Trafigura is in talks with Cliveden Trading to acquire copper purchase and sale contracts from the Zug-based trading house, sources with knowledge of the matter told Fastmarkets.Talks were held between the two companies this week, with Trafigura potentially taking on a portion of Cliveden's copper book, subject to conditions, two sources who declined to be named because the discussions were confid...Read More
As competition in the global steel markets remains fierce, Fastmarkets provides an update on the new, progressing and closed trade cases from around the world in April 2021.The case list below includes only updates. For other continuing cases this year, see the updates for January, February and...Read More
German steel companies Thyssenkrupp Steel and H? 1/4 ttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann (HKM) and the Port of Rotterdam Authority are to jointly investigate setting up international supply chains for hydrogen. Thyssenkrupp Steel and HKM will require large and increasing quantities of hydrogen to produce steel without coal as part of their transformation paths towards climate-neutral steelmaking. Both comp...Read More
China's new tax regime for ferrous raw materials and steel exports will kick off a new era for the steel sector, one in which demand and supply will become more balanced and the country cuts its dependency on iron ore at a faster pace. Chinese authorities announced last week that, from May 1, import duties for metallics and semi-finished steel would be removed and that export duties for raw materi...Read More
The price of austenitic stainless steel scrap in the UK increased this week on an uptick in nickel costs and persistently strong market fundamentals, Fastmarkets heard on Friday May 7.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for stainless steel scrap 18/8 solids, domestic, delivered merchants UK, was ?1,200-1,260 ($1,668-1,751) per tonne on Friday, up from ?1,150-1,230 per tonne a week previously.Th...Read More
European steel association Eurofer believes that apparent steel consumption in the EU will increase by 11.7% year-on-year in 2021, it said on Thursday May 6.The association also forecast a more moderate rise of 4.9% year-on-year in 2022, to return "above 2017 levels thanks to continued improvement in demand from steel-using sectors."As a result, EU apparent steel consumption was expected to reach...Read More
Prices for inter-merchant light iron scrap in the UK increased over the week ended Friday May 7, extending a general rally since late March, sources have told Fastmarkets.The market was likely to move higher, they added, given strong business conditions for European scrap exports into Turkey and the Indian subcontinent.UK monthly deliveries into domestic consumers in May were likely to be settled...Read More
Prices for inter-merchant light iron scrap in the UK increased over the week ended Friday May 7, extending a general rally since late March, sources have told Fastmarkets.The market was likely to move higher, they added, given strong business conditions for European scrap exports into Turkey and the Indian subcontinent.UK monthly deliveries into domestic consumers in May were likely to be settled...Read More
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
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday May 5 that are worth another look.German steel companies Thyssenkrupp Steel and H? 1/4 ttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann (HKM) and the Port of Rotterdam Authority are to jointly investigate setting up international supply chains for hydrogen.AfriTin Mining will increase production at its fledgling...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday May 6 that are worth another look.Recent changes in Chinese tax policy have resulted in significant rises in the prices for steel billet and finished long steel products from the CIS and...Read More
Indian mills have increased domestic prices for steel hot-rolled coil by 4,500-7,000 rupees ($61-95) per tonne for sales this month, Fastmarkets heard on Friday May 7.Mills have also curtailed the supply of HRC to the domestic sector in order to ensure that the price increase will be absorbed by the market."Mills are supplying very little [HRC] material to the...Read More
An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price moves.Charlotte Radford, Cristina Belda...Read More
An overview of the new energy materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Susan Zou, Yingchi Yang, and Sybil...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' Friday May 7 pricing sessions in China, India, Europe and the United States.China Seaborne low- and high-grade manganese ore markets recovered after deals were signed at higher prices for June shipment, and sentiment reacted to stronger downstream markets. Portside low- and high-grade manganese ore prices stayed firm with increased demand from smelters due to profitable...Read More
Chrome and platinum concentrates producer Tharisa acquired 100% of the shareholding of Salene Chrome Zimbabwe on March 31, it has announced.Tharisa agreed a $3 million acquisition from Leto Settlement of an open-pit chrome project, now at the development stage, in Zimbabwe's Great Dyke, the company said in a statement published on Wednesday May 5. Tharisa is based in Europe but operates principall...Read More
Trafigura is in talks with Cliveden Trading to acquire copper purchase and sale contracts from the Zug-based trading house, sources with knowledge of the matter told Fastmarkets.Talks were held between the two companies this week, with Trafigura potentially taking on a portion of Cliveden's copper book, subject to conditions, two sources who declined to be named because the discussions were confid...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday May 6 that are worth another look.Recent changes in Chinese tax policy have resulted in significant rises in the prices for steel billet and finished long steel products from the CIS and...Read More
Metal merchants for years ploughed credit into Liberty Commodities, the trading unit of GFG Alliance, even while banks quietly shunned the company.In separate instances related to nickel and copper deals dating to 2016, blue-chip banks including ICBC Standard Bank, Sberbank and Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) have abruptly halted financing of commodity trades made by Liberty after finding irr...Read More
High primary aluminium prices and premiums in Europe prevented market participants there from achieving a higher low-carbon aluminium differential throughout April, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday May 7.Fastmarkets assessed the aluminium low-carbon differential value-added product (VAP), Europe at $10-15 per tonne Friday May 7, flat compared to the last assessment on April 1.Offers as high as $...Read More