Global silico-manganese output dropped in October compared with September in all regions except the CIS, according to the International Manganese Institute (IMnl).World silico-manganese supply dropped by 2.6% from September to 1.61 million tonnes due to Chinese smelters cutting production, which offset rising output in India, Malaysia and South Korea.The CIS region produced 122,000 tonnes of silic...Read More
An overview of the minor metals markets and their latest price moves.Read More
The Chinese domestic indium price will probably slip further in the coming weeks amid the prevailing weak market sentiment, delegates to a minor metals conference in the country's Hunan province told Fastmarkets this week.During the Chinese Minor Metals Forum held in Changsha city over November 27-28, many market participants cited their concerns over a possible round of auctions in the coming mon...Read More
An overview of the Chinese minor metals markets and the reasons for their latest price moves.Read More
The price of grade-304 stainless steel flat products in Europe widened downward this week in anticipation of much more substantial decreases in December, when mills were expected to bring into effect significantly lower alloy surcharges, Fastmarkets heard on Friday November 29.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for stainless steel cold-rolled sheet, 2mm, grade-304, transaction domestic, delivere...Read More
Monthly European alloy steel surcharges have plunged for December because of lower nickel and molybdenum costs, Fastmarkets heard on Friday November 29.Fastmarkets' December range for the stainless steel cold-rolled sheet, 2mm, grade 304, alloy surcharge, domestic, Europe was ?,?1,579-1,608 ($1,738-1,770) per tonne, down by ?,?114-122 per tonne from the November values. December...Read More
Demand from key markets Vietnam and South Korea was strong this week, with major steel mills procuring large quantities of imported scrap.Taiwanese buyers also continued to pay higher for imported cargoes, although a major holiday in its key supplier the United States meant that there was less liquidity in the Taiwan import market this week.VietnamFastmarkets' price assessment for bulk shipments o...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday November 28 that are worth another look.Electric vehicles are "the best thing to happen to the nickel market since the invention of stainless steel," Nornickel's marketing director told Fastmarkets in an interview, and his company's high-quality sulfide ore deposits in Norilsk give the Russian mini...Read More
Base metals prices traded on the London Metal Exchange were little changed at the close on Thursday November 28, with low trading volumes across the board by the 5pm kerb.Just more than 6,500 lots of copper changed hands, a far cry from almost 14,000 lots as of the same time on Wednesday, in holiday-thinned trading - the US markets are closed for Thanksgiving.The three-month copper price was cappe...Read More
The emphasis on traditional mining and high-quality domestic sulfide ore deposits in Norilsk will give Russian mining company Nornickel a competitive edge in meeting growing battery demand, the company said in an interview with Fastmarkets. "I couldn't say it is primarily driving our business model but electric vehicles (EVs) are the best thing to happen to the nickel market since the invention of...Read More
Chilean copper miner Antofagasta Minerals has begun to settle annual copper concentrate supply contracts with treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) set at $62 per tonne / 6.2 cents per pound, sources from the company and its smelting customers told Fastmarkets.The deals, which were concluded with smelters in Japan and China and are for 2020 supply, consolidate a benchmark set by US miner Freepor...Read More
Key data from the Wednesday November 27 pricing session in Shanghai and London. Key drivers Sellers further cut their offers for cobalt hydroxide payables - the percentage of the metal price paid to procure intermediates - in doing so, encouraging larger tonnage purchases than in recent weeks.Market sources reported improved interest for January...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday November 28 that are worth another look.Electric vehicles are "the best thing to happen to the nickel market since the invention of stainless steel," Nornickel's marketing director told Fastmarkets in an interview, and his company's high-quality sulfide ore deposits in Norilsk give the Russian mini...Read More
Turkish mills skipped the day without any deep-sea scrap bookings on Thursday November 28, but the steelmakers are expected to book more scrap for January shipments soon, sources told Fastmarkets.The most recent transaction took place on Tuesday - involving a steel mill in the Marmara region booking a European cargo, comprising 25,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (75:25), 5,000 tonnes of shred...Read More
United States President Donald Trump's signing of bills to support Hong Kong's protestors may undermine or delay progress in US-China trade talks; this seems to have become a headwind for equities this morning, Thursday November 28, but so far, with the exception of nickel, it has not dragged down base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange.Most of the Asian equity markets we follow and pr...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday November 28 that are worth another look.Electric vehicles are "the best thing to happen to the nickel market since the invention of stainless steel," Nornickel's marketing director told Fastmarkets in an interview, and his company's high-quality sulfide ore deposits in Norilsk give the Russian mini...Read More
The emphasis on traditional mining and high-quality domestic sulfide ore deposits in Norilsk will give Russian mining company Nornickel a competitive edge in meeting growing battery demand, the company said in an interview with Fastmarkets. "I couldn't say it is primarily driving our business model but electric vehicles (EVs) are the best thing to happen to the nickel market since the invention of...Read More
Key data from the Wednesday November 27 pricing session in Shanghai and London. Key drivers Sellers further cut their offers for cobalt hydroxide payables - the percentage of the metal price paid to procure intermediates - in doing so, encouraging larger tonnage purchases than in recent weeks.Market sources reported improved interest for January...Read More
The recent grant of approval from the Indian Supreme Court for ArcelorMittal's acquisition of Essar Steel brings an end to years of legal wrangles, giving the global steelmaker access to a much sought-after market, and allowing the Indian steel sector to take a further step toward health. ArcelorMittal has been keen for some time to break into the domestic Indian steel market because it is one of...Read More
China's domestic hot-rolled coil prices were largely stable on Thursday November 28, while in the export market buyers were refraining from placing orders on expectation of possible price drops in the near future.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,690-3,720 yuan ($525-530) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,630 yuan per tonne, narrowing downward by 10 yuan per tonneTrading...Read More