The dramatic consequences of the Covid-19-related lockdowns across Europe, and the corresponding shutdowns of industrial activities, have resulted in an enormous disruption to the supply chains across all sectors of the steel industry.While the largest of these sectors, the construction industry, has by no means escaped the effects of the pandemic, sources believed that it could see a return of de...Read More
Trading activity in the majority of CIS markets was thin over the past week due to low demand, but CIS exporters of rebar and wire rod preferred to keep offers stable following the example of Turkish producers. Turkish steel mills last week kept their rebar export offers at $425-430 per tonne fob on an actual weight basis, while bids for the material were no higher than $410 per tonne, Fastma...Read More
Domestic hot-rolled coil prices in Northern Europe were little changed day on day on Monday June 22, despite poor demand, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets calculated the daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe at ?,?390.11 ($435.98) per tonne on Monday, up by just ?,?0.11 from ?,?390.00 per tonne on Friday June 19. The index was down by ?,?3.64 per tonne week on...Read More
Liberty Steel Group UK, part of the GFG Alliance, hopes to double production at its Rotherham site to more than 1 million tonnes per year after altering its product mix to produce rebar while reducing its carbon emissions, the company said on Monday June 22.It has upgraded its Thrybergh Bar Mill in Rotherdam to produce rebar from September onward. This follows a series of successful trials of its...Read More
Turkish steel producers started the week with no deep-sea purchases on Monday June 22 in anticipation of a downward correction in the prices, sources said.The steel mills in Turkey were mostly quiet in the deep-sea scrap markets last week, booking only two deep-sea cargoes at the start of the week.On Monday June 15, a steel mill in the Izmir region booked a US cargo comprising 15,000 tonnes of HMS...Read More
Turkish domestic scrap prices have remained fairly stable over the past week, with most market participants believing that prices have reached a peak, sources said on Monday June 22.The steel mills adjusted their buy prices for domestic scrap in line with their stock levels and finished long steel sales over the past week.Three steel producers increased their buy prices for auto bundle scrap by 20...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices fell on Monday June 22 after an increase in cargo arrivals at Chinese ports last week, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $101.75 per tonne, down $0.67 per tonne. 62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $104.19 per tonne, down $1.20 per tonne. 58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $90.77 per tonne, down $...Read More
Fastmarkets' seaborne premium hard coking coal indices diverged on Monday June 22, with the fob Australia premium rising while other prices mostly edged down and market participants decided to take a wait-and-see approach.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $111.78 per tonne, up $2.58 per tonne Premium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $117.36 per tonne, down $0.35 per t...Read More
Seaborne iron ore concentrates and pellet prices fell in the week to Friday June 19 because high prices have deterred buyers from striking any deals, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' index for iron ore 66% Fe concentrate, cfr Qingdao stood at $112.50 per tonne on June 19, down $2.68 per tonne from $115.18 per tonne a week earlier. And the weekly average of Fastmarkets' index fo...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil prices were largely stable on Monday June 22 amid low inventories.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,750-3,760 yuan ($530-532) per tonne, narrowing downward by 10 yuan per tonneTrading activity was moderate on Monday amid futures losses, but sellers were reluctant to cut their offer prices due to low inventories, according to a Shanghai-based trader.A second Shanghai-based...Read More
China's domestic rebar market was flat on Monday June 22 despite falling futures, with mills' high ex-works prices keeping it supported.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,580-3,610 yuan ($506-510) per tonne, unchangedShagang, a major rebar producer in eastern China, rolled over its list price of 3,850 yuan per tonne for HRB400 F16-25mm rebar ordered during the June 21-30 period.This is 240-270 y...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...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
Key data from the pricing sessions in the United States, Europe and Asia for the week ended Friday June 19. China Export price fell in line with concluded business at the low end of the price range. Overseas market remained sluggish due to foreign consumers putting...Read More
China's electrolytic manganese flake export price maintained its one-year low on Friday June 19 on lower offers from traders amid sluggish overseas demand, sources said.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for manganese 99.7% electrolytic manganese flake, fob China was $1,430-1,500 per tonne on Friday June 19, unchanged from a week earlier. This is a new annual low since June 21, 2019, when the pr...Read More
China-based minor metals producer Vital Materials will restart the Xianxi bismuth products plant in Hunan province, owned by producer Hunan Jinwang Bismuth. The Xianxi plant, which was opened in November 2012, stopped production at the end of January 2019 and has been running under heat preservation only since. Before its closure, the plant produced 200-300 tonnes per month of bismuth. Owner Hunan...Read More
Markets underwent a knee-jerk downward reaction earlier this morning, Tuesday June 23, when it looked like the phase one trade deal between the United States and China was over, but markets snapped back once US President Donald Trump announced the deal was “fully intact”. The fact that a White House official said it was “over” only to retract that later suggests there have at l...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 33 points in pre-opening trade. Apple gained $5.63 to $364.50 after Deutsche Bank and UBS raised their target price on the stock. Nike advanced $2.09 to $101.60 after Susquehanna raised its target price from $100 to $130.Lowe's added $$1.34 to $136.06 after Instinet raised its target price from $130 to $146.Peloton gai...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Friday June 19 that are worth another look.Pig iron production at Tata Steel IJmuiden in the Netherlands was stopped on June 19, while the plant's workers went on a 24-hour strike, sources told Fastmarkets.The London Metal Exchange has fined warehouse operator Istim ?30,000 ($37,120) for breaching clauses of its warehouse agreement, the e...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Friday June 19 that are worth another look.Pig iron production at Tata Steel IJmuiden in the Netherlands was stopped on June 19, while the plant's workers went on a 24-hour strike, sources told Fastmarkets.The London Metal Exchange has fined warehouse operator Istim ?30,000 ($37,120) for breaching clauses of its warehouse agreement, the e...Read More