The LME Week Asia 2020 seminar has been postponed and the LME Asia Dinner has been canceled, due to the coronavirus outbreak, the London Metal Exchange said on Friday February 14. "Against the backdrop of the novel coronavirus, HKEX Group has made the difficult decision to cancel the LME Asia Dinner and postpone the LME Asia Seminar," the exchange said in a notice to members. "This decision has be...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
An overview of the minor metals markets and the reasons behind the latest price moves.Read More
An overview of the Chinese minor metals markets and the reasons for the latest price moves.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
The price of stainless steel flat products in the European domestic market decreased this week because of lower nickel costs and poor demand, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday February 14. Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment of stainless steel cold-rolled sheet, 2mm, grade 304 transaction domestic, delivered North Europe was ?,?2,000-2,050 ($2,172-2,226) per tonne on Friday, down by ?,?50 per to...Read More
The price of grade-316 stainless steel scrap in the UK and Europe moved higher this week with support from demand from Indian buyers, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday February 14. Fastmarkets' price assessment for stainless steel scrap 316 solids, domestic, delivered merchants UK, increased by ?40-50 per tonne to ?1,200-1,230 ($1,560-1,599) per tonne from ?1,150-1,190 per...Read More
Low prices for Japanese ferrous scrap sparked interest among buyers in Vietnam and Taiwan this week, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday February 14.VietnamFastmarkets' weekly price assessment for deep-sea bulk cargoes of steel scrap HMS 1&2 (80:20), cfr Vietnam was $260-265 per tonne cfr on Friday February 14, down by $4-7 per tonne from $267-269 per tonne cfr a week earlier.Prices decreased over...Read More
Demand for aluminium and steel coil in China has come under strain while the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) crisis has allowed the gears of the country's automotive sector to grind to a halt.Many manufacturing plants across China - including those in the automotive segment - have paused operations in the past two weeks to February 12 after the government extended workers' Lunar New Year holiday to...Read More
The three-month price for lead on the London Metal Exchange was higher at the close of trading on Thursday February 13, nearing the $1,900 per tonne resistance level on a 1.7% uptick, while a positive close for LME copper saw it also approach nearby resistance.Lead's underlying price on the LME closed at $1,892 per tonne, climbing from an intraday low of $1,844.50 per tonne, while turnover was mod...Read More
The alumina index, fob Australia remained just above $280 per tonne so far this week amid quiet trading conditions. Fastmarkets calculated the daily benchmark at $281.69 per tonne on Thursday February 13, little changed from $281.61 per tonne the previous day. The index has hovered around $281 per tonne since February 7 and remains close to its highest level since November 7, when it was at $...Read More
The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has not affected China Hongqiao Group's aluminium production, which is operating at its full running capacity of 5.86 million tonnes in Shandong province, the company confirmed to Fastmarkets."Our aluminium production was not impacted by the novel coronavirus. Now we are running at almost 5.86 million tonnes of aluminium and this is our full operating capacity in...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday February 13 that are worth another look.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.The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) h...Read More
The alumina index, fob Australia remained just above $280 per tonne so far this week amid quiet trading conditions. Fastmarkets calculated the daily benchmark at $281.69 per tonne on Thursday February 13, little changed from $281.61 per tonne the previous day. The index has hovered around $281 per tonne since February 7 and remains close to its highest level since November 7, when it was at $...Read More
The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has not affected China Hongqiao Group's aluminium production, which is operating at its full running capacity of 5.86 million tonnes in Shandong province, the company confirmed to Fastmarkets."Our aluminium production was not impacted by the novel coronavirus. Now we are running at almost 5.86 million tonnes of aluminium and this is our full operating capacity in...Read More
A summary of South32's earnings, alumina and aluminium production results for the first half of its 2020 financial year ended December 31, 2019. In brief: South32's underlying adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) declined by 48% to $678 million.Profits before tax have slumped 72% to $251 million from $908 million in first half of last year.Company reven...Read More
Cobalt sulfate and tetroxide prices in China continue to be underpinned by tight supply and resumed demand after the Lunar New Year holiday, but mid-term demand is still in check due to the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak. Fastmarkets' assessment for cobalt sulfate 20.5% Co basis, exw China rose to 53,000-55,000 yuan ($7,589-7,876) per tonne on Wednesday February 12, up 2.9% from 52,00...Read More
Key data from the Wednesday February 12 pricing session in Shanghai and London. Key drivers Tight spot supply pushes cobalt hydroxide payables up again, now at their highest since the end of October 2019.Customers pay a premium for nearby, prompt material in preference to that coming from Africa, where logistical bottlenecks have also slowed down shipments. ...Read More
Turkish deep-sea scrap import prices have continued to increase with the news of a fresh cargo being sold on Thursday February 13.A steel mill in the Izmir region booked a Baltic Sea cargo, comprising 25,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $273.50 per tonne and 5,000 tonnes of bonus at $283 per tonne cfr.This compared with a US cargo sold on early Wednesday at $268 per tonne and a Baltic Sea cargo so...Read More
A spike in the reported death toll from the novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) in China led to a pullback in risk asset prices in early trading this morning, Thursday February 13, but the spike is not all what it seems.The sudden jump in the number of new cases reported was due to a change in how the infection is being reported, rather than a sudden jump in people actually being infected. The latest da...Read More