Three more Japanese scrap cargoes will land in China by early March, the China Iron & Steel Association (Cisa) said on Friday January 29.A 2,800-tonne parcel bought by Zhejiang Judong will load soon from Japan and land in early-February. The parcel was sold by Japan's Pinghe Trading.A 3,000-tonne parcel sold by Japanese trader Hanwa to eastern China steel mill Shagang will load in mid-to-late Febr...Read More
A resurgence of Covid-19 in Vietnam and the continual price falls in the Japanese domestic scrap market have dampened buying sentiment in the week to Friday January 29, sources told Fastmarkets.Offers for bulk Japanese H2 materials had initially been at $415-420 per tonne cfr Vietnam on Tuesday before falling to $400-405 per tonne cfr Vietnam by Wednesday.There was a transaction concluded at $380...Read More
The rally in China's domestic lithium prices continued to influence markets in the rest of Asia in the week to Thursday January 28, but trading has thinned in the run-up to the Lunar New Year holiday in mid-February. China's battery-grade lithium prices rose again due to limited spot availability and because some producers had stopped offering ahead of Chinese New Year. Asian battery-grade lithium...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday January 28 that are worth another look.Rio Tinto has created a new executive team and organizational structure to strengthen its environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) credentials and rebuild trust, "particularly in Australia", following the destruction...Read More
The price of tin on the London Metal Exchange rose to a new 2021 high on Thursday January 28, while the rest of the base-metals complex showed mixed results at the 5pm close.Zinc, notably, was holding its ground after a 2.7% decline on Wednesday, but the prices of nickel and aluminium drifted lower.Tin's continued rise on Thursday led it to a new year-to-date high of $23,075 per tonne during the d...Read More
The winners of Fastmarkets' Apex 2020 price forecast contest set out their projections for factors that will most influence base metals, precious metals and steel raw material prices in 2021, with Covid-19 vaccinations a constant. Base metals ED&F Man's Edward Meir, who took the top price for base metals predictions in 2020, sees firm base metals prices in 2021. "The reason we're not super bullish...Read More
Key information from the pricing session for Fastmarkets' alumina index, fob Australia on Wednesday January 27.Fastmarkets' Alumina index adjustment to fob Australia index, Brazil differential compared to Australian units was at a narrow discount of $0.23 per tonne on Thursday January 28 - the narrowest discount since it was trading at a premium of $2.61 per tonne in September 2020.Key driversA de...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday January 28 that are worth another look.Rio Tinto has created a new executive team and organizational structure to strengthen its environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) credentials and rebuild trust, "particularly in Australia", following the destruction...Read More
Cobalt sulfate prices in China hit a 26-month high on Wednesday January 27 against a backdrop of tight spot availability and strength in the upstream cobalt hydroxide market. Fastmarkets' price assessment for cobalt sulfate 20.5% Co basis, exw China rose to 70,000-74,000 yuan per tonne ($10,812-11,430) on Wednesday, up by 2,000-4,000 yuan per tonne (4.3%) from 68,000-70,000 yuan per tonne on Janua...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday January 28 that are worth another look.Rio Tinto has created a new executive team and organizational structure to strengthen its environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) credentials and rebuild trust, "particularly in Australia", following the destruction...Read More
Italian stainless steel producer Acciai Speciali Terni (AST) is attempting to unilaterally and retroactively apply price increases to already-concluded supply contracts agreed with distribution companies, market sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday January 28. A distributor in Denmark that buys from AST, among other stainless steel producers, said AST had made it aware of its intention to apply a...Read More
Turkish steel producers continued to book deep-sea scrap cargoes at steady prices on Thursday January 27, after reviving their interest in imports on Wednesday following a sharp downturn in scrap values, sources told Fastmarkets.A steel mill in the Iskenderun region booked a cargo from the United States, comprising HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $416 per tonne, shredded at $421 per tonne and bonus scrap at $4...Read More
The winners of Fastmarkets' Apex 2020 price forecast contest set out their projections for factors that will most influence base metals, precious metals and steel raw material prices in 2021, with Covid-19 vaccinations a constant. Base metals ED&F Man's Edward Meir, who took the top price for base metals predictions in 2020, sees firm base metals prices in 2021. "The reason we're not super bullish...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange were for the most part weaker this morning, Thursday January 28, after market sentiment across the board has turned more cautious. Asian-Pacific equities and major western pre-market equity index futures were weaker this morningUS Dollar Index firmed on Wednesday while equities sold-offBase metals There were more fallers...Read More
A summary of Australian lithium miner Orocobre's results for the fourth quarter of 2020, released on Wednesday January 27.In brief The company's output increased by 58% quarter on quarter, the third highest output the Argentina-based Olaroz facility has achieved since operations began due to high daily production rates and further decreases in costs. Olaroz operations were temporarily halted for t...Read More
Cobalt sulfate prices in China hit a 26-month high on Wednesday January 27 against a backdrop of tight spot availability and strength in the upstream cobalt hydroxide market. Fastmarkets' price assessment for cobalt sulfate 20.5% Co basis, exw China rose to 70,000-74,000 yuan per tonne ($10,812-11,430) on Wednesday, up by 2,000-4,000 yuan per tonne (4.3%) from 68,000-70,000 yuan per tonne on Janua...Read More
European steelmakers have pushed up their domestic prices for hot-rolled coil, but buyers were holding back from making new deals, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday January 28.Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, at ?,?711.00 ($862.20) per tonne on Thursday, up by ?,?2.25 per tonne from ?,?708.75 per tonne on January 27.This was a rebound...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-dipped galvanizing coil (HDG) started to decrease over the week to Wednesday January 27 despite the continuous short supply of material, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel HDG, domestic, exw Northern Europe was ?,?820-840 ($994-1,019) per tonne on January 27, down by ?,?10 per tonne week on week from ?,?830-850 per tonne.Fastmarkets' cor...Read More
The China Chamber of Commerce for Metallurgical Enterprises has released a report appealing to the government to curb speculation in the iron ore market as well as cut steel exports, with both proposals prompting moves in hot-rolled coil prices in China on Thursday January 28. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 4,500-4,530 yuan ($695-700) per tonne, down 30 yuan per tonne Spot sellers cut prices o...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday January 28 that are worth another look.Rio Tinto has created a new executive team and organizational structure to strengthen its environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) credentials and rebuild trust, "particularly in Australia", following the destruction...Read More