The Southeast Asian lead premium rose by 4.2% week on week on increased spot interest, with market participants suggesting an uptick in automotive sales as a key tailwind; meanwhile, global zinc premiums were unchanged amid stagnant spot demand and tight forward spreads. Southeast Asian lead premium rises on renewed buyer interest US, Asian zinc premiums flat on low spot interests Eur...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday October 23 that are worth another look.Taseko Mines Limited is in the process of seeking a listing on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange (LSE), with approval anticipated prior to the end of 2019.Chilean iron ore and long steel producer Compa???-a de Acero de Pac?-fico (CAP) was forced to reduce production from some o...Read More
Two of Codelco's divisions are operating at minimum rates or have been completely halted due to a general strike in Chile, the state-owned copper producer said on Wednesday October 23.Trade federations representing workers of both the state-run producer and private copper companies decided to join a nation-wide standstill in response to governmental measures taken to counter violent demonstra...Read More
The global refined copper balance will switch from a deficit this year to a surplus next year on an expansion in Chinese refining capacity and a slowdown in global economic growth, the International Copper Study Group (ICSG) said on Wednesday October 23.The world is forecast to produce 25.3 million tonnes of refined copper next year, up 4.2% from this year's expected global output, the group said&...Read More
An overview of the minor metals markets and the reasons for their latest price moves.Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday October 23. Key drivers Ferro-titanium market stability extended for a third week despite only low volumes reported sold. Only one truckload of ferro-titanium was reported being sold at $4.50 per kg delivered, duty-paid. Alloy suppliers are looking to start negotiations for deliveries on longer-term agreements as s...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday October 23. Key drivers Ferro-titanium market stability extended for a third week despite only low volumes reported sold. Only one truckload of ferro-titanium was reported being sold at $4.50 per kg delivered, duty-paid. Alloy suppliers are looking to start negotiations for deliveries on longer-term agreements as s...Read More
The Turkish steel mills have extended their silence in the deep-sea scrap markets and are now focused on the markets for billet and finished long steel, sources said on Wednesday October 23.The mills in Turkey have been very active in scrap purchasing so far this month, booking at least 16 cargoes. They went quiet in the deep-sea markets at the end of last week after booking almost 500,000 tonnes...Read More
A summary of Antofagasta's production results for the third quarter of 2019 following the company's results report released on Wednesday October 23.IN BRIEF: Antofagasta's group copper production for the third quarter of 2019 was recorded at 197,000 tonnes, a drop of 0.8% against the previous quarter. Group copper production for the first nine months of 2019 climbed to 584,200 tonnes, a rise...Read More
Rio Tinto is planning to step into the lithium industry in the United States following the booming prospects for the new energy vehicles (NEVs) sector. Rio Tinto will pilot the production of lithium salts following a study to extract lithium from waste rock at their borates mine in the Mojave Desert in California, the company said. Should the pilot scheme succeed in producing its forecast 10 tonne...Read More
Domestic hot-rolled coil prices in Northern Europe have been stable over the past week, while prices in the south declined by ?,?5 per tonne over the period, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday October 23.Although the prices have not changed significantly, the market remains under downward pressure from poor demand.Northern EuropeDomestic prices for HRC in the north of Europe have been stab...Read More
Chinese mills raised their domestic offers on Wednesday October 23, though buyers in the eastern region put up some resistance against them, resulting in a smaller price rise in comparison with those in the northern region.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,500-3,520 yuan ($494-497) per tonne, widening upward by 10 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,500 yuan per tonne, up 20 yuan per tonn...Read More
China's plate producers lowered their export prices over the past week amid fierce competition from Japanese and South Korean sellers.Fastmarkets' price assessment for December shipments of steel heavy plate export, fob China main port was $443-450 per tonne for the week ended Tuesday October 22, down $10-12 per tonne from $455-460 per tonne a week earlier.A trader based in eastern China said he h...Read More
Chilean iron ore and long steel producer Compa???-a de Acero de Pac?-fico (CAP) was forced to reduce production from some of its iron ore operations in the week to Wednesday October 23 amid widespread anti-government protests in the country.CAP's 75%-owned mining subsidiary, Compa???-a Minera del Pac?-fico (CMP), had partial interruptions to operations at one of its iron ore pellet plants and at t...Read More
Brazilian steelmaker Companhia Sider??rgica Nacional (CSN) will resume operations at its No3 blast furnace later this week, after a maintenance outage lasting more than three months.The company told Fastmarkets about the restart late on Tuesday October 22 and the resumption in output will add steelmaking capacity to the country's already-flat steel market. Prices are already under p...Read More
The price of steel rebar in the Southern European domestic market has been stable this week but participants were closely watching the ferrous scrap markets to see how prices there would develop, Fastmarkets heard on Wednesday October 23.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, delivered Southern Europe, was ?,?445-465 ($496-518) per tonne on Wednesday, unc...Read More
The Turkish steel mills have extended their silence in the deep-sea scrap markets and are now focused on the markets for billet and finished long steel, sources said on Wednesday October 23.The mills in Turkey have been very active in scrap purchasing so far this month, booking at least 16 cargoes. They went quiet in the deep-sea markets at the end of last week after booking almost 500,000 tonnes...Read More
Exports of hot-briquetted iron from Venezuela have remained low in recent weeks because of a continuing shortage of iron ore pellets and pressure from sanctions imposed by the United States, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday October 23.Around 125,000 tonnes of HBI was available from stocks in Venezuela in early October, according to an official source."Venezuela is producing HBI but we will se...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices edged up on Wednesday October 23 in line with the trend seen in the futures market.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $87.18 per tonne, up $0.50 per tonne.62% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, cfr Qingdao: $87 per tonne, up $0.67 per tonne.62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $85.66 per tonne, up $0.39 per tonne.58% Fe fines high-premium, cfr Qin...Read More
CIS billet producers continued to increase their export offer prices, this week, amid reduced availability of the material in the market.Offers from Ukraine were limited because three mills- Dneprovskiy Dzerzhinsky Metallurgical Plant (DMKD), Dnipro Metallurgical Plant (DMP) and Elektrostal have idled parts of their facilities because of this year's unfavorable pricing environment.U...Read More