Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States have climbed above $23.50 per hundredweight ($470 per short ton) due to reports of business activity increasing and sentiment strengthening - albeit unevenly given mixed demand depending on the end market. Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $23.59 per cwt ($471.80 per ton) on Friday August 14, up by 1.2% fr...Read More
Indian steel mills achieved a $10-20 per tonne increase in their hot-rolled coil export prices in the week ended Friday August 14, even though inquiries have dried up for future export sales."The export market has cooled off and there are very few bids or inquiries for HRC exports," an official with an Indian steel mill said.According to one market participant, buying interest from mills has reduc...Read More
Sentiment in the CIS export billet market had cooled down somewhat by the end of the week, with demand in most destinations only modest and bookings rare, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday August 14.Despite this, CIS billet producers were in no hurry to reduce their offer prices, they added."Order books are strong [so] mills can wait," a billet producer source told Fastmarkets.And a trader s...Read More
Liberty Steel Group, part of the GFG Alliance, is to buy French steel rail business Hayange and the Ascoval steelworks. Liberty Steel Group has committed to providing an initial ?,?65 million ($76.83 million) in new financing for Hayange and Ascoval to enact its industrial plan. Further details of development plans for the sites will be announced in due course, Liberty Steel said on Friday August...Read More
Prices for both hot-rolled coil and cold-rolled coil in Turkey's domestic market have increased over the week to Friday August 14, but demand was only moderate because of the holiday season, sources told Fastmarkets.Domestic pricesFastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel hot-rolled coil, domestic, exw Turkey was $510-515 per tonne on August 14, rising from $500-505 per tonne on August 7.HRC...Read More
Turkish prices in the domestic market for hot-dipped galvanized coil (HDG) and color-coated coil increased slightly in the week to August 14, but demand was weaker than last week because of the holiday season, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel HDG, domestic, exw Turkey was $660-670 per tonne on August 14, widening upward from $660-665 per tonne on August 7.Tur...Read More
Pig iron exporters from the south of Brazil were bullish over the week ended Friday August 14, but no higher-priced sales were made over the period, Fastmarkets heard.Fastmarkets' latest price assessment of pig iron, export, fob port of Vitoria/Rio, Brazil, was $340 per tonne on Friday, unchanged week on week.Offers went up to $350 per tonne fob, but...Read More
The import pig iron market in the United States remained quiet over the week ended Friday August 14, with the steel market depressed and buyers not ready to pay as much for pig iron as buyers in China.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for pig iron, import, cfr Gulf of Mexico, US, was $340-345 per tonne on Friday, unchanged week on week.One buyer in the US estimated that the spot market price in...Read More
The price of austenitic stainless steel scrap in the UK fell this week on lower nickel costs, despite supplies being tight due to the closure of many scrap-producing facilities, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday August 14. Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for stainless steel scrap, 18/8 solids, domestic, delivered merchants UK, was ?820-840 ($1,072-1,-1,098) per tonne on Friday, down by ?20...Read More
Turkish steel mills held back from the deep-sea scrap markets this week amid limited long steel demand in the country's export and domestic markets. And the slowdown in Turkey stopped global scrap prices increasing further.Turkish steel mills focused on finished steel sales instead of scrap purchasesRecent sales to Turkey and Bangladesh kept US export markets firmWeak steel markets in Vietnam cool...Read More
The price of ferrous scrap imported into India in containers has increased over the past week, supported by better demand and reduced availability, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday August 14.Fastmarkets calculated the steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Nhava Sheva, India, at $309.64 per tonne on Friday, up by $5.46 per tonne week on week from $304.18 per tonne on August 7.One source said...Read More
The Turkish steel producers ended the working week on Friday August 14 with no deep-sea scrap purchases, having focused on finished long steel sales instead, sources told Fastmarkets.Turkish steel mills paused their deep-sea scrap bookings at the end of the last week, when the price for HMS 1&2 (80:20) reached to $285 per tonne cfr for US and Baltic Sea material.Market participants said ther...Read More
Vietnam's import scrap market for bulk cargoes was quiet throughout the last week, with holidays in Japan and sluggish finished steel markets preventing further purchasing, market sources told Fastmarkets on Friday August 14."Finished product prices are not going up. We've reached a point where we will not buy anymore," a Vietnamese mill source told Fastmarkets on Friday. "There's no demand at the...Read More
The high inventory of iron ore lumps at the Chinese ports signals a lack of appetite for the direct charge raw material, prompting the lump premium to ease, trade sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $122.44 per tonne, up $1.06 per tonne.62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $121.27 per tonne, up $0.72 per tonne.58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $107.81...Read More
Seaborne prices were flat on Friday August 14 amid a silent market, while the ex-China markets showed signs of recovery and Chinese steel mills were stuck with the country's import restrictions on seaborne coking coal, sources said.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $104.84 per tonne, down $0.15 per tonne Premium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $115.09 per tonne, up $0.22 per t...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices declined across the board on Thursday August 13 except for premium hard coking coal in the fob market, where market sources said trading was relatively active.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $104.99 per tonne, up $0.57 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $114.87 per tonne, down $0.99 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $85.02 per ton...Read More
Seaborne premium hard coking coal prices remain relatively flat on Wednesday August 12 amid a quiet seaborne spot market until one transaction was heard later in the evening, Fastmarkets heard.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $104.42 per tonne, down $0.09 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $115.86 per tonne, up $0.02 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $87.15 p...Read More
Eastern China's rebar prices were flat on Friday August 14 amid stable demand, but market participants are pessimistic about next week's prices due to supply pressures.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,610-3,640 yuan ($520-524) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Beijing) weekly assessment: 3,670-3,700 yuan per tonne, down by 30 yuan per tonneDemand was stable during the day ahead of the weeken...Read More
Base metals prices opened mostly higher on the London Metal Exchange, with stable indications of economic recovery in China helping support prices on Friday August 14. Industrial output in China grew 4.8% in July, flat from the growth rate in June, prompting support for base metals prices. "Industrial output and activity continue to lead the way - it appears that this is enough to get metals price...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Asia, Europe and the United States for the week ending Friday August 14. ChinaSeaborne manganese ore prices continued to climb up amid improved sentiment resulting from growing portside ore and alloy prices and continued buying of 37% manganese ore material. Prices for 44% manganese ore will follow the trend pending fresh offers, sources said.Portside ore pric...Read More