The seaborne iron ore market found an average price for 62% Fe fines that breached $90-per-tonne during May, while improving steel prices, supply uncertainty from Brazil and declining iron ore inventory at Chinese ports were major drivers behind the strong iron ore markets, Fastmarkets understands.The monthly average price for 62% Fe iron ore rose 10.35% month on month to $93.16 per tonne in May,...Read More
Seaborne premium hard coking coal cfr China price rose on Tuesday June 2 after a transaction was signed at $120 per tonne, while prices for other segments remained relatively flat. Fastmarkets indices Premium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $108.97 per tonne, down $0.05 per tonne Premium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $116.88 per tonne, up $0.95 per tonne Hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $89.57 per tonne,...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices in the mid-grade section of the market edged up on Tuesday June 2 amid active physical spot-market trading.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $101.32 per tonne, up by $0.87 per tonne.62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $104.13 per tonne, up by $0.24 per tonne.58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $91.59 per tonne, down by $0.34 per tonne.65%...Read More
Brazil's iron ore exports in May fell by over a quarter compared with the same period a year earlier.It exported 21.50 million tonnes of the steelmaking raw material last month, which is 28.2% lower than the 29.87 million tonnes it shipped out in May last year, according to figures released by the country's economy ministry on Monday June 1.Iron ore prices have been on the rise amid concerns about...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil producers have raised their offers above $440 per tonne fob after domestic prices strengthened further on Tuesday June 2.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,650-3,680 yuan ($512-516) per tonne, widening upward by 20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,630 yuan per tonne, unchangedA Shanghai-based trader said sellers in the city issued offers of 3,650-3,660 yuan per t...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices continued to trend upward on Tuesday June 2 amid stronger demand stimulated by rising futures.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,590-3,620 yuan ($503-508) per tonne, up by 20 yuan per tonneBuyers raised their procurement rates amid a strengthening futures market, which pushed up spot prices.But some markets participants have expressed concerns over the possibility o...Read More
The cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb 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 Rotterdam, $/lb at $14.75-15.15 on...Read More
The cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb 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 alloy grade,...Read More
The cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb 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...Read More
The cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb 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...Read More
Bulk alloys markets in Europe are coming under sustained pressure from weak demand, with prices for manganese alloys dropping through May, while ferro-silicon prices have been falling since April, sources said.Elsewhere, silico-manganese export prices have also been dropping in India, where recent restarts in production may be short-lived while producers consider cuts to stem or even reverse price...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices are on the increase in June. As far as this market is concerned, it appears as though the Covid-19 pandemic has had little impact so far, with prices on the most common grades of stainless steel just 2-4% lower than they were at the turn of the year in most markets.Even in Asia, a region often talked ab...Read More
While metals prices were mixed this morning, Wednesday June 3, broader markets were looking more upbeat and the underlying trends in the metals are also upward. China’s Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) estimated vehicle sales growth of 11.7% year on year in May, which follows a 4.4% rise in April. Given how metal intensive cars are and the fact that China’s vehicle market h...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures advanced 18 points in pre-opening trade. Index futures were virtually unchanged following release of the May ADP Employment report at 8:15 AM EDT. Consensus was job loss of 9.0 million versus job loss of 20.236 million in April. Actual was job loss of 2.760 millionThe Canadian Dollar was virtually unchanged at US73.78 cents pr...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday June 1 that are worth another look.Mining company Rio Tinto has apologized for destroying one of Australia's oldest Aboriginal heritage sites in order to expand an iron ore project and said that it was urgently reviewing plans at other sites in the Juukan Gorge area.Aluminium producer Norsk Hydro and battery cell maker Northvolt hav...Read More
Fastmarkets is proposing to extend the delivery window for its aluminium P1020A (MJP) spot premium, cif Japan. The current methodology reflects cargoes sold on a cif basis for delivery to the main Japanese ports of Yokohama, Nagoya and Osaka within four weeks from the date of the transaction. Fastmarkets invites comment from market participants to determine whether extending the delivery window to...Read More
The three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange was higher at the close of trading on Monday June 1, needing only a further slight push to rise above $5,500 per tonne - a level it has not breached since March 11 - while a smaller-than-expected fall in US monthly construction spending also supported the base-metals complex.Copper's underlying price on the LME closed at $5,484 per tonne on...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday June 1 that are worth another look.Mining company Rio Tinto has apologized for destroying one of Australia's oldest Aboriginal heritage sites in order to expand an iron ore project and said that it was urgently reviewing plans at other sites in the Juukan Gorge area.Aluminium producer Norsk Hydro and battery cell maker Northvolt hav...Read More
The UG2 chrome ore market rose for yet another week on Friday May 29, supported by Chinese buyers' attempts to restock, and ferro-chrome prices stabilized in firm market conditions. Fastmarkets' chrome ore South Africa UG2 concentrates index basis 42%, cif China climbed up for a fourth week in a row to $169 per tonne on Friday, up by $5 per tonne or 3% from $164 per tonne a week earlier. The...Read More
Prices in the European high-carbon and low-carbon ferro-markets increased in in the week ended Friday May 29.In high-carbon trading, industry sources reported deals agreed for more than 1,000 tonnes of alloy that raised the upper end of the price assessment. And deals for about 350 tonnes of more refined-grade material were reported, which had the same effect on the price range in that market.In a...Read More