A major Japanese steelmaker is trying to increase its plate offers for Southeast Asia by $30 per tonne from last month to boost profit margins, a source with knowledge of the matter told Fastmarkets.The mill plans to offer $540-550 per tonne cfr Southeast Asia for October-delivery steel plate, after it received enough orders for September-delivery plate that was offered at $510-520 per tonne cfr S...Read More
Crude steel output in Italy decreased by 7.88% year on year in June due to the decrease in steel demand amid the effects of the Covid-19 lockdown measures, Italian steel association Federacciai said on Friday July 17.The county's crude steel production totaled 1.92 million tonnes in June 2020, down from 2.08 million tonnes in the same months of 2019.The June decrease, however, was less then the re...Read More
A summary of Rio Tinto's second-quarter iron ore production report released on Friday July 17.In brief Output from Pilbara operations in Western Australia increased by 4% year on year and by 7% quarter on quarter.Shipments from the Pilbara rose by 1% year on year and by 19% quarter on quarter despite operational controls made in...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday July 20 that are worth another look.Steel products output in Ukraine reduced by 4.6% year on year in January-June 2020 to 9.03 million tonnes, according to a report published by national steel union Ukrmetallurgprom on Thursday July 16.Brazilian copper and brass products manufacturer Termomecanica is set to take its internationaliza...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...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...Read More
The three-month price of lead on the London Metal Exchange was the standout performer at the close of trading on Monday July 20, with the metal topping gains over the afternoon despite thin turnover, while a steady uptick in copper futures saw the price push higher over the afternoon.Lead's outright price on the LME closed at $1,840.50 per tonne on Monday afternoon, climbing from an intraday low o...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday July 20 that are worth another look.Steel products output in Ukraine reduced by 4.6% year on year in January-June 2020 to 9.03 million tonnes, according to a report published by national steel union Ukrmetallurgprom on Thursday July 16.Brazilian copper and brass products manufacturer Termomecanica is set to take its internationaliza...Read More
The London Metal Exchange is looking for ways to boost its options market, which has been struggling for some years to replicate the growth seen in the same sector among its peers.The exchange has launched a consultation, scheduled to end on July 29, on developing electronic options via a new trading platform while retaining its current inter-office options trading structure.Items up for discussio...Read More
The mining industry does a huge amount of good for local communities, to say nothing of its essential contribution to society through the materials it produces. Unfortunately, it all too often manages to give itself a bad name, worsening negative perceptions of the sector through accidents, spills and a failure to act as a steward of the environments in which it operates. In the past month alone,...Read More
The threat of Section 232 tariffs on aluminium imports from Canada into the United States has, like the great white shark following the Brody family in the universally panned film, 'Jaws: The Revenge,' returned - akin to a truly awful horror movie franchise. And that's how Neil Herrington, senior vice president for the Americas, US Chamber of Commerce, views reports that the US administration is c...Read More
The three-month price of lead on the London Metal Exchange was the standout performer at the close of trading on Monday July 20, with the metal topping gains over the afternoon despite thin turnover, while a steady uptick in copper futures saw the price push higher over the afternoon.Lead's outright price on the LME closed at $1,840.50 per tonne on Monday afternoon, climbing from an intraday low o...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices fell on Monday July 20, with slow trading activity and no clear trend emerging, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $109.54 per tonne, down $0.77 per tonne. 62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $111.44 per tonne, down $0.89 per tonne. 58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $97.86 per tonne, down $1.13 pe...Read More
Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were subdued during morning trading on Monday July 20, with thin volume keeping most metals range-bound, while a continued downtrend in LME copper stocks kept the metal's underlying price elevated. Yet sideways trading comes amid continued caution surrounding the European Union's economic summit, which continues this week and sees economi...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Aluminium: Upside breakout last weekThe price of aluminium on the London Metal Exchange surprised us with a break to the upside in the week ended July 10, when prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange raced to three-and-a-half-year highs. While we think there is more short-term upside potential if technical and liquidity fact...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Aluminium: Capped by oversupplyA lack of a meaningful supply adjustment to the Covid-19 demand hit is keeping the aluminium physical market oversupplied and weighing on prices, limiting the success of more buoyant macro and technical forces on prices. Our premium forecasts are under review in light of threats from the U...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Aluminium: Poised for a technical breakoutFears over a second wave of Covid-19 continue to grow, forcing prices of aluminium and the other base metals to take a pause. Our base-case scenario is that countries will respond more efficiently to contain the virus spread, so economic activity and metal demand should continue to r...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Aluminium: Demand outlook revisedWe are not surprised to see aluminium prices retreat from last week's high after flagging up in recent reports that they had become overbought. 'Sell-the-rally' traders will be targeting the April high now, down at $1,534 per tonne. This week we have reviewed our aluminium demand forecasts fo...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Prices hold, pipe buying stalls Seamless prices remained broadly stable in much of the world this month - with the notable exception of falling Japan fob prices, because oil and gas producers have been less inclined to fight for premium products as they cut their capital expenditure - but this was not the result of a balance...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key North American steel forecast highlights:Upward momentum in US domestic sheet steel prices came to a halt in the second half of June, wiping out earlier gains. Although the prices of hot-rolled coil (HRC), cold-rolled coil (CRC) and hot-dipped galvanized coil (HDG) increased on a monthly average basis, the d...Read More