Seaborne coking coal market was largely quiet on Thursday February 6, although Canadian miner Teck Resources said it was expecting to sell fewer cargoes in the first three months of this year.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $150.65 per tonne, down $0.04 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $158.85 per tonne, down $0.21 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $127.01...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
Fastmarkets MB has corrected its weekly price assessment for steel billet imported into Turkey, which was published incorrectly on Thursday February 6 due to a reporter error.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for MB-STE-0116 steel billet, import, cfr main port Turkey, was originally published at $375-385 per tonne. This has now been corrected to $390-400 per tonne.Fastmarkets MB's price book an...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
Copper fabrication businesses across China remained on extended closure and were expected to restart operations gradually from Monday February 10 at the earliest, but normal functioning was not expected until the end of February or early in March, Fastmarkets has learnt.China's public holiday for the lunar new year was initially to run for a week from January 24, but it was extended by the Chinese...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
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
Base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange edged up across the board during the morning trading session on Thursday February 6 on optimism over the emergence of a potential treatment for the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that is spreading across the world."It was another strong day for risk, as markets pondered Chinese work restrictions possibly easing next week and the potential of a cor...Read More
US rebar prices remain steady despite lower import offers and declining ferrous scrap prices, market participants said.Fastmarkets assessed the price for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), fob mill US at $31-32 per cwt ($620-640 per ton) Wednesday February 5, unchanged from the prior assessment in mid-January.The assessment for steel reinforcing bar, import, ddp Houston, slipped to $590-600 per t...Read More
Turkish steel billet prices have fallen sharply in all markets over the past week because of the recent downturn in ferrous scrap import values, sources said on Thursday February 6.Fastmarkets' daily index for steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), US origin, cfr Turkey, was $259.76 per tonne on Thursday, down from $272.52 per tonne a week before.Billet suppliers in the Commonwealth of Independent Stat...Read More
Turkish long steel export prices have gone down over the past week, in line with falling imported scrap values and sluggish demand for the material, sources said on Thursday February 6.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), export, fob main port Turkey, was $410-415 per tonne on Thursday, down from the $425-430 per tonne of last week.Following the latest downturn i...Read More
A summary of the financial results for Austrian steelmaking group Voestalpine for the first three quarters of its current business year 2019/20, covering the period from April 1 to December 31, 2019.In briefCompany cites economic slowdown and non-recurring items for lower earnings, as well as gradual dampening of economic sentiment throughout the year Economic environment...Read More
Expectations of robust steel mill restocking have been tempered by demand fears that have knocked iron ore prices by over 10% since before the holiday, but big questions remain about ex-China supply factors such as risks to Brazilian production.Supply and stocks The wider iron ore stock situation is key here: Concerns about seaborne supply resume. Heavy rainfall and mining issues a...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
Prices are steady so far since domestic supply constraints and disruptions to seaborne availability have been counterbalanced by demand-side weakness from lower steel output. Supply and stocks Containment measures for the virus have delayed the restart of domestic China coking coal mines after the Chinese New Year holiday, curbing domestic availability. Supply from Mongolia, that sells...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices rose on Thursday February 6 amid concerns that a new cyclone will affect shipments from Western Australia, while Chinese port prices fell because of limited spot demand.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $83.17 per tonne, up by $1.86 per tonne.62% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, cfr Qingdao: $82.50 per tonne, up by $2.35 per tonne. 62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr...Read More
Seaborne coking coal market was largely quiet on Thursday February 6, although Canadian miner Teck Resources said it was expecting to sell fewer cargoes in the first three months of this year.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $150.65 per tonne, down $0.04 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $158.85 per tonne, down $0.21 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $127.01...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
China's hot-rolled coil prices continued to drop on Thursday February 6 on thin trading, which forced some mills to put more focus on exports to reduce inventories.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,570-3,580 yuan ($511-512) per tonne, down 20-30 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,270-3,280 yuan per tonne, narrowing downward by 20 yuan per tonneA Shanghai-based trader said he had sold sev...Read More