Bangladesh is one of the world's fastest-growing import markets for steel scrap. The country's rapid industrialization in recent years and its lack of natural steelmaking raw material resources mean that scrap imports - in addition to domestic material - are of high importance to the country's steelmakers.But why has 2020 been a particularly important year for the Bangladesh market? And how is Ban...Read More
Fastmarkets' iron ore index for 65% Fe Brazil-origin fines, cfr Qindao reached a record high on Monday August 3 from one year earlier, with prices surging under better market expectations of future iron ore demand amid strong China manufacturing PMI, sources said. Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $116.03 per tonne, up $5.45 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $11...Read More
With competition in the global steel markets remaining fierce, Fastmarkets provides an update on the new, progressing and closed trade cases from around the world in July 2020.The case list below includes only updates. For other continuing cases this year, see the updates for January, February, March, April, May and June this year.1. US: wire rod from Mexico2. EU: ferro-silicon from China and Russ...Read More
Seaborne premium hard coking coal prices remained relatively flat on Monday August 3 on a lack of transactions in the spot market, while most Chinese market participants can only stand by due to the country's stringent import restrictions on seaborne materials. Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $108.36 per tonne, down $0.13 per tonne Premium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $11...Read More
Negotiations over premiums for direct-reduced (DR) iron ore pellet for the third quarter of 2020 are still ongoing, sources told Fastmarkets.Vale - the largest global supplier of DR pellets - will diversify the premium depending on the tonnage a buyer will purchase during the quarter, sources told Fastmarkets. "We've not agreed the premium yet because normally we buy five to six cargoes per q...Read More
Aluminium premiums in Rotterdam are on an upward trend for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic took hold of Europe, with benchmark P1020 premiums at four-month highs. Fastmarkets assessed the aluminium P1020A premium, in-whs dup Rotterdam at $90-95 per tonne on Friday July 31, up from $85-90 per tonne the week before. The midpoint of $92.50 per tonne is the highest since April 3 - the...Read More
China's domestic hot-rolled coil prices surged on Monday August 3 to reach their highest since October 2018 amid optimism generated by rising manufacturing activity.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 4,060-4,070 yuan ($582-584) per tonne, up 70-90 yuan per tonneSeveral Shanghai-based traders told Fastmarkets that trading activity in that region was merely moderate because buyers were reluctant to p...Read More
The three-month zinc price on the London Metal Exchange was down during morning trading on Monday August 3, with price action slipping back below the newly-established $2,300-per-tonne support level, while narrower forward spreads helped tin futures retain recent momentum. Zinc's outright price on the LME was recently seen at $2,289 per tonne, slipping just over 1% from Friday's closing price of $...Read More
China's domestic and export prices for rebar moved up on Monday August 3 amid rising futures stimulated by the release of positive economic data. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,640-3,670 yuan ($522-526) per tonne, up by 40 yuan per tonneChina's manufacturing purchasing managers' index was 51.1 points for July, up by 0.2 points from June, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. This i...Read More
The metals and equity indices were mixed this morning, Monday August 3, with numerous crosscurrents affecting the markets.Data this morning showed China's Caixin manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) climbed to 52.8 in July from 51.2 a month earlier, while Japan's manufacturing PMI rebounded to 45.2 from 42.6 over the same comparison. But the continuing spread of the Covid-19 in the world...Read More
A summary of Belgian battery materials company Umicore's results for the first six months of 2020, as stated in its half-year report published on Friday July 31.In brief Revenues from the Energy & Surface Technologies division were down by 8% year-on-year in the first half of 2020, to ?,?557 million ($656 million), due to the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on sales of electric vehicles (EVs). Ear...Read More
The Covid-19 pandemic has hampered global trade in an unprecedented way, with countries across the world imposing trade restrictions in their attempts to contain the spread of the virus, and with production and consumption being scaled back due to the weakened economic activity.As a result, world trade volumes showed a decrease of nearly 17% in the first five months of 2020, according to the lates...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...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 the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies. Fastmarkets assessed cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam at $13.90-14.35/lb on Monday August 3, 2020. ...Read More
China's domestic bismuth price has maintained its strong market level in a tight spot market, after picking up in mid-July, trading sources said.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for bismuth 99.99% Bi min, in-whs China was at 37,000-38,500 yuan ($5,306-5,521) per tonne on Friday July 31, up by 1,500 yuan per tonne or 4.1% from 36,000-36,500 yuan per tonne a week earlier. Market participants ha...Read More
The latest forecast from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.As we enter the summer season across the northern hemisphere, almost half a year has passed since the Covid-19 pandemic began to seriously affect Europe and the United States.One would not really be able to tell that such a dramatic event had occurred by looking at stainless steel prices, however, because they are more or less...Read More
The metals and equity indices were headed in different directions this morning, Tuesday August 4, with equities up and metals down, but good data may well push metals prices higher as the day progresses - especially given better-than-expected US vehicle sales in July.* Nasdaq set another record high on Monday.* US total vehicle sales rose to 14.5 million units annualized in July, sales were expect...Read More
Corn ETN (CORN) moved below $11.61 setting an intermediate downtrend.Pre-opening Comments for Tuesday August 4thU.S. equity index futures were lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 13 points in pre-opening trade.Mosaic advanced $1.32 to $15.00 after reporting higher than consensus second quarter sales and earnings.Take Two Interactive advanced $8.32 to $176.00 after reporting higher th...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Friday July 31 that are worth another look.Pig iron export prices from Brazil continued to climb in the week to July 31 on new sales to China and the United States.Chilean copper producer Codelco will restart...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Friday July 31 that are worth another look.Pig iron export prices from Brazil continued to climb in the week to July 31 on new sales to China and the United States.Chilean copper producer Codelco will restart...Read More