From supply chain disruptions to London Metal Exchange spreads, aluminium market participants discussed a wide variety of topics during LME Week, and what they could mean for the market in the months ahead.Fastmarkets breaks down the winners and losers across the various topics discussed during the week of October 11-15.Embedded supply chains - winnersWhile costs along the supply chain continue to...Read More
The Russian government has removed or reduced existing export duties on ferro-alloys, effective October 15, after responding to domestic industry concerns, trade sources said.Russia implemented its latest export tax changes on Friday October 15, a move which included scrapping the export taxon ferro-alloys such as ferro-titanium and ferro-tungsten.On Monday, Russia's Ministry of Economic Developme...Read More
What do Toyota's automotive plant shutdowns have to do with steel scrap prices?A lot, apparently.Japan's largest automaker's on-off production schedule has been a major driving force behind some of the sharp price rises for Japanese scrap in both the domestic and seaborne markets, especially for the prime-grade material.In Japan, such scrap is referred to as Shindachi, which comprises Shindachi Ba...Read More
The London Metal Exchange has imposed a series of temporary measures to maintain an orderly copper market after wild outright and spread price moves and dwindling inventories in recent days, the exchange said.In a notice to members, the LME said its Special Committee had been monitoring the ongoing tightness in the copper market, with exchange inventories falling and nearby carries tightening. The...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Tuesday October 19 that are worth another look.Vietnam's Hoa Phat Steel is close to obtaining certification from the United Kingdom Certification Authority for Reinforcing Steels (Cares), which would allow it to sell its rebar to the key markets of Singapore...Read More
Ford Motor will invest $316 million to build electric car components at its Halewood factory in northern England, it said.The US automotive manufacturer expects power unit production to begin in mid-2024, with capacity planned to be around 250,000 units per year, it said in a release on Monday October 18.This vehicle transmission facility, which currently builds transmissions for several...Read More
There were no deep-sea bookings by Turkish steel mills on Tuesday October 19, but sources expect mills to book more cargoes for December amid strong demand for billet and rebar, market participants told Fastmarkets.The most recent deep-sea trade was recorded on Monday October 18, when a steel mill in the Iskenderun region booked a Baltic Sea cargo consisting of 6,500 tonnes HMS 1&2 (95:5) at $512...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Tuesday October 19 that are worth another look.Vietnam's Hoa Phat Steel is close to obtaining certification from the United Kingdom Certification Authority for Reinforcing Steels (Cares), which would allow it to sell its rebar to the key markets of Singapore...Read More
Base metals prices continued to soar higher this morning, Tuesday October 19, with cash prices rising at an even faster pace while shorts are squeezed. Cash copper prices on the London Metal Exchange were evaluated on Monday evening at $1,103.50 per tonne.All of the LME base metals' cash/three-month spreads, except that for aluminium, are in backwardation.Risk appetite is fairly upbeat despite gen...Read More
Trading liquidity for Chinese steel cold-rolled coil and hot-dipped galvanized coil remained quiet in the week ended October 19 after growing fears of export policy changes ahead of the end of the year dented buying interest for Chinese material.Changes in export prices for Chinese CRC and HDG were moderate compared with the previous week, with domestic prices continuing to fluctuate amid supply r...Read More
Steel scrap prices in the main Mexican markets of Monterrey and Bajio continued their downward trend in the week ended Friday October 15, but prices diverged widely between buyers.Price cuts of 300-700 pesos ($14-34) per tonne were common last week, with some scrap buyers seeing comfortable inventory levels and steady supply.Fastmarkets' assessment of the steel scrap No1 heavy melt, consu...Read More
Trading liquidity for Chinese steel cold-rolled coil and hot-dipped galvanized coil remained quiet in the week ended October 19 after growing fears of export policy changes ahead of the end of the year dented buying interest for Chinese material.Changes in export prices for Chinese CRC and HDG were moderate compared with the previous week, with domestic prices continuing to fluctuate amid supply r...Read More
China's cobalt metal price strengthened after China's National Day holiday (October 1-7) amid the rally in international benchmark metal price and a shortage of spot units. While the price gap between China domestic market and the international market narrowed, it is unlikely that the former will match the latter in the near future, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for cobalt...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key ferro-alloy forecast highlights:Bulk and noble alloys both moved largely in line with our price forecasts globally over the past month, though several markets surprised to the upside, exceeding our forecast gains. Stronger-than-forecast pricing momentum was primarily triggered by supply shortages in numerous...Read More
Export prices for flat steel product from the Commonwealth of Independent States rose during the week ended Monday October 18 on a stronger local market in Turkey - the key destination for flat steel exports from Russia and Ukraine.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel hot-rolled coil, export, fob Black Sea, CIS was $820-840 per tonne on Monday, up by $20 per tonne from $800-820 per...Read More
The collapse of the iron ore market and market turbulence over Chinese property developer Evergrande Group are adding to the economic woes caused by the Delta variant of Covid-19 for much of this year.It is hard to find bright sparks in the months ahead for the ferrous supply chain, which has been buffeted repeatedly in a short span of few months, starting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's comment...Read More
Base metals on the London Metal Exchange closed lower day on day on Tuesday October 19 after a strong open.The LME zinc three-month price led the decline among the base metals, closing at $3,508 per tonne - down more than 5% from $3,696 per tonne at the open."Even though we believe the LME zinc price can remain elevated...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices inched lower on Tuesday October 19 because market participants adopted a weak outlook for iron ore demand after more news of steel production cuts in south China's Jiangsu province and iron ore logistics disruptions in north China's Tangshan, market sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $124.04 per tonne, down $0.28 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina...Read More
An overview of the chrome ore and alloy markets in Asia, Europe and the United States on Tuesday October 19 and their latest price moves.China Lower-than-expected October tender prices from major stainless steel mills and weakened demand outlook following production cuts in the stainless steel sector weighed on market sentiment.The domestic spot ferro-chrome market softened with lower offers heard...Read More
Steel rebar and billet buyers in the United Arab Emirates were waiting for new local rebar prices to be announced in the week ended Tuesday October 19; they expect a price increase of around $30 per tonne, sources told Fastmarkets.Rebar producers normally announce new prices fortnightly in the UAE, but they have not made any changes since September 29.Domestic rebarRebar producers in the UAE sold...Read More