China's hot-rolled coil exporters kept their offers high on Wednesday January 15 although the domestic market weakened, with most of them having secured sufficient numbers of orders amid a strengthening yuan.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,860-3,890 yuan ($559-564) per tonne, widening downward by 20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,590 yuan per tonne, down 10 yuan per tonnePrices in...Read More
The stainless steel scrap market in the United States has continued to show cautious optimism, with prices inching upward amid an easing in material flows. "The stainless train keeps rolling in the right direction," one dealer source said. "It certainly feels like there is some momentum building, but given our experience with stainless steel scrap in 2019, we are being cautious with raising our pr...Read More
Turkish steel producers continued to hold back from the deep-sea scrap markets in an attempt to push down prices while they struggled with weak demand and values for finished rebar, sources said on Wednesday January 15.The country's steel producers went through last week with only one deep-sea cargo bought, when a steel mill in the Marmara region booked a European cargo at an average price of $300...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices were steady on Wednesday January 15, with market participants staying on the sidelines.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $155.26 per tonne, unchangedPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $160.87 per tonne, unchangedHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $125.01 per tonne, unchangedHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $135.76 per...Read More
The seaborne iron ore index was rangebound on Wednesday January 15 amid tepid demand from steelmakers in China.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $96.44 per tonne, down $0.59 per tonne.62% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, cfr Qingdao: $95.48 per tonne, down $0.59 per tonne.62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $97.11 per tonne, down $0.42 per tonne.58% Fe fines high-premium, cfr Qingda...Read More
The Chinese steelmaking industry will focus on six key areas in 2020 to maintain its structured and orderly development, China Iron & Steel Association (Cisa) chairman Gao Xiangming said in a speech at a conference last weekend.These are meant to round out the final year of China's 13th Five-Year Plan and contribute to the stable growth and reform of the Chinese economy.1. Maintain stable, efficie...Read More
The three-month lead price on the London Metal Exchange climbed by 1% during morning trading on Wednesday January 15, building on gains made earlier in the week, while stock volatility failed to influence the aluminium price. Lead's outright price on the LME was recently seen at $1,970 per tonne, while trading volumes were high over the morning at more than 1,500 lots exchanged as of 9:15am London...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday January 15. Key drivers The prices of ferro-titanium and titanium scrap markets were steady in the second week of January, a level it has maintained since December 18. Alloy suppliers achieved higher prices in the United Kingdom compared with deals done lower in the current range in continental Europe, although trading a...Read More
An overview of the minor metals markets and their latest price moves.Read More
U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 10 points in pre-opening trade. Index futures were virtually unchanged following release of economic news at 8:30 AM EST. Consensus for December Retail Sales was an increase of 0.3% versus a gain of 0.2% in November. Actual was an increase of 0.3%. Excluding auto sales, consensus for December Retail Sales is an increas...Read More
A summary of base metals premiums from across the globe for the week to Tuesday January 14.Click on...Read More
Given the right impetus, copper has the best long-term prospects among the base metals complex, which was exhibited by the red metal's price rally in December.Copper prices began to rise on the London Metal Exchange in the run-up to year-end 2019, responding to the first signs of a thaw in the protracted trade war between the United States and China.The copper LME official three-month contrac...Read More
Fastmarkets proposes to discontinue the pricing of zinc ingot premiums on a cif India basis.Currently, Fastmarkets prices the following premiums:Zinc SHG min 99.995% ingot premium, cif dp India, $/tonne Zinc SHG min 99.995% ingot premium, cif dup India, $/tonneThe expansion of production capacity by Hindustan Zinc means there is currently no spot market for imported zinc in Ind...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Tuesday January 14 that are worth another look.ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, the major long steel producer in Ukraine, has called on the country's government to review its decision to impose an import tariff on rebar and wire rod steel imports from Belarus, referring to evidence of dumping.Nizi International has closed its base metals tradi...Read More
London Metal Exchange copper bulls are turning to the options market to make cautious bets that copper's price will continue its rapid rise into March 2020, Fastmarkets learned.Open interest in March options has spiked and a total of 9,635 lots of call options - equivalent to over 240,000 tonnes of copper - are currently live with strike prices between $6,400 per tonne and $6,600 per tonne.Call op...Read More
South African miners reported a fresh wave of buying interest for chrome ore, prompting higher prices. UG2 chrome ore prices rise in China.Chinese alloy prices underpinned by chrome ore strength.Charge chrome prices hold in China.European high carbon ferro-chrome prices under pressure, while low carbon ticks up.US spot market inactive, prices stable. UG2 chrome ore prices surged on Friday January...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Asia, Europe and the United States for the week ended Friday January 10.China The Chinese ferro-silicon spot price remained unchanged for a fourth consecutive week, while demand surged for restocking with the Chinese New Year approaching. Export prices picked up amid the strengthening of Chinese yuan, increased domestic trading activity and limited export avai...Read More
Silicon and bulk alloys producer Ferroglobe has appointed Marco Levi as its chief executive officer, replacing Pedro Larrea, who leaves the company to seek new professional challenges, according to a company statement on Monday January 13. The new chief executive will be in charge of designing a new strategy that will lead the ferro-alloys maker, which has recently moved its headquarters to Madrid...Read More
Turkish steel producers continued to hold back from the deep-sea scrap markets on the second day of the working week because of the soft rebar market and firm scrap prices, sources said on Tuesday January 14.The country's steel producers went through last week with only one deep-sea cargo bought, when a steel mill in the Marmara region booked a European cargo at an average price of $300 per tonne...Read More
Starting in July this year, and for the first time, millions of tonnes of copper and aluminium scrap will be shipped into China not as waste but as merchandise, after the country announced its timetable for the renaming of high-purity non-ferrous scrap as recyclable materials.On Monday January 13, China's State Administration for Market Regulation said that the new specifications for secondary cop...Read More