Trading activity in the CIS export billet market was limited in the week to Friday April 17, with customers in most outlets preferring to take a wait-and-see approach amid a lack of clarity over the future price trend.Market sentiment has not been helped by the approaching religious holidays in the Middle East and the weak demand for finished steel products resulting from the global response to th...Read More
Prices for flat steel in Turkey were mixed in the week to Friday April 17, with some prices moving higher and others lower, while demand improved slightly from last week, market participants said.Demand strengthened because stocks among buyers were low, Turkish sources said.Scrap prices continued to increase during the week on reduced availability. Fastmarkets' daily index for steel scrap, HMS 1&2...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in Northern Europe have moved down again due to low market activity and decreasing import offers, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday April 17.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, was ?,?453.33 ($492.61) per tonne on Friday April 17, down by ?,?1.67 per tonne from ?,?455 per tonne on April 16.Domestic HRC prices in t...Read More
UK suppliers of steel scrap to domestic consumers have reported a decrease in their prices in the latest monthly settlements in April, following poor market conditions as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, market sources told Fastmarkets on Friday April 17.Fastmarkets assesses the prices of trend-indicating grades in the UK such as HMS 1&2 (old steel) and OA plate and structural (P&S) scrap.The pr...Read More
Austenitic stainless steel scrap prices for material imported into Europe increased this week because of tight supply, despite demand still being poor, Fastmarkets heard on Friday April 17.Fastmarkets' weekly assessment of the price for stainless steel scrap 18/8 solids, import, cif main European port, was ?,?890-910 ($967-989) per tonne on Friday, up by ?,?40-60 per tonne.This was the second cons...Read More
The price of ferrous scrap imported into India moved up this week following continued increases in other global scrap markets, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday April 17.Fastmarkets calculated the steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Nhava Sheva, India, at $272.50 per tonne on Friday, up from $245.19 per tonne one week earlier.Trading remained on hold for many in the country, which remained...Read More
Turkish deep-sea scrap import prices stabilized at the end of the week with mills making four fresh bookings, market sources said on Friday April 17.A steel mill in the Iskenderun region booked a US cargo comprising 10,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $256.50 per tonne, 14,000 tonnes of shredded at $261.50 per tonne and 6,000 tonnes of plate and structural scrap (P&S) at $266.50 per tonne cfr.A st...Read More
Premium coking coal prices fell again on Friday April 17, with several market participants bearish for the near-term outlook due to subdued downstream demand amid weak global steel markets. Fastmarkets indices Premium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $130.60 per tonne, down $0.34 per tonne Premium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $135.75 per tonne, down $2.67 per tonne Hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $119.0...Read More
The three-month nickel price on the London Metal Exchange was the standout performer during morning trading on Friday April 17, pushing beyond the $12,000-per-tonne threshold for the first time in a month, while copper tested resistance at $5,200 per tonne. Nickel's outright price on the LME was recently at $12,035 per tonne, gaining $280 from Thursday's closing price of $11,764 per tonne and push...Read More
China's domestic hot-rolled coil prices were stable on Friday April 17 but trading activity fell, with market sentiment dampened by a drop in the country's gross domestic product in the first quarter - the first time in three decades.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,330-3,340 yuan ($470-472) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,260 yuan per tonne, unchangedA Shanghai-based trader sa...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in London on Friday April 17.Key drivers Sellers were less inclined to demand a premium for alloy-grade units given slow activity in the spot market recently and headwinds from aerospace-industry closures. Alloy-grade prices were within $0.10 per lb of the standard-grade assessment on the low end. Market sources reported...Read More
An overview of the Chinese minor metals markets and the reasons for their latest price moves. Read More
The price of vanadium pentoxide in Europe jumped by more than 25% in the week ended Friday April 17 due to concerns over obtaining the material during the continued lockdown in South Africa. Fastmarkets assessed the vanadium pentoxide 98% V2O5 min, in-whs Rotterdam price at $6.90-7.45 per lb on Friday, up 25.3% from the previous week's assessment of $5.2-6.25 per lb and at a three-month high....Read More
Prices for ferrous scrap imported to South Korea only registered marginal gains over the week to Friday April 17, while mills refused to contemplate higher offer prices for deep-sea cargoes with only limited interest in Japan-origin material, Fastmarkets heard.Although export offer prices from the United States West Coast have ballooned over the past fortnight, low buying interest has meant that K...Read More
Ferrous scrap sellers in Taiwan are mostly withholding offers for containerized material from the United States due to the bullish outlook for spot prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday April 17.Fastmarkets' daily price assessment for containerized cargoes of steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20), US material import, cfr main port Taiwan, was $215-218 per tonne cfr on April 17, up by $3 per tonne from...Read More
Vietnamese buyers balked at the high offer for a deep-sea bulk cargo of ferrous scrap this week, preferring to purchase cheaper Japanese material instead.A seller offered a 20,000-25,000-tonne bulk cargo of Australian heavy melting scrap (HMS) 1&2 (80:20) at $270-275 per tonne cfr Vietnam at the start of the week, which is $20-25 per tonne higher than last week's offer of $250 per tonne cfr amid b...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday April 16 that are worth another look.Toyota plans further cuts to output at its automotive plants in Japan in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, but has also pledged to support ventilator producers in the fight against the rising infection and death rates.Chinese stainless steel producers have withheld their offers since late last...Read More
Mining operations in South Africa may now operate at a reduced capacity of not more than 50% during the country's lockdown and can apply to restart and increase production beyond this level, according to a government minister. Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, South Africa's minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs, said approvals will come from the minister of mineral resources and ene...Read More
The three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange was little changed at the close of trading on Thursday April 16, holding above nearby support levels despite a 10-day low in turnover, while aluminium futures continued to find support above the $1,500 per tonne threshold.Copper's underlying price on the LME closed at $5,138.50 per tonne, climbing by just over 0.5% from Wednesday's closing...Read More
Key pricing data from the pricing session for Fastmarkets' alumina index, fob Australia on Thursday April 16. Fastmarkets' daily alumina index, fob Australia was little changed from the previous day and steady from $225.40 per tonne a week prior. But the current index level remains 24% lower than a month ago. Key drivers: Fresh deal concluded on March 15 at $225 per tonne fob Australia with...Read More