Fastmarkets' benchmark copper concentrates treatment and refining charge (TC/RC) index edged down marginally on Friday June 5 with more tonnages offered by miners for spot sale. The index stood at $49.6 per tonne/4.96 cents per lb, compared with $49.7 per tonne/4.97 cents per lb a week ago. Smelters have been buying cargoes at $52-55 per tonne with bids as high as $60 per tonne. Buying interest i...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their latest price moves.Read More
Aluminium stocks in Shanghai Futures Exchange-approved warehouses showed the largest drop in percentage terms in the week to Friday June 5, falling by 10.0% or 29,717 tonnes to 266,588 tonnes.The outflow mainly came from warehouses operated by Nanchu in Guangdong and Minmetals Wuxi in Jiangsu, with respective declines of 5,173 tonnes and 4,287 tonnes from 18,053 tonnes...Read More
The China alumina market firmed this week on higher offers from sellers who expect increased demand from new aluminium projects. Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for alumina metallurgical grade, ddp China was 2,200-2,250 yuan ($309-314) per tonne on Thursday June 4, narrowing upward by 50 yuan from 2,150-2,250 yuan per tonne a week earlier. The price had widened last week from 2,180-...Read More
Prices for galvanized steel sheet in the United States slipped, reverting to the level of two weeks ago, while cold-rolled coil held steady for the fourth straight week, demonstrating that the two items are being outpaced by the price increases seen in hot-rolled coil.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel hot-dipped galvanized coil (base), fob mill US fell to $34 per hundredweight ($680 p...Read More
Flat-steel import prices were mostly up in South America this past week, as Chinese mills made higher offers ahead of negotiations for August shipments.Demand, however, has not significantly recovered in the region, as some countries are still enforcing quarantines to prevent Covid-19 from spreading. On the other hand, higher customer interest was reported in Brazil after foreign exchange rates tu...Read More
Slab export prices from Brazil increased during the week ended June 5 because of higher costs of iron ore and freight, combined with continued high demand from China.Fastmarkets' weekly assessment for steel slab export, fob main port Brazil, increased by $10 from the previous week, to $355-365 per tonne from $345-355 per tonne.Offers to China have been reported around $400 per tonne cfr and above,...Read More
Turkish prices for hot-dipped galvanized coil (HDG) and color-coated coil increased in the week to Friday June 5 and some producers have stopped accepting new orders because of increasing production costs, sources told Fastmarkets.Demand is strong due to restocking and expectations that prices will rise further.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel HRC, domestic, exw Turkey was $430-440 p...Read More
Vehicle production increased in Latin America during May, when compared with the all-time lows reported in April, but continued to represent a sharp year-on-year decrease while most plants remained closed or are just starting to reopen following Covid-related halts.Mexico, Brazil and Argentina are the region's top auto producing countries, Fastmarkets understands.MexicoMexican light vehicle output...Read More
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) export billet prices increased on Tuesday June 2, with China resuming bookings and accepting higher prices, sources told Fastmarkets.The increased cost of iron ore, an upswing in China's domestic rebar market and production cuts planned in Tangshan province supported interest in imported billet.Fastmarkets' daily index for iron ore 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao...Read More
Steel billet producers in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) continued to concentrate on the Chinese market this week while customers in the country pay the highest prices of all while seeking large volumes, sources said.CIS producers managed to achieve several rounds of price increases in deals this week before market sentiment in China started to ease, Fastmarkets heard.Earlier in the...Read More
Domestic, export and import hot- and cold-rolled coil prices continued to increase in Turkey in the week to Friday June 5 because of strong demand within the country and in its export markets.Turkish HRC producers concluded several deals to Asia during the week and are now accepting orders for late August production.HRC exportsFastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel hot-rolled coil, export,...Read More
Pig iron exporters in Brazil achieved higher prices in the week to Friday June 5 in deals to China, market sources said. Fastmarkets' assessment of pig iron, export, fob port of Vitoria/Rio, Brazil was unchanged at $295-300 per tonne on Friday, but this week the top end of the range reflects a deal achieved at this price rather than offers last...Read More
The inter-merchant spot price for light iron scrap in the United Kingdom moved up for the second consecutive week on Friday June 5, driving by ongoing tight material availability. Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel scrap 5C, loose old light, domestic, delivered inter-merchant, UK was ?65-80 ($82-100) per tonne on Friday, up from ?60-70 per tonne on May 29. This is the second wee...Read More
The price of containerized ferrous scrap imports into India maintained its upward momentum in the week to Friday June 5, as activity returned to the market, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets calculated the steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Nhava Sheva, India at $278.58 per tonne on Friday, up from $275.21 per tonne a week earlier.Most market sources reported offers for shredded material...Read More
Turkish steel producers continued to purchase deep-sea cargoes on an easing of the restrictions under Covid-19 measures in the working week ended Friday June 5. Demand in the key import markets of Taiwan and Vietnam remained stable amid limited supplies from the United States and Japan while the Indian market continued its recovery.Turkish purchases continueUS exporters see brisk spot tradeVietnam...Read More
The market for pig iron in the United States improved during the week to Friday June 5 on a new sale and supplier bullishness, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for pig iron, import, cfr Gulf of Mexico, US was $312-320 per tonne on Friday, up from $310-312 per tonne a week before.A sale of Ukraine-origin pig iron was concluded at $312 per tonne on May 29, after....Read More
Turkish steel mills skipped booking deep-sea scrap on the last working day of the week, leaving the prices stable, sources said on Friday June 5.Along with easing Covid-19 pandemic-related restrictions in Turkey, the steel markets have started to improve and, therefore, steelmakers have accelerated their deep-sea scrap purchases since last week.Turkish steel producers booked at least five deep-sea...Read More
Seaborne premium hard coking coal prices rose by more than $2 per tonne on Friday June 5 due to recent active trading. Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $109.99 per tonne, up $2.24 per tonne Premium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $116.52 per tonne, up $2.14 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $87.58 per tonne, up $0.50 per tonneHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang:&...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices were mostly higher on Friday June 5, with another weekly decrease in iron ore stocks at Chinese ports lending support to the market. Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $100.74 per tonne, up $1.50 per tonne. 62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $103.24 per tonne, up $1.07 per tonne. 58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $89.47 per tonne, up $0...Read More