Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday July 22 that are worth another look.Russia's largest steelmaker, Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK), has suspended rolling operations at its subsidiary in the Ural region due to a flood, the company said earlier this week.Rio Tinto has formally complained...Read More
First Cobalt is entering the second phase of financing discussions for the recommission and expansion of its currently idled cobalt refinery in Canada, with proposals under review with its financial advisor, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC).The Canada-headquartered company is contemplating an initial recommissioning of the cobalt refinery in partnership with miner and marketer Glencore be...Read More
Spot payables for cobalt hydroxide continued to rally in the first half of the week that began on Monday July 20, with consumers raising their bids in an effort to secure spot August cargoes, which remained in tight supply.The assessment of the cobalt hydroxide payable indicator, min 30% Co, cif China, % payable of Fastmarkets' standard-grade cobalt price (low end), rose to 70-71.5% on July 22. Th...Read More
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday July 22.Please click...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday July 22 that are worth another look.Russia's largest steelmaker, Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK), has suspended rolling operations at its subsidiary in the Ural region due to a flood, the company said earlier this week.Rio Tinto has formally complained...Read More
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday July 22.Please click...Read More
London Metal Exchange three-month base metals prices were down at the close of trading on Wednesday July 22 following news that China's central bank will cease its monetary easing activity amid fears that it would over-stimulate its economy while it recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic.The People's Bank of China injected 1.81 trillion yuan ($259 billion) of new loan liquidity on July 10. Following...Read More
The seaborne premium hard-coking coal fob Australia index increased on Wednesday July 22 following the latest transaction, which market participants attributed to an optimistic outlook shared among miners and traders, Fastmarkets heard.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $109.93 per tonne, up $1.67 per tonne Premium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $119.23 per tonne, down $0.24 p...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Aluminium: Comfortable consolidationAluminium appears comfortable consolidating for the moment, and this will leave prices in a stronger position to challenge overhanging long-term trend-line resistance from the May 2018 high, which stands at $1,670 per tonne currently.Copper: Consolidation unlikely to lastCopper reached its...Read More
CIS export steel billet prices continued to strengthen early this week after a fresh sale and on limited availability of August-rolling volumes, Fastmarkets heard on Wednesday July 22.Rare offers from CIS mills were heard within the range of $380-385 per tonne fob Black/Azov Sea ports. This was up from $375-385 per tonne fob late last week.Some Russian producers, however, quoted significantly high...Read More
Italian steel re-rollers have been targeting a price increase for heavy plate due to the rising cost of steel slab, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday July 22.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel domestic plate, 8-40mm, exw Southern Europe, was ?,?430-440 ($493-505) per tonne on July 22, up by ?,?10 per tonne week on week from ?,?420-430 per tonne.The assessment was based on achievabl...Read More
Despite the worsening effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, Western participants in the global nickel markets saw hopeful signs, while a lack of arbitrage kept Chinese trading at a low level.Some "desperate" selling in the United States was considered to be isolated.European market participants expected a post-summer pick-up, and a boost from nickel briquettes being listed on the Shanghai Futures Exch...Read More
Rio Tinto has formally complained of Landsvirkjun - the energy supplier to its ISAL aluminium smelter - abusing its market dominance in Iceland and threatened to close the plant entirely if the alleged anti-competitive conduct does not end, it said. The complaint, lodged by the company to the Icelandic Competition Authority (ICA) against state-owned generator Landsvirkjun, marks the end of the fir...Read More
London Metal Exchange three-month base metals prices were down at the close of trading on Wednesday July 22 following news that China's central bank will cease its monetary easing activity amid fears that it would over-stimulate its economy while it recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic.The People's Bank of China injected 1.81 trillion yuan ($259 billion) of new loan liquidity on July 10. Following...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Aluminium: Comfortable consolidationAluminium appears comfortable consolidating for the moment, and this will leave prices in a stronger position to challenge overhanging long-term trend-line resistance from the May 2018 high, which stands at $1,670 per tonne currently.Copper: Consolidation unlikely to lastCopper reached its...Read More
Grade A copper cathode premiums in Asia softened in the week to Tuesday July 21, with a higher LME three-month price limiting buying opportunities, while tight spreads kept premiums in Europe and the United States steady week on week. Asian sellers heed caution amid Chile supply woes. Rotterdam stock decline perplexes European participants. Spot market remains quiet in the US. Premiums b...Read More
More zinc and lead metal were delivered onto exchange warehouses as spot interest remained low for both metals with premiums flat across different markets this week. Significant deliveries of zinc and lead metal to LME sheds showed ample availability and poor demandFastmarkets' latest tally of zinc production lost so far this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic amounts to 744,000 tonnesThe arbit...Read More
Decreasing ferrous scrap prices and overall weak demand have eroded wire rod spot prices in the United States, Fastmarkets has learned.Fastmarkets' monthly assessment for steel wire rod (low carbon) industrial quality, fob mill US fell to $29-29.50per hundredweight ($580-590 per short ton) on Tuesday July 21, down by 4.1% from $30-31 per cwt last month, when sources indicated the domestic wir...Read More
Hollow steel sections prices in Northern and Southern Europe were unchanged on Wednesday July 22 with much of the market already away for the summer, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe was ?,?540-560 ($620-642) per tonne on Wednesday, unchanged week on week. The weekly steel sections (medium), domestic,...Read More
Egyptian long steel producer El Marakby Steel will add a total of 400,000 tonnes per year to its steel rebar and wire rod production capacity, company chairman of board Hassan ElMarakby said on July 17.El Marakby Steel signed a certificate of acceptance with SMS Group for the wire rod and rebar mill, which will have the capability to produce 10-32 mm thickness rebar and 5.5-12mm...Read More