An acute shortage of containers and new rule changes by container lines have combined over the past week to again raise containerized shipping costs for commodity market participants.Trading sources told Fastmarkets that container lines have not only continued to raise freight rates but have also introduced additional measures that will serve to make life increasingly difficult for companies invol...Read More
German steelmaker Thyssenkrupp is conducting a joint feasibility study with energy company STEAG to develop a hydrogen hub to be used in green steel production at its Duisburg site, the company said on Thursday December 3.The study will focus on construction of a water electrolysis plant at the STEAG site in Duisburg-Walsum by Thyssenkrupp Uhde Chlorine Engineers, the structuring of energy supply...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key North American steel forecast highlights:?EUR? Flat steel product prices in the United States moved largely in line with our expectations in October, although the increases slightly outpaced our projections. US hot-rolled coil prices averaged $655 per ton in October, exceeding our forecast price of $640 per...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Key ferro-alloy forecast highlights for the coming months:?EUR? A strong recovery in both bulk and noble alloys is expected in 2021 but the markets are unlikely to return to the levels seen before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. We have seen a quicker-than-expected recovery across various regions amid the economic fal...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Fastmarkets analysts were invited to present our outlook for the coking coal market at Coaltrans Asia, held online on November 23-25. One of the key topics at the event was the trade tensions between China and Australia, which overtook Mongolia to become the largest coking coal exporter to China this year...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 London Metal Exchange base metals complex ended around its recently established highs, with nickel making the largest rise of around 3% on Friday December 4. LME nickel's three-month price closed at $16,399 per tonne at 5pm on Friday, a 2.8% increase from its Thursday close of $15,954 per tonne and up 0.8% from the beginning of the week. The metal had a rocky week, closing at $16,27...Read More
An overview of the new energy raw materials markets and their latest price moves.Susan Zou, Sybil Pan, and Sally Zhang in Shanghai, Carrie Shi in Beijing, and...Read More
Gary Nagle will become the new chief executive officer of Glencore when Ivan Glasenberg retires during the first half of 2021, the company said on Friday December 4. Nagle is currently global head of Glencore's coal industrial business based out of Sydney Australia, and will return to Switzerland to begin a transition to the new role.After 18 years as Glencore CEO, Glasenberg will step down f...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Europe, Asia and the United States for the week ending Friday December 4.China Seaborne manganese ore prices of both grades rose after miners successfully sold their January shipments at flat offer prices following a rise in the portside ore market and despite high inventories. Portside manganese ore prices of both grades ticked up after traders raised their o...Read More
Global nickel premiums were flat week on week, with the absence of an open arbitrage in Shanghai and market participants focused on 2021 negotiations rather than the spot market in Europe, sources told Fastmarkets.A lack of a profitable arb in Shanghai keeps refined nickel premiums unchanged; nickel pig iron (NPI) prices continue dropPremiums in Europe are flat despite an increased interest for ma...Read More
Some copper concentrates cargos from Australia are now stranded at different Chinese ports under an unofficial ban, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday December 4. The stranded cargos were booked by Chinese copper smelters and traders before they were verbally informed in early November to comply with restrictions on Australian material entering the country amid an escalating trade row be...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 Zhang in Shanghai, Carrie Shi in Beijing, and...Read More
The main global scrap markets continued to move higher in the week to Friday December 4, with most markets continuing regular purchases of material. Turkish steel mills continue to pay higher pricesUnited States market remains subdued post-holidayVietnam reports higher pricesTaiwan market reports optimistic sentiment and tight supplyIndian market expresses uncertainty over higher pricesTurkeyTurki...Read More
The prices of alloy steel scrap in the UK domestic market were largely unchanged this week despite lower nickel costs, because tight supply continued to provide pricing support, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday November 4.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for stainless steel scrap 18/8 solids, domestic, delivered merchants UK, on Friday was ?950-980 ($1,276-1,316) per tonne, narrowing downwa...Read More
The price of shredded steel scrap imported into India and Pakistan increased on Friday December 4, due to continuing shipping issues and despite uncertainty over higher prices, sources have told Fastmarkets.IndiaFastmarkets calculated the steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Nhava Sheva, India, at $380.65 per tonne on Friday, up from $365.18 per tonne one week earlier.Only one deal was report...Read More
An overview of the new energy raw materials markets and their latest price moves.Susan Zou, Sybil Pan, and Sally Zhang in Shanghai, Carrie Shi in Beijing, and...Read More
Key data from the Friday December 4 pricing session in London. Key drivers: Metal prices unchanged in a steadily, but thinly, traded market. Sellers hold firm with offers across the range, dependent on tonnage and shape, and buyers struggle to find weak sellers for nearby units. ...Read More
China domestic battery-grade lithium carbonate prices increased again, up by 3.6% week on week due to tight supply from suppliers, with the respective European and United States' lithium hydroxide spot prices moving up also, Fastmarkets heard on Thursday December 3.China's battery-grade lithium carbonate prices continued their uptrend on tight supply and bullish market sentiment.China's industrial...Read More