The inter-merchant spot price for light iron scrap in the UK has edged up over the past week, climbing by ?5 ($6) per tonne amid increased competition among some major shredders for feed, while a slowdown in export markets has limited stronger advances, sources said on Friday May 1.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel scrap 5C, loose old light, domestic, delivered inter-merchant, UK, wa...Read More
The market for pig iron exports from the Commonwealth of Independent States improved during the week to Thursday April 30 on new sales to traditional outlets. Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for high-manganese pig iron, export, fob main port Black Sea, CIS, was $280-289 per tonne on April 30, up by $5-9 from $275-280 per tonne last week.A sale of Ukraine-origin pig iron was done to the United...Read More
Weak steel demand globally continued to put pressure on the direct-reduced (DR) iron pellet market, with suppliers and buyers still unable to agree a premium for the second quarter. Fastmarkets' assessment of the iron ore DR-grade pellet premium, Middle East reference, was $30 per tonne on Thursday April 30, unchanged month on month."We have not reached any agreement with suppliers, so t...Read More
Outright cobalt hydroxide prices came under pressure in April with limited demand from end-users in Asia outweighing the impact of delays and supply uncertainty stemming from South Africa's lockdown. Fastmarkets' cobalt hydroxide index, min 30% Co, cif China, was calculated at $9.98 per lb on Thursday April 30, down by 9.27% from $11 per lb at the end of March. The monthly index is a tonnage-weigh...Read More
Sherritt International has seen only modest impacts to its production as a result of Covid-19, but withdrew its production guidance for 2020 due to a number of market and economic uncertainties caused by the pandemic.Prior guidance for 2020 nickel production was 32,000-34,000 tonnes, while cobalt guidance was for 3,300-3,600 tonnes this year. The company has a 50% stake in the Moa joint venture, w...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Asia, Europe and the United States for the week ended Friday May 1.China The rise in UG2 chrome ore prices slowed down after China's major stainless steel mills all raised their ferro-chrome tender prices by a lower-than-expected amount. The imported charge chrome price ticked upward by $0.01 per tonne on improving sentiment and with availability of material f...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday April 30 that are worth another look.Indian steel mills are unlikely to cut domestic hot rolled coil prices for sales in May, private mill sources in the country told Fastmarkets this week.ABN AMRO Bank has filed a claim against China's largest private copper smelter Dongying Fangyuan, according to a court document seen by Fastmar...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices have fared relatively well over the past couple of months in the face of the threat from the Covid-19 pandemic.In grade-304 material, the most common grade of stainless steel, prices were down by about 5-7% since the turn of the year - not bad, when compared with the falls in prices of other assets so f...Read More
The three-month nickel price on the London Metal Exchange lost ground at the close of trading on Thursday April 30, closing at its lowest level in more than a week against thin turnover, while selling pressure pushed copper futures below nearby support levels.Nickel's outright price on the LME closed at $12,192 per tonne on Thursday afternoon, falling from an intraday high of $12,355 per tonne. Tu...Read More
Key pricing data from the pricing session for Fastmarkets' alumina index, fob Australia on Thursday April 30. Fastmarkets' daily alumina index, fob Australia moved up to $241.37 per tonne on Thursday from $233.93 per tonne the previous day. The index is now at its highest since April 1 when it was at $241.52 per tonne. Key drivers: Three new deals concluded Thursday, with two destined f...Read More
KAZ Minerals has delayed the start of production at its $1.2 billion Aktogay copper expansion project in Kazakhstan to late 2021, citing the impacts to its supply chain of the Covid-19 pandemic. The company has also cut its capital expenditure for the project this year to $300-350 million from $400 million previously forecast. KAZ Minerals had spent $663 million on the project by the end of 2019,...Read More
Lundin Mining has cut its 2020 copper and zinc production guidance due to changes related to the Covid-19 pandemic and said forecasts for expanded zinc output next year at its Neves-Corvo mine in Portugal should no longer be counted on. The Toronto, Canada-headquartered company, which has not experienced significant disruptions to output, concentrate shipments or its supply chain, said 2020 group...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday April 30 that are worth another look.Indian steel mills are unlikely to cut domestic hot rolled coil prices for sales in May, private mill sources in the country told Fastmarkets this week.ABN AMRO Bank has filed a claim against China's largest private copper smelter Dongying Fangyuan, according to a court document seen by Fastmar...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices have fared relatively well over the past couple of months in the face of the threat from the Covid-19 pandemic.In grade-304 material, the most common grade of stainless steel, prices were down by about 5-7% since the turn of the year - not bad, when compared with the falls in prices of other assets so f...Read More
The Turkish deep-sea scrap import market was almost silent again on Thursday April 30, with mills expecting even lower prices, sources told Fastmarkets.Overall demand for deep-sea scrap remains poor because of lower steel output and weak demand for finished steel, due to the measures put in place to curb the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak.At least six steelmakers have halted produc...Read More
Buying activity for ferrous scrap cargoes imported into South Korea has increased over the past week, with steelmakers looking to acquire Japanese material, market sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday April 30.South Korean scrap demand has not held up over recent months. The spread of the Covid-19 pandemic across the country has seriously reduced high-grade steel demand and even led to major produ...Read More
Prices for ferrous scrap imports into Bangladesh declined over the past week with buying activity held back by high stocks of material as well as the start of the Islamic celebration of Ramadan, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday April 30.Prices in the Bangladesh market had been strong since the start of April, with higher offer prices from the US West Coast due to the low supply of material, to...Read More
A summary of Russian multi-metal miner Nornickel's production results for the first quarter of 2020. In brief: Despite a drop in base metals production in the first quarter of 2020, company chief executive officer Sergey Dyachenko said the Covid-19 outbreak has not had any adverse material impact on the company's operating results so far. The company's copper output decreased 9% year on...Read More
Base metals prices and global equity indices were holding up in high ground this morning, Thursday April 30, helped by the US Federal Open Market Committee's message of continued support, an expansion in manufacturing activity at China's larger factories, a stronger oil price and because state-sponsored inventory buying in China bodes well for the metals. Asian-Pacific and pre-market major western...Read More
A summary of US-based electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Tesla's financial results for the first quarter of 2020.In brief Total revenues up by 32% year-on-year, which represents the best-ever first quarter for the company, in terms of both production and deliveries, despite a seasonally slower first quarter and the effect of lower EV deliveries by the end of March due to the global spread of Covid...Read More