Chinese buyers' appetite for imported cobalt metal is likely to shrink in the near future because domestic supply is increasing and there is little room for demand to increase, market participants told Fastmarkets. Cobalt production in China is estimated to reach 9,300 tonnes in 2019, up 17% from last year, Zhanrong Kong, senior analyst from Antaike told delegates at Antaike's International Nickel...Read More
Despite a recent slowdown in the development of nickel-rich lithium ion batteries for use in the electric vehicle (EV) sector, certain types of these batteries will continue to penetrate the market due to so called "driving range anxiety", according to the chairman of Ningbo Ronbay New Energy Technology Co.Addressing delegates at the China International Nickel & Cobalt Conference in Yichang, centr...Read More
A Turkish steel mill purchased a cargo of ferrous scrap material from the United States at broadly stable prices on Wednesday November 6, following the trend seen in several other cargoes purchased earlier this week, sources have told Fastmarkets.A steel mill in the Iskenderun region purchased a US-origin cargo comprising 22,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (90:10) at $262 per tonne and 9,000 tonnes of shred...Read More
China has approved a sixth copper scrap import quota to allow an additional 11,110 tonnes of copper scrap into the country by the end of this year, the environmental ministry said on Tuesday November 5.The latest quota, 81% lower than the previous quota covering 57,365 tonnes announced on October 18, brings the total volume of copper scrap imports allowed into China in the second half of 2019 to 5...Read More
Broader markets were little changed this morning, Wednesday November 6, while participants await further news on the likelihood of a "phase one" trade deal between the United States and China. For now it seems as though the market has priced in as much as it wants to, given how trade rhetoric can flip-flop so easily.Asian equities were mixed, suggesting some consolidation has started to set in.Chi...Read More
Chinese buyers' appetite for imported cobalt metal is likely to shrink in the near future because domestic supply is increasing and there is little room for demand to increase, market participants told Fastmarkets. Cobalt production in China is estimated to reach 9,300 tonnes in 2019, up 17% from last year, Zhanrong Kong, senior analyst from Antaike told delegates at Antaike's International Nickel...Read More
Despite a recent slowdown in the development of nickel-rich lithium ion batteries for use in the electric vehicle (EV) sector, certain types of these batteries will continue to penetrate the market due to so called "driving range anxiety", according to the chairman of Ningbo Ronbay New Energy Technology Co.Addressing delegates at the China International Nickel & Cobalt Conference in Yichang, centr...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil (HRC) in Europe have been stable over the past week, but offer prices for material were expected to move upward, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday November 6.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel HRC, domestic, exw Northern Europe, was unchanged over the week at ?,?415-425 ($461-472) per tonne on November 6.The corresponding assessment for steel HRC...Read More
Indian steel manufacturers expect the Indian government to trim its support for their exports following an adverse ruling by the World Trade Organization in a subsidy dispute brought by the United States."The [Indian] Ministry of Industry & Commerce was already looking at revamping trade and tax policies, which includes scrapping certain export incentive schemes that have now been termed as s...Read More
Ukraine steelmaker Metinvest will increase hot-rolled coil shipments after the start of a new rolling line at its Ilyich Iron and Steel Works in Mariupol, a move that will help the company to regain its share of the global HRC market, Metinvest's sales director Dmitriy Nikolaenko said."With the reconstruction of the Ilyich strip mill we want to regain our share of the global HRC market, and w...Read More
The price of steel wire rod in Europe was largely unchanged this week although increases were expected in light of the price rises seen in the Turkish scrap market since the beginning of October, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday November 6.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh-quality), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?430-450 ($477-500) per tonne on Novembe...Read More
The price of steel rebar in the Southern Europe domestic market narrowed upward this week on higher scrap costs since the beginning of October, with further increases expected in the coming weeks, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday November 6.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, delivered Southern Europe, was ?,?455-465 ($505-516) per tonne on Wednes...Read More
The price range for steel rebar in the Northern European domestic market narrowed upward this week with higher ferrous scrap costs in October beginning to be reflected, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday November 6.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?465-475 ($517-527) per tonne on November 6, up by ?,?10 per tonne...Read More
A Turkish steel mill purchased a cargo of ferrous scrap material from the United States at broadly stable prices on Wednesday November 6, following the trend seen in several other cargoes purchased earlier this week, sources have told Fastmarkets.A steel mill in the Iskenderun region purchased a US-origin cargo comprising 22,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (90:10) at $262 per tonne and 9,000 tonnes of shred...Read More
Mid-grade seaborne iron ore prices were rangebound on Wednesday November 6 amid continued uncertainty in the market.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $83.47 per tonne, up $0.17 per tonne.62% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, cfr Qingdao: $83.29 per tonne, up $0.17 per tonne.62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $82.86 per tonne, up $0.17 per tonne.58% Fe fines high-premium, cfr Qi...Read More
Brazil's national mining agency, ANM, has concluded that Vale failed to report anomalies before a deadly disaster breach occurred at a tailings dam in its C??rrego do Feij??o mine in January.ANM published a technical report on Tuesday November 5 in which it said internal documents from Vale showed that the miner was aware of several defects in the tailings dam but did not inform the agency before...Read More
CIS billet suppliers failed to win deals at desired higher levels set over the past week despite the uptick in scrap prices as customers preferred to refrain from bookings amid slow demand for finished long steel products.Buyers' price ideas did not exceeed $365 pertonne fob Black Sea. Bids from customers in Egypt were heard at $375-380 pertonne cfr, or $355-360 per tonne fob Black Sea, ...Read More
China's rebar futures rose again on Wednesday November 6 amid bullish sentiment following a cutin loan rates by the country's central bank at the start of the week, which pushed up spot rebar prices. Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,720-3,750 yuan ($532-536) per tonne, up 10 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,640-3,660 yuan per tonne, narrowed upward by 10 yuan per tonnesThe People's Bank o...Read More
Prices for hollow steel sections in Northern and Southern Europe were unchanged this week while market participants digested the news about ArcelorMittal pulling out of the deal to buy Ilva, market sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday November 6.A mill source told Fastmarkets that the Ilva situation had changed the market in Italy and that, as a result, some mills had withdrawn their existing off...Read More
Automotive production in Brazil increased by 9.6% year on year in October despite persistently weak exports and only a mild growth rate in new registrations, car manufacturers' association Anfavea said on Wednesday November 6.Production reached 288,512 units last month compared with 263,186 units in the corresponding period last year, which had been the highest monthly figure since Augus...Read More