Mining and metals companies say they're serious about transitioning to a sustainable economy, but whether they can afford to is another matter.Achieving decarbonization throughout the supply chain is going to require a huge amount of investment in technology to reimagine production processes and redesign existing sites.Last week, the International Aluminium Institute estimated that to decarbonize...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange fell marginally across the board at the close of trading on Tuesday November 2, with macroeconomic forces driving the price movements.The market was awaiting results of the United States Federal Market Open Committee meeting on November 3. The three-month copper price fell by 0.6% to $9,495.50 per tonne, from $9,555 per tonne at Monday's close. Volu...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices were relatively stable on Tuesday November 2, with no trades heard in the market, although Chinese domestic coke prices in certain provinces started to fall due to rising inventories and reduced costs.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $600.25 per tonne, unchangedHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $525.23 per tonne, unchangedPremium hard coking coal...Read More
Bearish macroeconomic indicators pushed prices to trade lower on the London Metal Exchange on Tuesday November 2.Chinese manufacturing purchasing managers' indices (PMI) in recent days have indicated slower growth month on month, which has helped to drive bearish sentiment in the metals market. "It does look as though some major parts of China's economy are struggling," Fastmarkets' head of...Read More
Replacing Section 232 tariffs on European aluminium products with tariff-rate quotas will result in even more trade distortions and create additional market instability for companies in both Europe and the United States, the head of industry association European Aluminium has said.The United States and the European Union (EU) reached an agreement over the weekend to replace the 10% tariff on...Read More
Rebar and billet prices decreased slightly in the United Arab Emirates because some mills discounted their prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday November 2.Demand for rebar has improved week on week because prices have now been announced, sources added.Domestic rebarLocal rebar mills announced new prices on October 24.Emirates Steel has been offering rebar at 2,490 dirhams ($678) per tonne e...Read More
Maree Robertson, chief financial officer at Rio Tinto's energy and minerals branch, will become senior vice president and chief financial officer at the international mining company Freeport-McMoRan, the company said on Tuesday November 2.The appointment will become effective on March 1, 2022.Robertson will assume responsibility for Freeport's accounting, finance and tax functions, including finan...Read More
Operations at Antamina, Peru's biggest copper mine, have been suspended since last weekend because of a roadblock manned by community protestors, according to a company statement.The statement by Compania Minera Antamina, published on Sunday October 31, stressed its commitment to public safety and clear communication. It said that it feared the possibility of "intolerable criminal offenses" and "c...Read More
A summary of North America-based aluminium products manufacturer Arconic's third-quarter 2021 financial results, released on Tuesday November 2.In brief: Global aluminium products manufacturer Arconic reported a 34% increase in total sales during the third quarter of 2021 when compared with the same quarter last year. Sales are up by 5% quarter on quarter. The company primarily attributed the high...Read More
Bearish macroeconomic indicators pushed prices to trade lower on the London Metal Exchange on Tuesday November 2.Chinese manufacturing purchasing managers' indices (PMI) in recent days have indicated slower growth month on month, which has helped to drive bearish sentiment in the metals market. "It does look as though some major parts of China's economy are struggling," Fastmarkets' head of...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange were mainly weaker on the morning of Tuesday November 2, with concerns about headwinds affecting the Chinese economy denting sentiment. A 9.9% price drop in the January iron ore futures contract on the Dalian Commodity Exchange is weighing on sentiment. Iron ore prices were recently at 567 yuan ($89) per tonne, down fro...Read More
Sentiment in the European hot-rolled coil market was largely bullish on Tuesday November 2, supported by a slight recovery in demand amid news of an agreement between the US and the EU on Section 232 tariffs, sources told Fastmarkets.On October 30, the European Union and the United States agreed to replace Section 232 steel and aluminium tariffs against the bloc's 27 countries with tariff-rate quo...Read More
Domestic steel rebar prices in Russia's Central Federal District around Moscow continued to rise during the week to Monday November 1 on depleted stocks and limited supply from the mills.Fastmarkets' assessment of the price for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, cpt Moscow, Russia, was 75,000-77,000 roubles ($1,053-1,081) per tonne cpt on Monday, including 20% value-added tax. This was up by...Read More
Continued declines in the Chinese steel billet market have caused many Southeast Asian buyers to shy away from importing the semi-finished product this week, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday November 2.Chinese billet import prices continued to crash on Monday and Tuesday, led by weakening ferrous futures markets across the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE), together with growing volumes of iron...Read More
Export prices for Chinese steel cold-rolled coil and hot-dipped galvanized coil extended their sharp decline in the week ended November 2; domestic prices also have yet to stem their declines.Trading liquidity for Chinese CRC and HDG exports was muted because the falling market kept buyers in wait-and-see mode.The price decline also prompted some mills and traders to halt offers.Most traders expec...Read More
Turkish steel scrap import prices fell sharply on Tuesday November 2, in line with the the latest bookings and amid increasing freight costs and limited finished steel sales to Turkey's key export outlets, market participants told Fastmarkets. On Tuesday, a steel mill in the Marmara region booked a deep-sea cargo from Puerto Rico, comprising HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $494 per tonne and shredded scrap at...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices were relatively stable on Tuesday November 2, with no trades heard in the market, although Chinese domestic coke prices in certain provinces started to fall due to rising inventories and reduced costs.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $600.25 per tonne, unchangedHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $525.23 per tonne, unchangedPremium hard coking coal...Read More
Prices for steel scrap imported into China decreased sharply due to the continued drop in both spot and futures prices for finished steel products in the country on Tuesday November 2, sources told Fastmarkets.China import price tumbles amid bearish sentiment dominating the steel marketsChinese mills cut domestic scrap buy prices againTaiwan secures containerized scrap cargoes at $475 per tonne cf...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices fell on Tuesday November 2 due to weak demand outlook caused by narrowing steel margins and ongoing sintering restrictions, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $95.77 per tonne, down $7.66 per tonne 62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $96.67 per tonne, down $7.99 per tonne 58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $67....Read More
The north China steel production hub of Handan city in Hebei province has implemented stricter production cuts at steel mills from Monday November 1 to November 7.The move has been made is to mitigate weather-influenced air pollution over the period and comes just after the city finished implmenting steel production curbs in September and October to limit the crude steel output in line with China'...Read More