The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices have fared relatively well over the past couple of months in the face of the threat from the Covid-19 pandemic.In grade-304 material, the most common grade of stainless steel, prices were down by about 5-7% since the turn of the year - not bad, when compared with the falls in prices of other assets so f...Read More
Liberty House Group, part of GFG Alliance, is interested in purchasing Alcoa's San Cipri??n aluminium smelter in Spain, sources told Fastmarkets. Alcoa launched an informal process with the workers' representatives to discuss collective dismissals at San Cipri??n on May 28. The company announced last week that the formal consultation period for collective staff dismissals at the Spanish aluminium...Read More
The Turkish steel producers have continued their purchases of deep-sea scrap for September shipments, sources said on Monday August 10.Three steel mills booked cargoes from the Baltic Sea and the United States late on August 7.A steel mill in the Iskenderun region booked a US cargo, comprising 18,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (90:10) at $288 per tonne, 3,000 tonnes shredded at $290 per tonne and 6,000 ton...Read More
The waiting time for aluminium to be delivered from Istim's warehouse in Port Klang, Malaysia, rose to 68 days at the end of July, according to the latest London Metal Exchange queue report, up from 34 days at the end of June. The build-up in the queue follows over 200,000 tonnes of aluminium being canceled during July. Some 49,125 tonnes of aluminium was freshly canceled on July 9 - the single la...Read More
The London Metal Exchange three-month copper price was higher during morning trading on Monday August 10, after a steady uptick in consumer inflation figures for China's economy while broad consolidation elsewhere led lead futures down over the morning. LME copper's outright price was recently trading at $6,344.50 per tonne, climbing over 2% from a morning low of $6,234 per tonne, while turnover w...Read More
The Shanghai Futures Exchange launched aluminium and zinc options contracts on Monday August 10 to meet growing desire for the important risk management tool, the exchange chairman said.The launch comes after the exchange received approval from the China Security Regulatory Commission in mid-June, Fastmarkets reported at the time. SHFE set the minimum trading amount for aluminium and zinc options...Read More
Markets are looking mixed this morning on Monday August 10, while traders weigh up the cross winds blowing through the markets, Fastmarkets learned.United States President Donald Trump's intervention to step in to extend unemployment benefit after Congress failed to come up with a rescue package has provided some support, but his executive orders focused on Chinese tech companies only go further t...Read More
The nickel sulfate price in China extended gains for a third straight week on Friday August 7, with the market rising by 11.3% since the start of July, but some sources doubt whether this uptrend will continue, Fastmarkets heard.Fastmarkets assessed the nickel sulfate min 21%, max 22.5%, cobalt 10ppm max, exw China price at 24,800-25,500 yuan ($3,559-3,659) per tonne on Friday, up by 800-1,000 yua...Read More
The US Commerce Department must better explain why it denied 12 requests by JSW Steel (USA) for Section 232 exclusions after the company complained that the department's conversations with competitors may have unduly influenced its decisions, the US Court of International Trade (CIT) has ruled.The court remanded the case and gave Commerce until Monday August 17 to explain if the case record is com...Read More
Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States remained just below $23 per hundredweight, according to market participants. Fastmarkets' daily hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $22.87 per hundredweight ($457.40 per ton) on Monday August 10, down 0.01% from $22.89 on Friday August 7, but up 3.3% from $22.13 per cwt one week earlier.Heard in the marketLead times were between fou...Read More
Prices for carbon steel plate in the United States held steady, with market participants pointing to the lack of a demand catalyst and a likelihood that mills will need to become more flexible on pricing through the end of the year.Order flow at mills improved a bit in July after market participants said they perceived a probable bottom in pricing, convincing buyers that new inventory stock would...Read More
Production activity has come under threat at Belarus Steel Works (BMZ) with workers protesting against the result of the country's presidential election on Sunday August 9.Workers warned the administration that they would strike on August 10-12 "in the case of an unfair presidential election."According to official preliminary results, incumbent Alexander Lukashenko has won a sixth consecutive term...Read More
The price for steel rebar in Russia's Central Federal District around Moscow was unchanged on Monday August 10, while local producers mull an increase in prices for September amid strong buying activity, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, cpt Moscow, Russia was 35,000 roubles ($475) per tonne on Monday, including 20% VAT...Read More
Sentiment in the Northern European hot-rolled coil market has remained positive despite slow trading activity, sources told Fastmarkets on Monday August 10.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, was calculated at ?,?414.17 ($488.03) per tonne on Monday, up by ?,?0.71 per tonne from ?,?413.46 per tonne on August 7.Monday's...Read More
Brazilian ferrous scrap exports totaled 76,460 tonnes in July 2020, increasing by 1.8% from 75,080 tonnes in the corresponding month of 2019, with suppliers still resorting to the external market amid domestic demand weakness, data from the country's economy ministry showed last week.Exports grew on an annual basis of comparison in July, but fell month on month by 0.4% from 76,741 tonnes in June....Read More
Fastmarkets is proud to launch its first monthly Ferrous Analytics report, which will help subscribers keep track of hot metal costs and steel production spreads in China, as well as key pricing components of the steelmaking raw materials supply chain in Asia.Readers will find raw material-finished steel spreads, iron ore differentials and scrap differentials all calculated and condensed...Read More
Domestic prices for steel hot-rolled coil in China decreased slightly on Monday August 10 on weaker futures, but market sentiment remained optimistic on supportive economic data.DomesticFastmarkets assessed the price for steel HRC, domestic, ex-whs Eastern China (Shanghai), at 4,050-4,060 yuan ($581-583) per tonne on August 10, narrowing downward by 10 yuan per tonne from last Friday.The lower HRC...Read More
The cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparency into...Read More
The cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparency into the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets assessed the price...Read More
The price of tantalum concentrate softened again last week with Chinese buying appetite continuing to slow down.Fastmarkets assessed the price for tantalite, basis 25% min Ta2O5, cif China, at $61-63 per lb on Friday August 7, down by 3.9% from the previous week's assessment at $64-65 per lb."Consumers are not placing any new orders and have stopped buying material for now, but the supply is there...Read More