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.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
Aluminium primary foundry alloy (PFA) premiums in Europe rose for a fifth consecutive month on Friday December 11 due to stronger demand, while the premium in the United States was steady despite stronger demand in that market as well.EuropeDemand in Eastern Europe continues to improve along with primary aluminium premiums.But the move was capped by low liquidity, with participants focusing on lon...Read More
Zinc showed the biggest fall in its three-month price on the London Metals Exchange at the 5pm close on Friday December 11, with other base metals ending the week around established highs after days of rallying to new year-to-date peaks.The LME base-metals complex was boosted during the week by positive sentiment, driven by an expectation that the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in the United Sta...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Friday December 11. Key drivers: European sellers reported strong export demand to Asia as the key tailwind for higher offers for 226 ingots, with some indicating that Asian buyers are increasing offers by ?,?100 ($121) per day. Aluminium scrap prices have increased amid tightening supply after many cargoes were delayed due to a s...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Europe, Asia and the United States for the week ending Friday December 11.China Domestic spot prices hit a two-year peak amid looming concerns over supply tightness after Zhongwei city ordered ferro-alloys refineries to shut down to tackle pollution during winter period.The futures market responded sharply to the news of winter production cuts, with the most-t...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Europe, Asia and the United States for the week ending Friday December 11.China The seaborne price of low-grade manganese ore rose after miners successfully raised offer prices on support from higher portside prices and strong buying appetite from the alloy sector. The seaborne price of high-grade manganese ore inched upward amid positive market sentiment and...Read More
Spot copper concentrate treatment and refining charges were largely unchanged over the week to Friday December 11, reflected in hand-to-mouth buying from smelters. Fastmarkets' copper concentrates TC index, cif Asia Pacific was $44 per tonne on Friday, down from $44.80 per tonne a week before. Deals reported to Fastmarkets continue to show smelter buying between $47 and $49 per tonne for clea...Read More
An overview of the aerospace materials markets and their latest price moves. Ewa Manthey and Michael Greenfield in London, Susan Zou, Amy Lv...Read More
An overview of the new energy raw materials markets and their latest price moves.Susan Zou, Sybil Pan, and Sally...Read More
The UK market for steel scrap deliveries to domestic steelmakers for monthly contracts increased for the second month in a row in December, against rallying European export markets and tight flows of scrap into British yards, industry sources said in the week to Friday December 11.The British market has also been affected by surging costs for containers for the export of metal goods internationall...Read More
Global steel scrap prices continued to increase throughout the week to Friday December 11 on active purchasing from steel mills and tight supply in the spot market.Turkey purchases at increasingly higher prices on tight supplyUS exporters see brisk trade on East CoastTaiwan sees continued shortage in containerized scrap supplySurge in Kanto Tetsugen auction cause H2 offers to spike in VietnamIndia...Read More
The price of shredded steel scrap imported into India and Pakistan crossed $400 per tonne on Friday December 11 as a result of high international prices and tight shipping availability, sources told Fastmarkets. India Fastmarkets calculated the steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Nhava Sheva, India at $401.81 per tonne on Friday, up from $380.65 per tonne one week earlier. Deals were he...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were down across the board this morning, Friday December 11, this after copper, zinc, nickel and tin set fresh highs for the year either on Thursday or earlier this morning. There are many cross currents flowing through the markets - the US Covid-19 relief package continues to be delayed, a no-deal Brexit is still a high possibility and US initial jo...Read More
An overview of the new energy raw materials markets and their latest price moves.Susan Zou, Sybil Pan, and Sally...Read More
China domestic battery-grade lithium carbonate prices narrowed up by 2.3% week on week on Thursday December 10 supported by short supply, while other battery-grade prices were steady.China's battery-grade lithium carbonate price narrowed up on tight supply and buying from smaller consumers. Chinese producers insisted on higher prices for industrial-grade lithium carbonate. Europe and US lithium te...Read More
A persistent global uptrend and a quick shift to negotiations for March-shipment cargoes, in some cases, continued to drive import prices for flat-rolled steel in South America significantly upward during the week to Friday December 11.A few Chinese mills took the unusual decision to change their offer prices twice in the week. Demand remained strong, but market participants started to become caut...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil increased day on day in Northern Europe on Friday December 11 due to a materials shortage in the market combined with good demand from distributors, sources have told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, at ?,?606.25 ($734.10) per tonne on Friday, up by ?,?1.25 per tonne day on day from ?,?605.0...Read More