Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday September 17 that are worth another look.China's domestic stainless steel prices experienced a larger rate of decrease over the week ended Wednesday September 16 on dropping demand, although nickel prices remained strong....Read More
The three-month price of nickel on the London Metal Exchange was slightly higher at the close of trading on Thursday September 17, gathering momentum above the $15,000-per-tonne threshold despite continued selling pressure over the day.Meanwhile, a steady uptick in LME copper futures came at the cost of tighter forward spreads.Nickel's outright price on the LME closed at $15,084 per tonne on Thurs...Read More
A summary of Australian-Chinese miner MMG's production results for the first half year ended June 30, 2020, as well as its full-year production guidance. In brief MMG's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) was $383.6 million in the first half this year, a drop of 41% from the corresponding period in 2019 due to lower commodity prices and sales volumes resul...Read More
The European high- and low-carbon ferro-chrome markets strengthened on Tuesday September 15 due to a slow recovery in demand.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for ferro-chrome high carbon 6-8.5% C, basis 60-70% Cr, max 1.5% Si, delivered Europe, was $0.85-0.97 per lb Cr on Tuesday, tightening from $0.83-0.98 per lb a week earlier."The capacity of users' production lines has been slowly coming b...Read More
Tungsten concentrate and ammonium paratungstate (APT) prices in China were stable on Wednesday September 16 after increased availability of both products in the market prevented prices from extending last week's gains.At the same time, the slowly recovering APT export market has turned quiet once more, with China-based sources reporting fewer inquiries from overseas buyers.Fastmarkets' weekly pric...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday September 17 that are worth another look.China's domestic stainless steel prices experienced a larger rate of decrease over the week ended Wednesday September 16 on dropping demand, although nickel prices remained strong....Read More
China's State Reserve Bureau (SRB) is likely to use a floating price to settle its latest round of cobalt metal stockpiling, according to a market source close to the matter. The SRB sent invitations to a handful of cobalt metal producers in China for a tender on Wednesday September 9; the tender was completed during the morning of Thursday September 17, according to a market source.No concre...Read More
The Turkish steel mills have extended their absence from the deep-sea scrap markets amid weak finished long steel demand in their local market, sources said on Thursday September 17.The country's steelmakers booked seven deep-sea scrap cargoes, totalling around 230,000 tonnes, in the first half of last week before retreating from the market on September 10.The most recent transactions...Read More
The weakness in metals and equities this morning, Thursday September 17, indicates markets were taking the US Federal Open Market Committee's (FOMC) projections and comments that they will likely keep interest rates on hold through at least 2023 as suggesting there will continue to be tough times ahead in the real economy.Does this highlight the start of a reality check where markets start to focu...Read More
China's State Reserve Bureau (SRB) is likely to use a floating price to settle its latest round of cobalt metal stockpiling, according to a market source close to the matter. The SRB sent invitations to a handful of cobalt metal producers in China for a tender on Wednesday September 9; the tender was completed during the morning of Thursday September 17, according to a market source.No concre...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday September 17 that are worth another look.China's domestic stainless steel prices experienced a larger rate of decrease over the week ended Wednesday September 16 on dropping demand, although nickel prices remained strong....Read More
Sales of passenger cars in Europe slumped again in August after brief signs of a revival in July, according to the latest data from the European Automotive Manufacturers Association (ACEA).In July, there were signs of a pick-up in demand with only a relatively small overall decline of 5.66% year on year following six consecutive months of double-digit decline.In August, however, the tren...Read More
Reinforcing bar prices in the United States continue to drive higher due to price increases announced by domestic mills earlier this month, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' assessment for steel rebar, fob mill US was at $29.75 per hundredweight ($595 per short ton) on Wednesday September 16, up by 1.7% from $29.25 per cwt last week and by 6.3% from $28 per cwt on September 2.Co...Read More
Imported billet prices narrowed downward in Egypt on lower offer prices over the week while local rebar prices increased, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday September 17.No bookings were heard done during the week, however, because of the weak end-user demand in Egypt, sources said.The reason demand was slow is the weak construction activity after a construction ban was imposed in the country on...Read More
Turkish domestic long steel prices have gone down slightly amid weak demand, sources said on Thursday September 17.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, exw Turkey, was 4,000-4,010 lira ($533-535) per tonne on Thursday, down from the 4,050-4,080 lira per tonne of last week, including 18% VAT.Read More
The Turkish steel mills have extended their absence from the deep-sea scrap markets amid weak finished long steel demand in their local market, sources said on Thursday September 17.The country's steelmakers booked seven deep-sea scrap cargoes, totalling around 230,000 tonnes, in the first half of last week before retreating from the market on September 10.The most recent transactions...Read More
The takeaways from the latest edition of the Steel Raw Materials Market Tracker are ready to view.Iron ore prices remained relatively stable last week, signalling an end to the price spike. And for the first time since March, at the time of the Covid-19 lock-down in Hubei, we have seen a consistent downturn in utilization rates in China. Blast furnace utilization rates dropped for a fifth consecut...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices remained on a downward trend on Thursday September 17 amid weaker market sentiment, trade sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $122.36 per tonne, down $1.84 per tonne.62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $122.59 per tonne, down $1.81 per tonne.58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $112.28 per tonne, down $2.22 per tonne...Read More
Imported billet prices narrowed downward in Egypt on lower offer prices over the week while local rebar prices increased, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday September 17.No bookings were heard done during the week, however, because of the weak end-user demand in Egypt, sources said.The reason demand was slow is the weak construction activity after a construction ban was imposed in the country on...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday September 17 that are worth another look.China's domestic stainless steel prices experienced a larger rate of decrease over the week ended Wednesday September 16 on dropping demand, although nickel prices remained strong....Read More