Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in Northern Europe were fairly stable day on day on Monday February 15 due to good demand and long lead times, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, at ?,?718.13 ($870.31) per tonne on Monday, down by ?,?1.87 per tonne from ?,?720 per tonne on February 12.The index was, however, up b...Read More
German flat steel producer Salzgitter has declared force majeure due to weather conditions that resulted in disruptions to deliveries, the company's spokesman told Fastmarkets on Monday February 15.The company hopes that the weather will improve in the middle of this week and that deliveries will start to run as normal.The Salzgitter-Beddingen freight station has been closed and shipments...Read More
Positive sentiment in the long steel market over the past week helped Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) producers to achieve wire rod sales at higher prices, sources said on February 15."Prices for wire rod have gone up after higher scrap bookings and more optimism in the market," one trader said. Fastmarkets' daily index for steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), North Europe origin, cfr Turkey...Read More
Egypt's use of rebar was almost halved in January 2021, with the country consuming just 308,000 tonnes of the construction material - a 46.53% year on year drop from January 2019's 576,000 tonnes.El Marakby Steel's chief business development officer Ramy Saleh told Fastmarkets on Monday February 15 that, in January, rebar use was at its lowest level for more than 10 years...Read More
Russia's NLMK will increase shipments of slab to its subsidiaries as part of its Strategy 2023, the company told Fastmarkets. Earlier in February, NLMK idled a strip mill at its Belgium-based subsidiary NLMK La Louvi??re until March to install three new finishing lines. The revamp will enable production of thinner, stronger and more environmentally-sound steel, according to the company. The compan...Read More
Turkish steel mills made no deep-sea scrap bookings on the first day of the working week because they were mostly focused on finished steel sales, sources told Fastmarkets on Monday February 15.Last week, prices rose by more than $22 per tonne week on week after two steel mills booked United States-origin cargoes at $410 per tonne cfr on HMS 1&2 (80:20) basis.Steelmakers then turned their focus to...Read More
Turkish domestic scrap prices have rebounded in the past week thanks to the upturn in imported scrap values, market sources said on Monday February 15.The producers in the country resumed their deep-sea scrap bookings on Wednesday last week, dragging prices up by more than $22 per tonne week on week by Friday.Fastmarkets' daily index for steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), US origin, cfr Turkey, was...Read More
British steel scrap suppliers have mostly settled monthly delivery prices for steel scrap to domestic consumers at ?30 ($41) per tonne lower for February, not as low as expected because export prices to traditional deep-sea markets have staged a late recovery this month, industry sources told Fastmarkets. The move marks the first downturn in prices since October when the markets dropped ?5 per t...Read More
Trading activity was subdued on Monday February 15 with markets in China closed for a week-long public holiday for Chinese New Year that started on February 11. Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $166.88 per tonne, unchanged 62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $167.25 per tonne, unchanged 58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $152.66 per tonne, unchanged 65% Fe Braz...Read More
Fob seaborne hard coking coal prices rebounded slightly on Monday February 15 on pockets of optimism, but most market participants held bearish views for the very short term caused by the Lunar New Year holiday. Fastmarkets indices Premium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $144.31 per tonne, up $2.30 per tonne Premium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $217.23 per tonne, unchanged Hard coking coal, fob DBC...Read More
Prices for seaborne iron ore concentrate and pellets rose in the week ended Thursday February 11, with the gains coming despite persistently soft demand due to the start of a weeklong holiday in China to mark the Chinese New Year.Fastmarkets iron ore indices66% Fe concentrate, cfr Qingdao: $184.47 per tonne, up $7.90 per tonne.65% Fe blast furnace pellet, cfr Qingdao: $214.57 per tonne, up $2.30 p...Read More
Tightening prompt supply in Europe as a result of large-volume end-user inquiries has continued to push manganese flake prices higher in an active spot market during the week to Friday February 12.Fastmarkets' price assessment for manganese, 99.7% electrolytic manganese flake, in-whs Rotterdam climbed to $2,750-2,850 per tonne on Friday February 12, up $150 from the midweek assessment of $2,600-2,...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...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...Read More
After a consultation period, Fastmarkets will amend the pricing holiday schedule for its cobalt hydroxide payable indicator with public holidays in China instead of those in England and Wales.The change is reflective of the fact that the price assessment tracks activity on a cif China basis. The detailed specifications for this assessment are listed below with amendments in italics:MB-CO-0021: Cob...Read More
With China still on holiday, base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange have been consolidating this morning, Tuesday February 16, even though broader markets remain upbeat.* Optimism remains high while the market focuses on vaccine-enabled and stimulus-driven recoveries* While complacency is a risk, the pent-up enthusiasm from a year of Covid-19 may last a long time* BHP raises its outlook,...Read More
Even with Chinese market participants on holiday, base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange have for the most part been bullish on Monday February 15, with the exception of zinc.* Major western pre-market equity index futures were stronger. * The dollar index was on a back foot while United States 10-year treasury yields were firmer, suggesting risk-on.Base metalsThe three-month zinc price w...Read More
Brazilian flat steel producer Usiminas estimates that, after recent price increases and including taxes, domestically produced flat steel is sold at a premium of around 10% compared with imported material - a level the company sees as the "ideal" difference between prices of imported and domestically made material."[Our price] in the domestic market is currently within Usiminas' target," commercia...Read More
Demand for steel in the European Union is expected to rebound by 13.3% year on year in 2021 after a 13% slump in 2020, the European steel association Eurofer said this week. Steel demand in the region had been on a negative trend through most of 2020, largely due to pressures resulting from Covid-19 pandemic-related restrictions across Europe, the association said. in its quarterly Econo...Read More
Aluminium billet premiums in the United States, Germany and Spain firmed near two-year highs on Friday February 12 as demand outpaced supply in those regions. Premiums in Asia and South America were steady.US billet premium jumps to March 2019 levelsEuropean premiums climb; third-quarter talks beginBrazilian billet premium steady despite higher dealsPremium flat in Thailand; freight costlyUnited S...Read More