The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Iron ore remains the most bullish commodity of the year, with prices fuelled by Chinese demand and supply disruptions in Brazil, along with bullish sentiment. But prices are expected to come down because Brazilian exports have begun to recover, and have reached their highest level since the Brumadinho dam disaster in 2019. W...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.In the iron ore market, supply issues including heavy rains at the start of the year, followed by staffing problems during the Covid-19 pandemic, have affected exports from Brazil. This has helped Australia gain a larger market share, but since June, Brazilian export volumes have returned to levels last seen before the...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Chinese blast furnace (BF) utilization rates have stagnated and iron ore port stock volumes are rising, reaching their highest levels since March, which suggests that iron ore supply is becoming excessive while demand is not growing. Unsurprisingly, prices dropped last week and we expect the trend to continue. The market has...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Prices of stainless steel are generally set to reach highs for the year as 2020 comes to a close. For the most common nickel-containing grades of stainless steel, this upward trend is being driven above all by rising nickel prices, which themselves are hitting relatively high levels into the end of 2020.The price increases si...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.While much commentary has been written about Asian economies performing far better than those elsewhere this year during the global Covid-19 pandemic, it is stainless steel markets in Europe and the United States that are ending the year in better shape than their Asian counterparts.We do not talk of demand levels or demand g...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.While a world leader in many areas, the United States is a relatively small player when it comes to stainless steel. It produces a small amount of material, both in absolute and relative terms (i.e. compared to the size of its population), while a large share of its industry is in the hands of bigger European companies. Never...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Having found it easier to increase prices than their counterparts in Europe and the United States during the past few months, Asian stainless steelmakers now face a number of concerns.In the short term, Asian prices have moved down in recent weeks while those in Europe and the US are on the up. This is mostly a reflection of...Read More
The prices for steel hollow sections in Europe have remained unchanged over the past week, with many market participants still on their Christmas and New Year holidays, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday January 6.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?800-820 ($982-1,007) per tonne on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous assessm...Read More
The prices of high- and low-carbon ferro-chrome in Europe rose on January 5 due to tight supply and stronger sentiment seeping into the European market from China. Fastmarkets' assessment of ferro-chrome high carbon 6-8.5% C, basis 65-70% Cr, max 1.5% Si, delivered Europe rose 2 cents (or 2.1%) to $0.92-1.07 per lb Cr from $0.90-$1.05 per lb Cr on December 29.Correspondingly, ferro-chrome high car...Read More
Copper and nickel hit multi-month and multi-week highs respectively on the London Metal Exchange on Wednesday January 6, spurred by factors such as export delays in Peru, positive sentiment about electric vehicles and a weak US dollar. Three-month copper peaked at $8,169 per tonne, its highest since February 19, 2013, when it topped out at $8,153.50 per tonne. "Copper is the star base metal going...Read More
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday January 6.Please click...Read More
Key information from the pricing session for Fastmarkets' alumina index, fob Australia on Wednesday January 6. Fastmarkets' alumina index, fob Australia is at its highest level since July 11, 2019 when it hit $309.17 per tonne and has surpassed the 2020 high of $305.46 per tonne reached on March 6. Key drivers A fresh deal concluded today for 30,000 tonnes at $306 per tonne fob Australia, fo...Read More
Copper premiums surged in Shanghai after import gains over the past week, but remain stable in the United States and Europe. Arbitrage opportunities prompt higher Shanghai premiumsRotterdam market holds on steady supplies, LME price risesUS market remains stableBonded Shanghai copper premiums soar on arb opportunities Fastmarkets' Shanghai copper premium hit a four-month high ...Read More
Zinc and lead premiums were stable across the United States, Europe and Asia in the first week of 2021 despite Korean zinc smelter Young Poong's closure due to environmental reasons and the tightening of US lead supply.Spot premiums for lead and zinc ingots remained stable in the United StatesLead ingots supply tightening in the USEuropean premiums stable with market still quiet due to January 6 p...Read More
Copper rose to a near eight-year high during morning trading on the London Metal Exchange on Wednesday January 6 on news about an output delay from the Las Bambas mine in Peru and anticipation over the results of the Georgia run-off senate elections. Copper's three-month price climbed to $8,130 per tonne at 9am on Wednesday, a 1.6% increase from its Tuesday 5pm closing price of $8,002 per tonne. T...Read More
Domestic prices for heavy steel plate in Europe were unchanged over the week to Wednesday January 6 due to the seasonal slowdown in market activity, sources have told Fastmarkets.Neither producers nor buyers have returned to the market from the Christmas and New Year holidays in the region.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel domestic plate, 8-40mm, exw Southern Europe, was ?,?600-620 ($...Read More
The price of steel H-beams in Europe has already gone up this week, ahead of mills returning to the market after the New Year holiday break, with further large increases expected, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday January 6.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel beams, domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?700-720 ($859-884) per tonne on Wednesday, up from ?,?655-680 per tonne in...Read More
Domestic transaction prices for hot-rolled coil have been fairly stable across Europe in the week to Wednesday January 6, with most producers and buyers still out of the market after the holiday period in the region, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe at ?,?666.67 ($818.50) per tonne on Wednesday January 6, up b...Read More
The United States has announced further sanctions on producers of Iranian steel and other metal products alongside foreign-based sales agents of an Iranian metals and mining holding company, but export steel billet and slab prices still rose this week with Iranian sources saying steel trade will be able to continue. US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Tuesday...Read More
Turkish steelmakers are now paying increased prices for deep-sea ferrous scrap cargos from the United States while the ongoing global fight to secure material continues to push deals higher.Export prices for an 80:20 mix of No1 and No2 heavy melting scrap and for shredded scrap have now risen by up to $22 per tonne and $25 per tonne respectively on a cfr basis since the last-reported sale made on...Read More