Key data from the pricing sessions in Europe, the United States and Asia for the week ending Friday February 7. China Coronavirus-related raw material supply disruptions and road transport restrictions pushed up domestic price. Tightened road transport measures made it hard to find trucks to deliver alloy from smelters to stainless steel mills, sources said. Trading activity in U...Read More
The price of stainless steel in the European domestic market remained unchanged this week, despite weak demand, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday February 7. Many market participants expect prices to fall in March because of recent weakness in the nickel market (despite nickel prices actually moving up slightly this week). But this expectation...Read More
The three-month nickel price on the London Metal Exchange was lower at the close of trading on Thursday January 6, with price action holding above the nearby $13,000-per-tonne support level against a seven-day low in daily trading volumes, while zinc futures similarly held ground. Nickel's outright price on the LME settled at $13,060 per tonne this afternoon, with turnover low at just over 5,400 l...Read More
The three-month zinc price on the London Metal Exchange was lower during morning trading on Thursday February 6, witha fresh inflow of some 3,475 tonnes pressuring its price action, while copper was little moved despite a fresh cancellation of 10,250 tonnes.Zinc's outright price on the LME was recently trading at $2,192 per tonne, a drop of 1.2% from Wednesday's closing price of $2,213 per tonne.&...Read More
The London Metal Exchange has opted to keep its traditional open-outcry format for closing prices after receiving negative feedback from its electronic nickel trial, the exchange said in a note to members on Wednesday February 5.With the decision made not to permanently change its closing price process, the LME's trade-at-settlement function (TAS), which allows participants to buy or sell a contra...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday February 6 that are worth another look.Chinese domestic prices suffer heavy falls on building steel inventory levels and persistent first-quarter demand worries, with rebar facing the toughest challenge.Chinese copper smelter Guangxi Nanguo has recently declared force majeure on shipments of copper concentrates, citing logistic...Read More
Restricted access to ore already in ports presents the threat of alloy shutdowns, both of which could provide short-term price support for ore and alloy, but the accompanying ore stockbuild in ports is expected to offset gains longer term. Supply and stocks Ore supply from South Africa and Australia has not been much affected much by the coronavirus outbreak so far, although there are talks o...Read More
Most ferro-chrome smelters had covered their ore needs for this week and logistics disruptions are minimal between ports and many major smelters. But logistics disruptions are hitting mills as they seek alloy. Predictions of higher prices have not been realised so far. Supply and stocks Chrome ore inventories at the main ports of Tianjin, Qinzhou, Lianyungang and Shanghai: 3.12-3.42 million t...Read More
Logistics constraints caused by the transport system lockdown in China, imposed to contain the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, were pushing European prices upward with inventory levels falling in Rotterdam.At the same time, the delays were adding to the pressure on traders which need to restock. Chinese material was not expected to arrive in European ports at least until March, Fastmarkets understands...Read More
China imported 1,623 tonnes of cobalt metal in 2019, up 54.6% from 1,050 tonnes in 2018, according to official but unconfirmed data seen by Fastmarkets. Fourth-quarter shipments totaled 527 tonnes, up 24.3% from 424 tonnes in the third quarter and up eightfold from 58 tonnes in the fourth quarter of 2018. Chinese appetite for seaborne cobalt metal grew in 2019 due to a narrowing of the import arbi...Read More
Turkish steel mills have started to show more interest in deep-sea scrap cargoes following the latest drop in prices, sources said on Thursday February 6.A steel mill in the Iskenderun region booked a cargo from the United States, comprising 21,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $260 per tonne, 3,000 tonnes of shredded at $265 per tonne and 6,000 tonnes of bonus at $270 per tonne cfr. The previous U...Read More
South Korean steelmaker Hyundai Steel reported an almost 70% decline in operating profits in 2019 amid tightening margins between its raw materials buying prices and steel sales prices.In brief Operating profit of 331.3 billion Won ($277 million) in 2019, down by 67.7% year on year. Consolidated sales of 20.55 trillion Won, down by 1.3% year on year. Profits fell more sharply than sales due to raw...Read More
The broad-based rally across markets continues with investors focusing more on the improving economic data than they are on the uncertain economic impact of the Wuhan coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Claims by Chinese media that a treatment for the virus had been found fueled the rallies yesterday, but the World Health Organization talked down the news.Asian equity indices up either side of 2% this mornin...Read More
Weak demand for new energy vehicles (NEVs) in China is expected to hit domestic Chinese cobalt prices and could see Chinese demand for imported hydroxide fall. But, seaborne prices for processed materials could become tight because China is the world's largest processor of cobalt, some of which is exported. Supply and stocks Production halts (Mutanda) have caused concern about tightness, but...Read More
Expectations for a rebound in new energy vehicle (NEV) sales after the Lunar New Year holiday have been put on hold due to the impact the Wuhan coronavirus is expected to have on the Chinese economy. Battery raw materials market participants had hoped for an economic recovery following the phase-1 trade deal between the United States and China. A drop in demand for EV battery materials from China...Read More
China imported 1,623 tonnes of cobalt metal in 2019, up 54.6% from 1,050 tonnes in 2018, according to official but unconfirmed data seen by Fastmarkets. Fourth-quarter shipments totaled 527 tonnes, up 24.3% from 424 tonnes in the third quarter and up eightfold from 58 tonnes in the fourth quarter of 2018. Chinese appetite for seaborne cobalt metal grew in 2019 due to a narrowing of the import arbi...Read More
Imported flat-rolled steel and plate prices and volumes both dropped year on year in the United States, Fastmarkets has learned, while shipments of foreign semi-finished steel soared in January and domestic markets saw further softness.Imported prices have decreased, following the negative trend of global commodity prices - especially as concerns around the Wuhan coronavirus rise, market participa...Read More
European buyers of domestic hot-rolled coil were mainly in "wait-and-see" mode on Thursday February 6, unwilling to risk purchasing big volumes amid potential import competition, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, ex-works Northern Europe was calculated at ?,?470.18 ($515.93) per tonne on Thursday February 6, down by ?,?5.73 per tonne from ?,?475.91 per to...Read More
Chinese domestic prices suffer heavy falls on building steel inventory levels and persistent first-quarter demand worries, with rebar facing the toughest challenge. Supply and stocks Steel inventories started accumulating in the week of February 6, according to domestic data. Inventory levels are expected to continue building if steel mills are not able to deliver cargoes to end users i...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday February 6 that are worth another look.Chinese domestic prices suffer heavy falls on building steel inventory levels and persistent first-quarter demand worries, with rebar facing the toughest challenge.Chinese copper smelter Guangxi Nanguo has recently declared force majeure on shipments of copper concentrates, citing logistic...Read More