Monthly average consumption of steel scrap in Brazil was expected to have fallen by 50% year-on-year during the first half of 2020, amid lower demand from steelmakers due to the Covid-19 pandemic, local scrap association Inesfa said on Thursday July 2.The association estimated that first-half consumption would have totaled 1.95 million tonnes, or 325,000 tonnes per month. Full-year 2019 consumptio...Read More
An accident interrupted operations at one of the coking coal mines operated in Poland by Jastrzebska Sp??lka Weglowa (JSW), the company said on Thursday July 2.A short-lived methane fire at the Budryk long-wall mine on Thursday prompted the stop-work order, JSW said."Mining in the wall has been suspended. The causes of the incident will be...Read More
Iron ore prices maintained their current level on Thursday July 1 amid active trading in the seaborne market and the ports in China, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $99.47 per tonne, up $0.30 per tonne.62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $102.10 per tonne, down $0.40 per tonne. 58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $90.97 per tonne, up $0...Read More
The seaborne premium cfr China index jumped on Thursday July 2 following a transaction of premium low-volatility hard coking coal the previous day, although market participants were still unclear about the price trend, Fastmarkets heard.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $114.49 per tonne, up $0.92 per tonne Premium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $126.77 per tonne, u...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.The recent price fall in the iron ore market signals the start of a downturn, after prices averaged at the highest level in almost a year in June. A combination of both supply-related events in Brazil and demand factors in China have put pressure on prices. Vale has received permit to resume mining operations in Itabira, whi...Read More
Jindal Steel & Power Ltd (JSPL) has accepted a binding bid for its entire stake in Omani steel producer Jindal Shadeed Iron & Steel in an attempt to reduce company debt, the Indian steelmaker has announced.Jindal Shadeed will be sold to Mauritius-based investment company Templar Investments in a deal worth more than $1 billion. Subject to approval from lenders in Oman and shareholders in India, th...Read More
Robust steel production rates in China kept seaborne iron ore prices above $100 per tonne cfr China for the whole of June, but meager profit margins are beginning to keep Chinese mills away from higher grades of the steelmaking raw material. Prices for 62% Fe iron ore averaged $102.49 per tonne cfr last month - a 10% month-on-month increases - while those for 65% Fe products averaged $115.45 per t...Read More
Markets participants are in an optimistic mood while they focus on economic data that is improving and hopes of a Covid-19 vaccine this morning, Thursday July 2, while apparently choosing not to focus on the havoc that the pandemic is causing.US total vehicle sales climbed to an annualized 13.1 million units in June, after 8.7 million units in May; sales were around 17 million in 2019. Spanish une...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...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...Read More
China imported more than double the volume of cobalt metal in May compared with the same period last year due to arbitrage opportunities, according to market sources. China imported 435 tonnes of cobalt metal in May, up 107% year on year from 210 tonnes and 151% higher than April 2020 when imports totaled only at 173 tonnes, according to China Customs data. Several market participants cited the na...Read More
Key data from the Wednesday July 1 pricing session in Shanghai.Key drivers The cobalt metal price in China was marginally lower in the first half of this week after a persistent downturn in local futures prices was capped on Wednesday, while spot demand improved...Read More
Trade log for cobalt sulfate in China including transactions, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Unless otherwise stated, all prices are yuan per tonne on an ex-works basis.Fastmarkets prices Click here for Fastmarkets' price assessment for cobalt...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 for June 2020.The case list below includes only updates. For other continuing cases this year, see the updates for May, April, March, February...Read More
China's domestic stainless steel prices edged up over the past week due to stock replenishing activity, with export prices following the upward move.Steady nickel prices lent further support to stainless steel prices, market sources said on Wednesday July 1. The three-month nickel contract on the London Metal Exchange ended Wednesday's official trading session at $12,620 per tonne, up by...Read More
Markets were mixed this morning, Friday July 3, with Asian-Pacific equities generally higher and pre-market western equity index futures weaker, while the base metals and precious metals were mixed.* China’s Caixin services purchasing managers index (PMI) climbed to 58.4 in June, from 55 previously. * James Bullard, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis, told the Financial Times t...Read More
of July weekend!Pre-opening Comments for Friday July 3rdThe Canadian equity market is expected to be quiet today, typical when U.S. equity markets are closed. U.S. markets are closed for the Independence Day holiday. U.S. equity index futures were down 0.30% in overnight trade.Other equity markets around the world were mixed overnight. European equity markets were lower by almost 1.0%. Far East eq...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday July 1 that are worth another look.Brazilian iron ore pellet producer Samarco is on schedule to resume operations by the end of 2020 despite health and safety measures taken to prevent Covid-19 from spreading among workers, the company told Fastmarkets on July 1.Industry associations up and down the steel and metals supply chain...Read More
Tariffs on low-carbon aluminium imports into the European Union should be eliminated to help power the region's Covid-19 recovery package and climate transition strategy, according to the chairman of En+ Group. Warning against the widespread use of high-carbon metals, Lord Gregory Barker said the removal of tariffs would be an urgent measure that can help European manufacturers grow a global marke...Read More
Tin premiums in the United States and Europe were subject to pressure in the two weeks to Wednesday July 1, with a wide backwardation in the metal's forward curve on the London Metal Exchange limiting business while a narrowing arbitrage window to import tin into China supported current levels. Covid-19 resurgence hinders US marketRenewed spot interest fails to stop falling Rotterdam premiumStrong...Read More