Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Friday September 18 that are worth another look.China has issued its 12th batch of non-ferrous scrap metal import quotas for 2020, with a much larger volume of copper scrap being approved to enter the country than in the previous two rounds of quotas. The latest batch permits 136,335 tonnes of copper scrap to be imported into China, the...Read More
Base metals prices on both the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange were for the most part little changed to firmer this morning, Monday September 21, with only December nickel in Shanghai showing a loss.But with Asian-Pacific equities and pre-market major western equity index futures weaker, the metals may face headwinds today.Dollar, US treasuries and gold all consolidating, waiti...Read More
American International Group (AIG), an S&P 100 stock moved below $27.67 setting an intermediate downtrend. Exelon (EXC), an S&P 100 stock moved below $34.15 setting an intermediate downtrend.Europe iShares (IEV) moved below $42.30 completing a double top pattern.Italy iShares (EWI) moved below $24.56 completing a double top patternAustralia iShares (EWA) moved below $19.69 completing a sho...Read More
The London Metal Exchange three-month copper price hit a new 2020 high on Friday September 18, providing a welcome boost for the base metals complex.All LME three-month base metals prices, with the exception of nickel, saw gains on Friday, with copper reaching a new high of $6,875 per tonne before eventually closing at $6,861 per tonne after trading a little more than 15,720 lots.Th...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their latest price moves.Read More
Fastmarkets' copper concentrate treatment and refining charge (TC/RC) index rose to its highest level in one and a half months on Friday September 18 after miners sold additional tonnes at slightly higher levels this week. The spot market was active with Chinese smelter purchases still mostly settled at a narrow range of the high $40s / 4 cents to the low $50s / 5 cents. An increasing amount of De...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their latest price moves.Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Europe, Asia and the United States for the week ended Friday September 18.China Domestic prices stayed firm amid positive sentiment, with market stability consolidated by continuing tightness in materials and a recent increase in raw material costs. The supply of silica ore in Qinghai province was affected when ore producers suspended their...Read More
The European charge and high-carbon ferro-chrome benchmark for the fourth quarter 2020 is $1.14 per lb, unchanged for the third consecutive quarter.The settlement is announced every quarter by Merafe Resources, which operates a chrome joint venture with trader-miner Glencore in South Africa.The benchmark is a forward-looking price for the coming quarter. It is settled via negotiations between...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Europe, Asia and the United States for the week ending Friday September 18. China Buyer sentiment in seaborne manganese ore was undermined by weakening portside ore and alloy futures prices. Portside manganese ore prices of both grades slid reflecting lower offer prices to secure deals from alloy smelters, many of whom postponed purchasing in antic...Read More
An overview of the minor metals markets and the reasons for any price moves.Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their latest price moves.Read More
The effect of the absence of Turkish steel mills from the international scrap market was evident in tepid trading and weakening prices in the week to Friday September 18, with fears of an imminent market correction.Turkey continues to hold back from booking new cargoesUS market remains quiet on possible correctionVietnam books large volumes at lower pricesTaiwan's upward trend comes to a haltIndia...Read More
The price of shredded scrap imported into India moved down this week following a change in sentiment resulting from the absence of Turkey from the global scrap market, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday September 18.Fastmarkets calculated the steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Nhava Sheva, India, at $317.57 per tonne on Friday, down from $323.20 per tonne one week before.Buying activity was...Read More
The price spread for UK inter-merchant light iron scrap was steady over the week to Friday September 18, with limited supplies coming into merchant yards and a steady rate of export tonnages underpinning support for domestic prices, industry sources have told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel scrap 5C, loose old light, domestic, delivered inter-merchant, UK, was ?100-110...Read More
This time yesterday base metals prices were down across the board, but with the exception of Shanghai Futures Exchange tin, they were all up during morning trading on Friday September 18 - showing sentiment remains bullish overall with dips being bought.This suggests prospects for increased demand for metals from infrastructure projects is driving sentiment and the market is not so concerned by th...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their latest price moves.Read More
Finnish nickel producer Terrafame continues to lead the charge in the quest for responsible battery chemical production, announcing on Friday September 18 that its long-awaited European battery plant will be operational in early 2021. Upon completion, the plant will be the largest global nickel sulfate producing facility in the world with a production capacity of 170,000 tonnes per year, equivalen...Read More
Asian seaborne lithium market ended its over two-month steady streak on Thursday September 17 with lower prices captured on the spot market, while China's domestic spot battery-grade lithium markets remained firm with producers insisting on higher prices.The Asian seaborne lithium carbonate and hydroxide prices both fell, ending more than two months of stable pricing. China's battery-grade lithium...Read More
Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States have risen for the fourth day in a row, with buyers divided on whether prices will remain at relatively elevated levels through the end of the year.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $28.62 per hundredweight ($572.40 per short ton) on Friday September 18, up by 0.4% from $28.50 per cwt a day earlier on September...Read More