Turkish deep-sea scrap import prices edged up further on Wednesday March 31 on news of a fresh US cargo, market participants told Fastmarkets.A steel mill in the Izmir region booked the cargo, comprising HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $430 per tonne, shredded at $435 per tonne and plate & structural (P&S) scrap at $440 per tonne cfr. However, the cargo breakdown was not immediately clear at the time of public...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday March 31. Key driversScrap markets for turnings are over $2 per lb cif Europe, with suppliers increasing their offer prices amid a persistent downturn in supply from the aerospace sector; aircraft manufacturing has nose-dived since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic when air travel slumped in line with international restrictions on...Read More
Blister copper refining charges (RCs) in China rose in March to their highest level since January 2019, with spot buying interest in the country decreasing.Fastmarkets' assessment of the copper blister 98-99% RC, spot, cif China, was $170-185 per tonne on Tuesday March 31, compared with $160-170 per tonne at the start of the month.A deal was reported by a...Read More
Base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were weaker on Wednesday March 31, while they track the movement of three-month prices on the London Metal Exchange on Tuesday, but LME prices have found support this morning.Enthusiasm over economic recovery sent United States treasury 10-year yields higher on TuesdayChina's manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) climbs more than expecte...Read More
The launch of the first responsible sourcing standard for artisanal cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has reopened the door for financing banks previously unwilling to invest in the sector, the head of corporate responsibility at Trafigura said. According to James Nicholson, the creation of Entreprise G?(C)n?(C)rale du Cobalt (EGC) and its newly launched standard allows artis...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday March 31 that are worth another look.Market sources believe hot-rolled coil prices in the Northern European domestic market will remain on an upward trend into the second quarter despite reaching a new peak this week, with steelmakers widely seen as having...Read More
Indian steel mills were likely to offer hot-rolled coil for export to Europe in the week beginning April 5 at prices exceeding $1,000 per tonne cfr, Fastmarkets heard on Wednesday March 31."Indian mills are waiting until next week to offer HRC to European customers, targeting prices of more than $1,000 per tonne cfr European ports," one market participant said.An official from a major HRC exportin...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in Northern Europe were stable day on day on Wednesday March 31, but they were expected to rise in the first half of April, sources have told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, at ?,?836.00 ($981.27) per tonne on Wednesday, unchanged day on day.The index was, however, up by ?,?16.00 per tonne...Read More
Prices for steel hollow sections in Europe increased further in the week to Wednesday March 31 following additional increases to feedstock costs, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe was ?,?920-950 ($1,079-1,115) per tonne on Wednesday, up from ?,?890-920 per tonne one week previous. "Prices went through the r...Read More
European steel H-beam prices remained unchanged on Wednesday March 31 in the run-up to the Easter public holidays, sources told Fastmarkets.Despite the recent announcements of ?,?30 per tonne price increases by mills, only a ?,?10 per tonne increase was achieved on March 10, with prices remaining steady since then.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel beams, domestic, delivered Nort...Read More
Domestic steel rebar prices in the north of Europe moved up slightly int the week to Wednesday March 31, despite buyer resistance, with any increases expected be absorbed by the seasonal pick-up in demand in April, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, delivered Northern Europe was ?,?640-660 ($751-775) per tonne on Wednesday, na...Read More
Turkish deep-sea scrap import prices edged up further on Wednesday March 31 on news of a fresh US cargo, market participants told Fastmarkets.A steel mill in the Izmir region booked the cargo, comprising HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $430 per tonne, shredded at $435 per tonne and plate & structural (P&S) scrap at $440 per tonne cfr. However, the cargo breakdown was not immediately clear at the time of public...Read More
Iron ore prices continued their downtrend on Wednesday March 31, with trading sentiment still depressed amid low liquidity at ports, sources said.Market chatter about potential plans to cut steel industry emissions and downgrade more mills in Tangshan also drew market attention, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $165.15 per tonne, down $1.43 per tonn...Read More
A sharp increase in inflation expectations for the US Dollar this year have led to heightened volatility across global assets and affected copper and iron ore prices, market sources told Fastmarkets.The rollout of several stimulus measures by the US government to help the economy recover following the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, including various monetary and fiscal policies, had caused infl...Read More
Iranian steel billet producers achieved higher prices in their recent round of tenders, supported by increased demand and therefore prices in Asia, Fastmarkets heard on Tuesday March 30.On Tuesday, one of the country's major billet exporters, Khouzestan Steel, finalized a tender for 30,000 tonnes of billet at $560 per tonne fob southern Iranian ports.Esfahan Steel was reported to have closed its t...Read More
Prices of all grades of ferro-chrome in Europe went up in the pricing session on Tuesday March 30 in response to limited supply, while demand has also risen in some sections of the market, Fastmarkets has heard.Fastmarkets' price assessment for ferro-chrome, high carbon, 6-8.5% C, basis 65-70% Cr, max 1.5% Si, delivered Europe, rose by $0.05 per lb Cr (3.70%) to $1.25-1.45 per lb Cr on Tuesday, fr...Read More
An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price moves.Charlotte Radford, Cristina Belda...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday March 31. Key driversScrap markets for turnings are over $2 per lb cif Europe, with suppliers increasing their offer prices amid a persistent downturn in supply from the aerospace sector; aircraft manufacturing has nose-dived since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic when air travel slumped in line with international restrictions on...Read More
Prices for steel hollow sections in Europe increased further in the week to Wednesday March 31 following additional increases to feedstock costs, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe was ?,?920-950 ($1,079-1,115) per tonne on Wednesday, up from ?,?890-920 per tonne one week previous. "Prices went through the r...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday March 31 that are worth another look.Market sources believe hot-rolled coil prices in the Northern European domestic market will remain on an upward trend into the second quarter despite reaching a new peak this week, with steelmakers widely seen as having...Read More