between producers and sellers on prices for January-shipment batches.Few volumes are available in the spot market, but uncertainty in most steel markets are leading negotiations to a deadlock.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel slab, export, fob main port Brazil was $730-760 per...Read More
Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States continued their descent on Friday November 19, closing in on $88 per hundredweight ($1,760 per short ton) amid slowing demand while the end of the year approaches.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $88.42 per cwt ($1,768.40 per ton) on Friday, down by 1.82% from $90.06 per cwt on Thursday November 18 and down by...Read More
Brazilian apparent steel consumption fell by 5.95% in October, from the same month in 2020, largely influenced by lower domestic shipments of flat steel from mills, according to data published by the steelmakers' association, Instituto A??o Brasil, on Friday November 19.Apparent consumption totaled 1.96 million tonnes during the month, down from 2.09 million tonnes a year before, A??o Brasil said....Read More
The price of secondary steel billet in the Indian domestic market fell by 1,500 rupees ($20) per tonne over the week ended Friday November 19, with demand for semi-finished materials slowing down in line with a sharp fall in demand and prices for finished steel products.Fastmarkets assessed the price for steel billet, domestic, exw India, at 41,700-41,900 rupees ($562-565) per tonne on November 19...Read More
Bulk freight rates for key steel products have receded over recent weeks amid shrinking port congestion in China and improved vessel availability, sources have told Fastmarkets.A slowdown in Chinese commodity imports, coming at a time of crashing steel prices in the country, has allowed congestion at the country's ports to unwind in recent weeks, markets participants said.Freight rates first dropp...Read More
An overview of the new energy materials markets and their price moves in the week to Friday November 19.Susan Zou, Yingchi Yang and...Read More
The United States pig iron import market remained at a standstill in the week to Friday November 19, but suppliers remained bullish and prices edged up, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for pig iron, import, cfr Gulf of Mexico, US was at $575-580 per tonne on Friday, up from $570-575 per tonne a week earlier.Neither buyers no suppliers were heard to be active in the market du...Read More
Prices for shredded steel scrap imported into Pakistan and India moved down after both markets weakened in the seven days to Friday November 19, sources told Fastmarkets.PakistanFastmarkets calculated its weekly steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Port Qasim, Pakistan at $560.18 per tonne on Friday, compared with $564.21 per tonne a week earlier.Deals were heard at $563-565 per tonne this we...Read More
The United Kingdom inter-merchant light iron steel scrap spot price was steady for the third consecutive week on Friday November 19, but strong demand is expected to push up prices by the end of the month against relatively tight supply, trade sources said.The UK market is at its highest level so far this year and any move up to ?200 ($270) per tonne would be the first time the British market has...Read More
Turkish steel scrap import prices recovered with a fresh European cargo deal heard at the end of the week, market participants told Fastmarkets on Friday November 19.A steel mill in the Marmara region booked a European cargo comprising HMS 1&2 (75:25) at $486 per tonne and bonus at $506 per tonne cfr. The cargo composition was not clear at the time of publication. The previous deep-sea deal was he...Read More
No trading activity was reported in the export pig iron market from the Commonwealth of Independent States in the week ended Thursday November 18, although the market was firm amid bullish suppliers.Fastmarkets' price assessment for high-manganese pig iron, export, fob main port Black Sea, CIS was $530-540 per tonne on November 18, narrowing upward from $520-540 per tonne a week before."Suppl...Read More
The seaborne low-volatility pulverized coal injection (PCI) cfr price fell further in the week to November 19 amid weak demand; seaborne coking coal prices in both the cfr and fob markets also inched down on Friday.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $422.68 per tonne, down $1.16 per tonneHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $348.75 per tonne, unchangedPremium hard coking coal, f...Read More
Iron ore prices increased on Friday November 19, despite continuing weak demand, after uncomfirmed reports that China will soon ease restrictions on real estate loans, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $91.69 per tonne, up $4.42 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $92.60 per tonne, up $4.34 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qin...Read More
The risks that the Chinese government will introduce export duties on steel products will increase if export volumes surge when prices stabilize again after the recent decline, market sources told Fastmarkets over the week to Friday November 19."A sharp rebound in export volumes will draw attention from the central authorities," a Shanghai-based trader said.Fears have emerged that the Chinese gove...Read More
Eastern China's rebar prices increased slightly on Friday November 19 following futures' gains due to heightened market expectations that banks will loosen loans to housing companies.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 4,670-4,710 yuan ($732-738) per tonne, up by 10-20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing) weekly assessment: 4,440-4,480 yuan per tonne, down by 80-120 yuan per tonneMarket participa...Read More
Spot prices for hot-rolled coil in China continued to edge lower on Friday November 19, while futures prices rose sharply in the last trading hour before the closing bell.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 4,630-4,680 yuan ($725-733) per tonne, down by 20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tangshan) weekly assessment: 4,600-4,650 yuan per tonne, down by 280-300 yuan per tonneSpot HRC prices in east...Read More
Silicon prices fell for a second consecutive week in the United States, with some domestic buyers saying the global price rally had ended after prices retreated from early November's all-time high.But prices in China, where the rally originated, have begun to move in the opposite direction, posting gains in the week to Friday November 19."The panic is over, prices have come down and I have ze...Read More