Steel rebar prices in the north of Europe were stable in the week to Wednesday March 24, despite subdued buying activity, because of high feedstock prices, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, delivered Northern Europe was ?,?630-660 ($749-785) per tonne on Wednesday, unchanged for the second week in a row. The assessment...Read More
Turkish steel mills remained absent from the deep-sea scrap import market on Wednesday March 24, due to the slump in the value of the lira and weak steel demand, market participants told Fastmarkets.The Turkish lira weakened sharply at the beginning of the week following the surprise decision by president Recep Tayyip Erdogan to sack central bank chief Naci Agbal and appoint a finance specialist,...Read More
Japanese steel scrap suppliers are limiting the volume of material they are offering to the market, in the expectation of a short-term recovery in prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday March 24."The supply side is stopping new offers and they feel the market will not decrease anymore," a Japanese steel scrap trader said.A second trading source added: "The Japanese domestic scrap market has...Read More
The trading stalemate in the Chinese ferrous scrap import market has remained over the past day, with buyers keeping their distance from purchasing amid limited offers from sellers.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel scrap, heavy recycled steel materials, cfr China was $460-470 per tonne on Wednesday March 24, unchanged from a day earlier.Major Chinese steel mills have not shown firm interest...Read More
Seaborne premium hard coking coal price moved up in the fob market on Wednesday March 24, with new buying interest for low-priced cargoes, sources said.On the contrary, the premium hard coking coal cfr price fell against the weak demand, sources said.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $111.96 per tonne, up $0.32 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $212.00 per tonne...Read More
Iron ore prices mostly edged down on Wednesday March 24, due to reduced trading activity, sources told Fastmarkets, but high-grade fines gained slightly due to concerns over supplies of Carajas fines from Brazil.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $161.39 per tonne,down $0.41 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $161.97 per tonne,down $0.03 per tonne58% Fe fines high...Read More
A major blockage of the Suez Canal by a large container ship, leading to a vessel traffic jam, is adding to disruption in the global bulk freight markets.The Ever Given, a large container ship flagged in Panama and operated by Taiwanese firm Evergreen, was blown off-course by bad weather late on Tuesday March 23.The vessel is still blocking traffic travelling in both directions in the southern par...Read More
Fastmarkets' US lead premium reached its highest since 2012 due to supply tightness, while the zinc premium went up in Southeast Asia over freight cost hikes.Concerns voiced over the Chinese refined zinc production amid power cuts in major producing areas and a low zinc concentrates treatment charges (TC) while premiums are unchanged for zinc ingots.On-warrant zinc stocks in New Orleans' LME sheds...Read More
Tin market participants say they saw the record-breaking squeeze coming, but in pandemic-time trading, how does it get back to normal?It was at the beginning of the year when the phones started to ring. Hedge funds, eager to hitch a ride on the steadily rising price of tin, were in the market to buy physical stocks of the valuable metal that is predominately used in electronics.Solder makers and s...Read More
Aluminium recovered by 1% during morning trading on the London Metal Exchange on Wednesday March 24 after Tuesday's sell-off saw most of the base metals complex fall by more than 1%.The three-month aluminium price was at $2,243 per tonne at 9am on Wednesday, following a 2.3% drop - the largest in the complex - on Tuesday to $2,219.50 per tonne. Tuesday's slump on the LME was prompted by rumors out...Read More
China's domestic hot-rolled coil prices held steady on Wednesday March 24, with support emerging from a pick-up in trading activity, sources told Fastmarkets.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,050-5,080 yuan ($776-780) per tonne, unchangedA Shanghai-based trader noted that trading was particularly active in the afternoon when HRC futures registered strong gains.While spot prices were largely stab...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mixed this morning, Wednesday March 24, while those on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were for the most part weaker, following Tuesday's weakness on the LME.Asian-Pacific equities were generally nervous this morning, and low US treasury yields suggest risk-offStronger US dollar may prove to be a headwind for metals Base metalsLME three-month base...Read More
An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price moves.Charlotte Radford and...Read More
An overview of the consumer electronics markets and their latest price moves.Ewa Manthey and Charlotte...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 Rotterdam,...Read More
The Cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lbtrade 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...Read More
The Cobalt hydroxide payable indicator, min 30% Co, cif China, % payable of Fastmarkets' standard-grade cobalt price (low-end) 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 hydroxide p...Read More
The Cobalt sulfate 20.5% Co basis, exw China, yuan/tonne 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 sulfate...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday March 24. Key drivers Ferro-titanium spot market activity was minimal while negotiations begin for second-quarter supply.Steelmakers in Europe issue almost 600 tonnes of bids for ferro-titanium to be delivered between April and June, according to alloy suppliers. More tenders expected in the coming days, with some seen agreed befor...Read More
Minor metals prices have rebounded in the first quarter of 2021 after a year when the Covid-19 pandemic stifled trade and demand visibility. Fastmarkets highlights the key drivers behind the recent price moves. Strong demand from China China's economy began to restart last year far ahead of the rest of the world, which was still feeling the economic impact of Covid-19 shutdowns. Stimulus measures...Read More