Prices for low-carbon ferro-chrome continued to rise strongly in the week to Wednesday November 10, with the market still undersupplied and prices reaching a new record high since collapsing in November 2008.Fastmarkets' price assessment for ferro-chrome 0.10% C, average 65-70% Cr, delivered Europe, was $3.80-4.09 per lb Cr on November 9, up by 34-37 cents from $3.43-3.75 per lb Cr two weeks earli...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...Read More
An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price moves.Janie Davies, Alex Cook...Read More
Exporters of steel scrap from Japan are finding it increasingly difficult to find buyers for their material at acceptable prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday November 10.Wednesday saw another price decrease at major buyer Tokyo Steel, which will drop its buy prices by ?500 ($4) per tonne across all grades and all works with effect from November 11. This will be the third decrease so far...Read More
Cobalt hydroxide suppliers have made aggressive offers in negotiations for annual long-term contracts, sources told Fastmarkets on the sidelines of the Antaike Nickel & Cobalt conference in Ningbo, China, on November 1-3.Since the annual mating season in 2019, most cobalt hydroxide sellers and buyers have adopted a pricing mechanism for their long-term contracts for the crucial and preferred cobal...Read More
Turkish steel producers were mostly quiet on the second working day of the week amid firm offers from Baltic Sea and US suppliers, market participants told Fastmarkets on Tuesday November 9.The most recent deep-sea trade was recorded at the end of the last week, when a steel mill in the Izmir region booked a Baltic Sea cargo consisting of 11,000 tonnes of heavy melting scrap 1&2 (80:20) at $500 pe...Read More
Domestic demand for rebar in China weakened further on Tuesday November 9, causing prices to narrow downward. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 4,900-4,940 yuan ($766-773) per tonne, narrowing downward by 40 yuan per tonneMany traders lowered their rebar offers on losses in the futures market with the exception of a few, who maintained theirs.But both approaches failed to generate interest among...Read More
Prices for flat steel products continued to increase in Russia's Central Federal District around Moscow during the quiet holiday week ended Monday November 8, on limited offers from the mills, sources have told Fastmarkets.Some believed that prices have reached their peak and would remain flat until the end of the year, due to rumors about planned short-term maintenance stoppages at mills and the...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices fell on Tuesday November 9 amid weak demand for steel in northern China (due to the colder weather) and rising inventories at Chinese ports, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $92.30 per tonne, down $1.52 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $93.46 per tonne, down $1.09 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qi...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key ferro-alloy forecast highlights:?EUR? Impressive advances in ore and alloy prices persisted in March, with most markets posting significant price gains. Strengthening demand from steelmakers along with supply shortages and depleted inventories in numerous markets, as well as freight and transportation...Read More
The International Rebar Producers & Exporters Association (Irepas) continues to believe that prospects for global long steel markets remain good and indicate a satisfactory first quarter of 2022.The global long steel products market is stable at the moment and should remain so in the next quarter despite many uncertainties including power shortages and costs, logistical challenges, the Evergrande...Read More
Brazil's automotive production dropped by 24.8% year on year in October amid a global microchip shortage and a stoppage of truckers in the Port of Santos, S??o Paulo.Light vehicle production totaled 177,900 units last month, compared with 236,500 units a year earlier.Anfavea, the national association of motor vehicle manufacturers, said that production was affected by suspensions among carmakers b...Read More
Domestic steel rebar prices in Russia's Central Federal District around Moscow were largely stable during the seven days up to Monday November 8, because of slow activity after a national holiday and Covid-19 restriction measures.Market participants continued to report that the available volumes of rebar were limited. This was mostly due to mills giving priority to replenishing their trade houses'...Read More
Domestic steel rebar prices in Russia's Central Federal District around Moscow were largely stable during the seven days up to Monday November 8, because of slow activity after a national holiday and Covid-19 restriction measures.Market participants continued to report that the available volumes of rebar were limited. This was mostly due to mills giving priority to replenishing their trade houses'...Read More
Zinc producers in China's southwestern province of Yunnan should be able to fully resume their operations by mid-June, sources said.Yunnan will remove its power restrictions by the end of June that have stunted local zinc output, the provincial energy bureau said.A few zinc smelters in Yunnan have already resumed production, however, sources that spoke to Fastmarkets said.Production capa...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Tuesday November 9 that are worth another look.Carbon offsets and trading are an effective and quick way to contend with a future global ecosystem of green taxes, or the "green taxonomy," a sustainability consultancy said.Growing consumer appetite for sustainable products...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Tuesday November 9 that are worth another look.Carbon offsets and trading are an effective and quick way to contend with a future global ecosystem of green taxes, or the "green taxonomy," a sustainability consultancy said.Growing consumer appetite for sustainable products...Read More
Canada's First Cobalt Corp will expand its Ontario facilities to produce a range of precursor battery materials and to recycle lithium-ion batteries, it said.The Toronto-listed cobalt producer, which is North America's only cobalt refinery, also plans - subject to shareholder approval - to change its name to Electra Battery Materials to better reflect its new strategy, it also said. First Co...Read More
Mexican ferrous scrap prices were little changed in the week ended Friday November 5, with buyers passing on minor price adjustments to certain grades.Scrap sellers were putting strong pressure on clients, trying to apply price increases after the United States market reached settlements for November with increases of $20 per gross ton in prime scrap grades, and $40-60 per gross ton on most obsole...Read More
London Metal Exchange aluminium stocks dropped below the 1-million-tonne mark for the first time since October 2019 and on-warrant volumes were at their lowest in nearly 16 years on Tuesday November 9, while the metal complex's prices were little changed from the end of trading on Monday.There was a 21,925-tonne fresh cancellation of aluminium on Tuesday, spread mostly between warehouses in Singap...Read More