Ferrous scrap prices in Mexico rose during the week ended Friday September 4, with most steelmakers announcing widespread increases in buying prices amid steady demand and a positive trend in markets in the United States.Price gains were reported across all grades both in the region near northern Monterrey city and in the central Bajio region, although the amount of the increases va...Read More
Turkish steel producers continued their deep-sea scrap purchases with support from firm demand for long steel products in the country, sources said on Tuesday September 8.A steel mill in the Marmara region booked a Baltic Sea cargo, comprising HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $302 per tonne, shredded at $307 per tonne and bonus at $312 per tonne cfr late on September 7.The cargo breakdown was not yet fixed by t...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Tuesday September 8 that are worth another look.Japanese blast furnace (BF)-based steel mills have been using more scrap in their basic oxygen furnaces in recent weeks due to a rise in steel production and high costs for iron ore, market participants told...Read More
Japanese blast furnace(BF)-based steel mills have been using more scrap in their basic oxygen furnaces in recent weeks due to a rise in steel production and high costs for iron ore, market participants told Fastmarkets.BFs in the country cut steel production drastically in the first half of 2020, with the Covid-19 pandemic battering demand in the automotive and manufacturing sector.The index for J...Read More
China's coking coal import quotas have changed the dynamics of the seaborne market, making the trading of the steelmaking raw material more risky, time-consuming and expensive for traders.What was typically a month-long process for a vessel carrying Australian coking coal to deliver to China has stretched to at least four months after import quotas became scarcer and port restrictions became tight...Read More
London Metal Exchange three-month base metals prices trended lower at the close on Tuesday September 8 with concern over macro-economic headwinds inspiring a sell-off across the complex.While macroeconomic developments - including promises of increased infrastructure spending and hopes of a trade deal between China and the United States - have supported recent price increases, some...Read More
Seaborne premium hard coking coal prices changed marginally on Tuesday September 8, while there was one transaction in the fob market during the day while the cfr market was muted, sources said.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $110.47 per tonne, up $0.42 per tonne Premium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $115.60 per tonne, down $0.28 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $86.76...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.US hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices performed in line with our expectations in August, with US domestic HRC prices finding a floor in July as forecast before they rose in August. US HRC prices averaged $522 per tonne in August, which compares with our forecast price of $518 per tonne. Based on an improving demand outlook and ris...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in Europe were expected to continue to rise, supported by long lead times and reduced output from EU mills as well as a lack of import offers, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday September 8.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, was calculated at ?,?467.95 ($553.32) per tonne on Tuesday, up by ?,?0.56 per tonne day on day...Read More
London Metal Exchange three-month base metals prices trended lower at the close on Tuesday September 8 with concern over macro-economic headwinds inspiring a sell-off across the complex.While macroeconomic developments - including promises of increased infrastructure spending and hopes of a trade deal between China and the United States - have supported recent price increases, some...Read More
A summary of base metals premiums from across the globe for the week to Tuesday September 8.Please click...Read More
Physical base metals trader Oddo BHF Metals joined the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) as a general supporter member on Tuesday September 8.The move came while market participants throughout the supply chain sought to increase their presence in the low-carbon aluminium sector, which has taken off in the past six months.ASI is a global non-profit standards-setting and certification organizat...Read More
Raffmetal - Europe's largest secondary aluminium producer - has been awarded the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) 'Performance Standard' certification for its refining operations in Casto, Italy, the company told Fastmarkets on Tuesday September 8.Raffmetal's accreditation is the latest in a slew awarded in 2020, including primary aluminium producers Alvance Aluminium and Impol, while other...Read More
From cars to air-conditioning units, copper intensive sectors are showing signs of an unexpected boom in China, prompting calls that the metal's price could rise further into next year amid shrinking supply stocks, Fastmarkets understands.Hitting $6,380 per tonne last week, the London Metal Exchange's three-month copper price has surged past pre-pandemic levels to its highest since June 2018, desp...Read More
Vale Canada - subsidiary of Brazilian multi-metal miner Vale - and Australian zinc producer New Century Resources have failed to reach an agreement in the latter's 95% acquisition of Vale New Caledonia (VNC), the former announced on Tuesday September 8.The announcement brings the exclusivity period under which the prospective sale was being negotiated between the two entities to an end after negot...Read More
The London Metal Exchange three-month zinc price lagged in morning trading on Tuesday September 8, tumbling by some 2% despite a widening in its forward curve, while fresh concerns of US-Sino trade tensions and rising coronavirus cases pushed the complex lower. Total global coronavirus cases are now at more than 27 million, with total deaths now at 887,526, World Health Organisation (WHO) data sho...Read More
Prices for carbon steel plate in the United States held steady week on week while mills increased asking prices in the aftermath of their late-August round of increase notifications. There was no consensus over mills' near-term ability to collect their announced plate price increases in full during a period of exceptionally weak demand for the item. A jump in scrap input costs eventually may tip t...Read More
CIS-based producers of steel wire rod and rebar have continued to raise their offer prices for foreign customers, with support from rising raw materials costs and finished long steel prices in competitors' markets, particularly Turkey, as well as a supportive domestic market in Russia.Demand in the major outlets has not, however, been strong enough to drive full acceptance of the new round of pric...Read More
The price of steel rebar imported to the United Arab Emirates increased this week because of high production costs, market sources said on Tuesday September 8.Domestic rebarSince August 17, producers in the UAE have been offering rebar at 1,800-1,830 dirhams ($490-498) per tonne ex-works for September production, with deals heard over the past week at 1,730...Read More
Some flat steel import prices in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia moved up again this week, although demand was moderate, sources told Fastmarkets over the week to Tuesday September 8.Some deals for flat steel imports were heard done at higher levels over the assessment week, which sources said were primarily for restocking purposes, Fastmarkets heard.UAEOffer prices for hot-rolled coil (...Read More