Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States have risen to their highest in almost exactly two years after more buyers perceived that a true steel shortage is intensifying for the end of 2020 and the beginning of the first quarter of 2021. Fastmarkets' daily hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $39.08 per hundredweight ($781.60 per short ton) on Tuesday November 24, up 0.7% fro...Read More
Aluminium premiums in China and the United States rose in the week ended Tuesday November 24, while other regions maintained a focus on first-quarter 2021 business.Strong demand in ChinaUS Midwest premiums climbEuropean participants focus on first quarter 2021MJP spot market static.Shanghai premiums up with arb window openAn open import arbitrage window, as well as strong demand in China, helped t...Read More
A summary of base metals premiums from across the globe for the week to Tuesday November 24.Please click...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Tuesday November 24 that are worth another look.European steelmakers need to consolidate to gain better control over pricing and the supply-demand balance as well as to better tackle rising production costs, but it will not solve the major problems of...Read More
Trader Tiberius Group has appointed Bob Katsiouleris to its executive management board as part of the company's drive to expand its global footprint, the company told Fastmarkets on Tuesday November 24.Katsiouleris will join Tiberius with immediate effect, and will help to drive its position as a global market participant in the trading of aluminium, lead and zinc, it added.He will also help to bu...Read More
European steelmakers need to consolidate to gain better control over pricing and the supply-demand balance as well as to better tackle rising production costs, but it will not solve the major problems of the European flat steel market, sources told Fastmarkets.And in November 2020, rumors about two major potential sales of European mills have finally been confirmed: Tata Steel in Netherlands is in...Read More
Bans on the export of ferrous scrap by various key suppliers of material to India and Pakistan have restricted import flows at the same time that demand has been returning to these markets, pushing prices higher, Fastmarkets has learnt.Demand for imports of steel scrap fell sharply when India went into its strict lockdown during March in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Trading effectively...Read More
Aluminium premiums in China and the United States rose in the week ended Tuesday November 24, while other regions maintained a focus on first-quarter 2021 business.Strong demand in ChinaUS Midwest premiums climbEuropean participants focus on first quarter 2021MJP spot market static.Shanghai premiums up with arb window openAn open import arbitrage window, as well as strong demand in China, helped t...Read More
London Mtal Exchange three-month base metals prices rebounded on Tuesday November 24, with copper and nickel leading the way, after a correcting session had resulted in across-the-board declines on Monday.Copper and nickel led the way with day-on-day increases of more than 1.5% on their three-month prices. Prices were also supported by a lower US dollar index, which fell to 92.30 at around 5pm on...Read More
Fastmarkets is issuing a consultation on its proposal to discontinue pricing the physical copper cathode premiums on a seaborne basis to Japan.Japan is a major producer of grade A registered refined copper cathodes and exports more than half-a-million tonnes per year of refined copper, importing only negligible amounts.The price to be discontinued is:MB-CU-0385-copper grade A cathode premium, cif...Read More
London Mtal Exchange three-month base metals prices rebounded on Tuesday November 24, with copper and nickel leading the way, after a correcting session had resulted in across-the-board declines on Monday.Copper and nickel led the way with day-on-day increases of more than 1.5% on their three-month prices. Prices were also supported by a lower US dollar index, which fell to 92.30 at around 5pm on...Read More
The domestic price for hot-rolled coil in Northern Europe increased day on day on Tuesday November 24, supported by tight supplies, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe at ?,?545.05 ($646.61) per tonne on Tuesday, up by ?,?2.55 per tonne from ?,?542.50 per tonne on Monday November 23.The index was up by ?,?15.47 per to...Read More
Canadian zinc miner Trevali has moved to hedge a significant portion of its 2021 zinc production at current price levels, with exchange prices at 18-month highs.Trevali hedged 25% of its 2021 production, equivalent to 26,988 tonnes, at a price of $1.23 per lb or $2,712 per tonne, it said in a notice to shareholders on Tuesday November 24.The current December 2021-December 2022 forward price spread...Read More
Trader Tiberius Group has appointed Bob Katsiouleris to its executive management board as part of the company's drive to expand its global footprint, the company told Fastmarkets on Tuesday November 24.Katsiouleris will join Tiberius with immediate effect, and will help to drive its position as a global market participant in the trading of aluminium, lead and zinc, it added.He will also help to bu...Read More
Fastmarkets is issuing a consultation on its proposal to discontinue pricing the physical tin markets on a seaborne basis to China.China is the world's top producer of tin, for example, in 2019 it was the ranked as the 16th biggest importer, taking in just 3,000 tonnes.Imports have risen substantially in 2020 but buying has been sporadic and market participants have indicated that this is not a su...Read More
Fastmarkets is issuing a consultation on its proposal to discontinue pricing the physical copper cathode premiums on a seaborne basis to Japan.Japan is a major producer of grade A registered refined copper cathodes and exports more than half-a-million tonnes per year of refined copper, importing only negligible amounts.The price to be discontinued is:MB-CU-0385-copper grade A cathode premium, cif...Read More
Imports of finished steel to the United States surged month on month in October due to higher bloom, billet and slab, reinforcing bar and cold-rolled sheet volumes, according to US Census Bureau data.The US imported 1.36 million tonnes of steel products in October, up 18.9% from nearly 1.15 million tonnes in September, preliminary Census data showed.Imports of bloom, billet and slab climbed by 191...Read More
Brazilian flat steel distributors increased their sales volumes by 17% on an annual comparison in October, in a recovering domestic market, according to local distribution association, Inda.Sales totaled 371,700 tonnes in October, compared with 317,700 tonnes in October 2019, Inda said on Tuesday November 24. Month on month, volumes were down 7.8% from September's 403,100 tonnes.In total...Read More
Flat steel import prices in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia increased over the past week because of globally strong demand, but buyers were holding back in the expectation that prices will soon fall, sources said on Tuesday November 24.There is a national holiday in the UAE on December 1-3, so working days will be limited next week.UAEHot-rolled coil from Indian suppliers...Read More
Steel billet and rebar prices in the United Arab Emirates increased this week, although most producers were fully booked and were not offering any products, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday November 24.Domestic rebarThe country's steel producers were offering rebar at 1,984,1,985 dirhams ($540) per tonne ex-works, with orders to be produced in December, but only a few producers had allocat...Read More