China’s race to contain the coronavirus (2019-nCov), combined with its financial stimulus, are providing the markets with more than enough hope, with risk-on being seen across most of the metals and many equity indices, especially in western markets, this morning, Monday February 17. But this apparent confidence is likely to be fragile as there is still much uncertainty surrounding the virus...Read More
China's auto output fell by a third in January in comparison with a year earlier while sales declined by a quarter, according to estimates by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. The association, which expects these numbers to worsen in February, said on Thursday February 13 that it had not received data from all the companies it monitors because many of them have yet to return to wo...Read More
The China Iron & Steel Association (Cisa) is seeking the Chinese transport ministry's help to solve logistical problems experienced by steelmakers in recent weeks, especially those affecting the delivery of raw materials, market sources told Fastmarkets.Various transportation restrictions have been put in place throughout China since late January as a result of the outbreak of the novel coronaviru...Read More
Brazil-based miner Vale has lowered its iron ore fines production guidance for the first quarter of 2020 after its operations were adversely affected by heavy rain, the company said on Tuesday February 11.Vale said it was expecting to produce 63-68 million tonnes of iron ore fines in the January-March period, down by 5 million tonnes from an earlier estimate of 68-73 million tonnes.The miner suffe...Read More
Trade disputes and geopolitical uncertainties had already made the prospects for global economic growth uncertain. A coronavirus has now added to the challenges facing financial markets.The epicenter of the virus is Wuhan, an important commercial hub in China that is home to 11.9 million people, including the country's largest student population. It is also a manufacturing hub, with around 500 fac...Read More
The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for rebar, wire rod, steel beams and other long steel products.Latest transaction: rebarRebarEast China, domestic, grade III 16-25mm...Read More
The London Metal Exchange will on February 1 introduce a reporting process that will increase transparency into levels of off-warrant stocks. The exchange announced the plans in November 2019 and aims to attract more metal back in LME sheds. It is controversial, but its passage into the LME rulebook on February 1 follows a consultation last year. Some market participants are now saying the LME sho...Read More
Strong demand and bullish negotiations for second-quarter business pushed aluminium billet premiums in Europe higher on Friday February 14, while other global premiums were unchanged. Germany premium at highest since December 2019Weak demand in Thailand Premium remains at all-time low in USBuying interest thin in BrazilQ2 negotiations bullish in EuropeFastmarkets assessed the aluminium 6063 e...Read More
The US primary foundry alloy premium has hit an all-time low, with oversupply in the region the main reason for the downtrend.Fastmarkets assessed the aluminium wheel alloy silicon 7 ingot/T-bar premium dlvd dup over P1020A Midwest US at 6-9 cents per lb on Friday February 14, down a penny from the previous all-time low of 7-10 cents per lb set on December 13 and maintained in January's assessment...Read More
Several Chinese major zinc smelters are running at reduced output to prevent the quick build-up of sulfuric acid because a logistics lockdown caused by the coronavirus outbreak has dampened the sales outlook of the zinc smelting by-product. Yuguang Gold & Lead has suspended operations at a 100,000 tonne-per-year zinc production line this week, a producer source with direct knowledge of the matter...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Europe, Asia and the United States for the week ended Friday February 14.Europe The silico-manganese and ferro-manganese markets increased over the week after a month of stability, with renewed demand from consumers prompting higher-priced deals.One deal was reported being done at ?,?980 per tonne delivered for 400 tonnes of silico-manganese to a...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Europe, Asia and the United States for the week ending Friday February 14.Europe The high-carbon ferro-chome market rose for the fourth consecutive week with some producers reporting a steady recovery in the volume of inquiries they received and prices achieved. Some consumers reported that their use of the spot market was limited, however, because weak demand...Read More
Several Chinese major zinc smelters are running at reduced output to prevent the quick build-up of sulfuric acid because a logistics lockdown caused by the coronavirus outbreak has dampened the sales outlook of the zinc smelting by-product. Yuguang Gold & Lead has suspended operations at a 100,000 tonne-per-year zinc production line this week, a producer source with direct knowledge of the matter...Read More
The US primary foundry alloy premium has hit an all-time low, with oversupply in the region the main reason for the downtrend.Fastmarkets assessed the aluminium wheel alloy silicon 7 ingot/T-bar premium dlvd dup over P1020A Midwest US at 6-9 cents per lb on Friday February 14, down a penny from the previous all-time low of 7-10 cents per lb set on December 13 and maintained in January's assessment...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Read More
The inter-merchant spot market for light iron scrap in the UK was steady in the week ended Friday February 7, stabilizing after falling more than 11% in the prior week, with higher export prices from Europe this week supporting domestic British prices, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment of steel scrap 5C, loose old light, domestic, delivered inter-merchant, UK was ?70-9...Read More
The price of ferrous scrap imported into India moved up this week, as the bellwether Turkish market staged a recovery, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday February 14.Fastmarkets calculated the steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Nhava Sheva, India, at $286.96 per tonne on Friday, up from $284.44 per tonne one week ago - the first upwards movement for several weeks.There were no deals heard f...Read More
Turkish steel producers have continued their deep-sea scrap purchases for March shipment at slightly higher prices at the end of the week, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday February 14.A steel producer in the Izmir region booked a Baltic Sea cargo of 20,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $274 per tonne cfr.A steel mill in the Marmara region booked a US cargo comprising 20,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:...Read More
With no let-up in the number of coronavirus (2019-nCov) infections in China, the market is this morning, Friday February 14, waiting for signs that the virus is being contained. In the meantime, it seems as though equities are riding high on the back of China monetary stimulus measures, while the metals markets are more aware that the disruption to production and demand will have a mixed impact co...Read More