Steel billet prices in the Turkish markets have increased over the past week because of rising scrap costs, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday October 17.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel billet, import, cfr main port Turkey, was $365-380 per tonne on Thursday, up from the $360-365 per tonne of last week.https://www.metalbulletin.com/My-price-book.html?price=36276Billet producers in...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday October 17 that are worth another look.Alcoa has launched a multi-year review of its aluminium portfolio, placing roughly half of its global smelting capacity under scrutiny for potential curtailment or closure, the company said in an earnings call with investors on Wednesday October 16.Stronger demand from the energy sector an...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday October 16 that are worth another look.Slab shipments to foreign subsidiaries and affiliates of Russia's largest steelmaker, Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK), fell by 43% year on year in the third quarter of 2019.A strike kicked off on October 16 at Antofagasta's Antucoya copper project after workers could not reach an agreement...Read More
Electric vehicles (EVs) are forecast to reach cost and functional parity with internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles by 2025. Theoretically, this should create the global tipping point for mass market EV adoption, along with the development of the associated charging infrastructure required to accompany the growth.In practice, it is not quite as straightforward.A recent report by investment res...Read More
The world's largest low-grade iron ore producer has confirmed that it will bid for two blocks at what is considered the world's largest untapped high-grade ore resource, a move that reiterates what the industry has been saying over the past few years - that demand for green iron ore or high-grade ore is a structural change in the making."Following the release of information at a public meeting hel...Read More
Global copper supply faces an immediate squeeze but any move in the price looks unlikely.Around 8% of mine supply of copper is at risk of disruption now or in the near future due to strikes, blockades and power shortages in production centers in the United States, Chile, Peru and Zambia.But at $5,700 per tonne, the three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange is near two-year lows and dow...Read More
The London Metal Exchange three-month tin price closed up $275 per tonne at $17,150 per tonne on Thursday October 17 on news that China's Yunnan Tin Co will cease all smelting operations at its Ausmet plant in Gejiu, Yunnan province, on October 21. Yunnan Tin Co, the world's largest tin smelter, produced 78,000 tonnes of refined tin in 2018 and remains the world's largest refined tin producer by s...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices were steady on Thursday October 17, with market participants in China indicating that import restrictions at Chinese ports had become less stringent.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $150.73 per tonne, down $0.87 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $164.76 per tonne, up $0.51 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $123.13 per tonne, uncha...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil prices continued to fall on Thursday October 17, with sentiment hurt by a continual weakening of rebar futures despite a drop in inventory levels for the flat steel product.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,500-3,510 yuan ($493-495) per tonne, down 20-30 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,500 yuan per tonne, down 20 yuan per tonneMills lowered their offers in the...Read More
Turkish steel producers restarted their deep-sea scrap bookings for November shipments at slightly higher prices, sources said on Thursday October 17.A steel mill in the Iskenderun region booked a Baltic Sea cargo, comprising 25,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $242 per tonne and 5,000 tonnes of bonus at $252 per tonne cfr.The previous Baltic Sea cargo reported by Fastmarkets was sold at $237 per...Read More
Turkish rebar and wire rod export prices have continued to increase in line with the rising costs of imported scrap feedstock, although demand was still limited, sources said on Thursday October 17.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), export, fob main port Turkey, was $405-410 per tonne on Thursday, up from the $395-400 per tonne of last week.The mills in the cou...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday October 17 that are worth another look.Alcoa has launched a multi-year review of its aluminium portfolio, placing roughly half of its global smelting capacity under scrutiny for potential curtailment or closure, the company said in an earnings call with investors on Wednesday October 16.Stronger demand from the energy sector an...Read More
An investment firm backed by Jiangxi Copper increased its stake in First Quantum Minerals Ltd, which is in discussions on a possible investment by the Chinese producer in its Zambian assets.The increase in shareholding was made on Wednesday October 16 via Pangaea Investment Management Ltd (PIM), which raised its stake in Canada's First Quantum to 10.827% from 9.956%. PIM has the rig...Read More
Anglo-Australian miner BHP has recorded production declines in all base metals for the third quarter of 2019, with nickel and zinc outputs down by 25% and 33% quarter-on quarter respectively while copper production slipped by only 3% in the same comparison.BHP produced just 22,000 tonnes of refined nickel in the third quarter of the year, down by 25% from the previous quarter, with the decrease at...Read More
Mining corporation Barrick is eyeing potential alternative processors for concentrates produced at its Lumwana copper mine in Zambia while it waits for a third-party smelter to resume operations after a major refurbishment.The refurbishment was to one of the third-party smelters that processes a portion of the copper concentrate produced at Lumwana. It was expected to be completed by the end of th...Read More
The London Metal Exchange three-month nickel price shed 1% from the previous day's close to trade at around $16,285 per tonne during the morning session on Thursday October 17, with the weakness coming despite further drawdowns leaving LME nickel stocks at 88,302 tonnes - the lowest since December 2012. "Nickel has started to fall, on the one hand reflecting the lack of buyers in the physical mark...Read More
The London Metal Exchange's cash-settled alumina futures contract, which is settled against a basket of prices that includes Fastmarkets' index, traded for the first time on Thursday October 17. Ten lots traded at $284 per tonne for November 2019. There were also two separate trades on the January 2020 contract at $294 per tonne for 10 lots each. The trades concluded between 8:18 and 8:23am London...Read More
China's top copper smelters have agreed to raise the price floor for fourth-quarter treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) by 20% from the prior quarter, sources familiar with the matter told Fastmarkets on Thursday October 17.The fourth-quarter price floor was set at $66 per tonne/6.6 cents per lb, up from $55/5.5 cents in the third quarter. The increase follows six consecutive weeks of rises in...Read More
The price for imported steel reinforcing bar in the United States nosedived following confirmed offers and deals heard for European-origin material, while the price for US domestic rebar narrowed downward, Fastmarkets has learned. Fastmarkets' assessment for steel rebar, import, cfr Houston was at $517-535 per short ton on Wednesday October 16, down by 9.7% from $575-590 per short ton two weeks ea...Read More
While prices for most flat-rolled steel imports into the United States declined on Wednesday October 16, moving in step with fast-falling domestic prices, the lower prices were not sufficient to generate much interest from buyers.Market chatter has centered on Turkey in recent weeks, with some sources expecting that the United States and Turkey would soon reach a trade deal. Instead, US Presi...Read More