An overview of the Chinese minor metals markets and the reasons for their latest price moves.Read More
Stainless steel prices in Europe stabilized on Friday November 8 after falling ?,?100 per tonne a week ago, but market participants told Fastmarkets that poor demand and plentiful supplies were still a major issue.Fastmarkets' price assessment for stainless steel cold-rolled sheet, 2mm, grade-304, transaction domestic, delivered North Europe, was ?,?2,200-2,250 ($2,433-2,489) per tonne on November...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Europe, Asia and the United States for the week ending Friday November 8. China The high-grade manganese ore index recovered some of the recent losses after a number of large sales were made above the previous week's index. Seaborne low-grade manganese ore prices slid amid persistently weak market sentiment and lower producer offers. An incre...Read More
China's import quota system, which has restricted the inflow of scrap metal this year, will remain in place for another year, with a significant drop expected in the total quantity of quotas granted, the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CMRA) said on November 7. The CMRA statement, seen by Fastmarkets, was given to delegates attending a conference from November 7-9 in Ningbo, a major...Read More
A recent price surge in global ferrous scrap markets has led to more buying interest in Vietnam, with buyers booking multiple cargoes this week.While demand in Taiwan has slowed, buyers there are likely to return to the spot market next week in response to rising prices in the United States and Turkey.VietnamFastmarkets' price assessment for bulk shipments of steel scrap HMS1&2 (80:20), cfr Vietna...Read More
If you are a producer or consumer, or are active in the physical markets, then you had better be aware of a new set of regulations that will make it all the more important for you to choose the right logistics partner from next year.The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has ruled that from January 1, 2020, the marine sector will have to reduce sulfur emissions by more than 80% by switching...Read More
The three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange was higher at the close of trading on Thursday November 7, breaching the $6,000 per tonne resistance level just after the 5pm close for the first time since July, while the zinc futures price climbed by over 1%. Copper's outright price on the LME closed at $5,975 per tonne on Thursday afternoon, spiking soon after the close to reach an intr...Read More
Nickel supply prompted the most heated discussions among market participants at the annual Antaike International Nickel & Cobalt Conference in Yichang on November 5-6, especially those involved in the electric vehicle (EV) battery raw materials supply chain, because of volatilities in the past two months. Meanwhile, the looming closure of Glencore's Mutanda copper-cobalt mine in the Democrati...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday November 7 that are worth another look.Latin America's crude steel output fell 16% year on year in September to 4.69 million tonnes on high costs of iron ore and low global prices for finished products, according to regional steel association Alacero.The global nickel supply deficit is set to narrow to 20,000 tonnes of nickel u...Read More
Frank Feng has left his position as head of copper trading at Cliveden's Shanghai office and has been replaced by Sun Bing, Fastmarkets understands.Feng was head of copper trading at Cliveden's Shanghai office for almost three years. He had previously worked with...Read More
Galena Mining is looking to bring 90,000 tonnes of new lead production from its Abra mine in Australia to the market in 2022 and a continuation of current price levels for the metal would suit it 'just fine', its chief executive officer Alex Moleneux said."When we look at our outlook for the lead price we feel like where it is now is pretty reasonable over the long term horizon," Moleneux told Fas...Read More
Nickel supply prompted the most heated discussions among market participants at the annual Antaike International Nickel & Cobalt Conference in Yichang on November 5-6, especially those involved in the electric vehicle (EV) battery raw materials supply chain, because of volatilities in the past two months. Meanwhile, the looming closure of Glencore's Mutanda copper-cobalt mine in the Democrati...Read More
Key data from the Wednesday November 6 pricing session in London. Key drivers The price for manganese flake in Europe edged down this week with several buyers able to book material in Rotterdam at cheaper levels close to $1,650 per tonne. Offers at $1,700 per tonne were turned down. The price has been under pressure on...Read More
Deep-sea scrap prices pushed up on Thursday, November 7, after a Turkish steel mill bought a cargo of HMS 1&2 (80:20) and shredded scrap from the United States, continuing the trend for US material set earlier in the week, sources told Fastmarkets.A steel mill in the Iskenderun region bought the cargo, comprising 18,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $260 per tonne and 12,000 tonnes of shr...Read More
Reports from the United States that the signing of a partial trade deal with China may be delayed until December has deflated recent enthusiasm; a trade deal, or even a partial trade deal, is still illusive - this has been going on for 16 months now.News of the delay seems to have put the brakes on across markets with the base metals trading either side of unchanged with no major moves, while equi...Read More
Nickel supply prompted the most heated discussions among market participants at the annual Antaike International Nickel & Cobalt Conference in Yichang on November 5-6, especially those involved in the electric vehicle (EV) battery raw materials supply chain, because of volatilities in the past two months. Meanwhile, the looming closure of Glencore's Mutanda copper-cobalt mine in the Democrati...Read More
Key data from Wednesday November 7 pricing session in Shanghai and London. Key drivers Cobalt hydroxide payables dropped at the start of November after suppliers cut their offer prices to encourage spot buying; spot trade has been slow since China's Golden Week holidays in early October. Chinese consumers have either stood on the sidelines or made aggressive bids (based on refinery net...Read More
Fastmarkets invites market feedback on a consultation on a proposed increase in the frequency of its benchmark prices for cobalt standard grade and cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, to daily. This pricing notice was originally published on October 9. Feedback is invited until November 27. Fastmarkets currently assesses both prices on Wednesday and Friday each week.Initial feedback suggests tha...Read More
ArcelorMittal reduced its forecast for apparent steel consumption growth in Brazil in 2019 because of weak performance in the infrastructure sector as well as other industries in the supply chain.The steelmaker now expects apparent steel use to grow by 0.5-1%, compared with a previous range of 1.5-2.5%, the company said on Thursday November 7. The cut in the guidance range is due to dela...Read More
Trading activity in China's hot-rolled coil market thinned on Thursday November 7 while prices stayed flat, with sentiment dampened by rising output.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,540-3,550 yuan ($505-507) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,540 yuan per tonne, unchangedA trader in Shanghai said buying slowed during the day despite steady prices, with rising output resulting in s...Read More