China's domestic prices rose on Monday September 30 on news that the country's steelmaking hub in the northern region had stepped up its production curbs. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,770-3,800 yuan ($529-533) per tonne, up 90-100 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,600-3,640 yuan per tonne, up 10 yuan per tonneTangshan's local government over the weekend instructed all steel mills u...Read More
Manganese ore producers reduced their offer prices to attract business in the week ended Friday September 27 after buyers either delayed or cut their bids prior to China's week-long National Day holiday (October 1-7). Low demand softens seaborne and port manganese ore markets Weak buying interest weighs on alloy in China Alloy sellers in India lower offer prices Alloy prices in...Read More
The Chinese domestic spot ferro-silicon price ticked higher on tighter supply, while the export price dropped due to weak demand and aggressive international competition in the week ended Friday September 27. Chinese major suppliers cut production prompting higher offer pricesChinese export price diverged by falling due to low downstream demand Europe spot price dropped after some Q4 deals w...Read More
The European Commission (EC) has made a number of changes to its existing regime of safeguard measures concerning 26 steel product categories, it said on September 26.The changes will come into force on October 1 this year.The definitive safeguard mechanism already in place increases the level of tariff-free quotas for each product category by 5% annually. The first such liberalization took place...Read More
Turkey exported 381,915 tonnes of flat steel products in August 2019, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK), up by 7.11% year on year from the 356,568 tonnes exported in August 2018. Despite negative sentiment in the flat steel market in Europe in July, when orders for August shipping were placed, there was still a moderate increase in...Read More
The appointment of a European chief trade enforcement officer should ease trade problems in the steel and aluminium sectors and help tackle Chinese excess capacity, industry experts told a meeting of the European Parliament Committee on International Trade (INTA) in Brussels. The new officer will work under the guidance of the new European Union commissioner for trade. If appointed, as expected,&n...Read More
Turkey exported 381,915 tonnes of flat steel products in August 2019, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK), up by 7.11% year on year from the 356,568 tonnes exported in August 2018. Despite negative sentiment in the flat steel market in Europe in July, when orders for August shipping were placed, there was still a moderate increase in...Read More
The three-month zinc price on the London Metal Exchange was higher at the close of trading on Monday September 30, climbing up by some 2.5% amid moderately high turnover, while lead futures were similarly stronger over the afternoon. Zinc's outright price closed at $2,376 per tonne on Monday afternoon, its highest closing price since August 1, while volumes traded were at their highest since Septe...Read More
The ferro-vanadium export price in China held steady for the third consecutive week in the week to Thursday September 26 despite muted buying interest from abroad due to the Chinese price surpassing its counterparts elsewhere.Fastmarkets' assessment of the export price for ferro-vanadium, 78% V min, fob China was at $35.50-38.50 per kg on September 26, unmoved week on week. Few inquiries for ferro...Read More
Manganese ore producers reduced their offer prices to attract business in the week ended Friday September 27 after buyers either delayed or cut their bids prior to China's week-long National Day holiday (October 1-7). Low demand softens seaborne and port manganese ore markets Weak buying interest weighs on alloy in China Alloy sellers in India lower offer prices Alloy prices in...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Monday September 30 that are worth another look.The European Commission has made a number of changes to its existing regime of safeguard measures concerning 26 steel product categories, it said on Thursday September 26. At the same time, the appointment of a European chief trade enforcement officer was welcomed by the steel and alu...Read More
Discussions and negotiations for cobalt supply in 2020 quickly got under way after Glencore announced it will close its Mutanda mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo at the end of the year.The action to take 25,000 tonnes per year of cobalt (contained in hydroxide) out of the market has fundamentally changed the supply picture for next year. Prices for cobalt metal, intermediates and salts all...Read More
The three-month zinc price on the London Metal Exchange was higher at the close of trading on Monday September 30, climbing up by some 2.5% amid moderately high turnover, while lead futures were similarly stronger over the afternoon. Zinc's outright price closed at $2,376 per tonne on Monday afternoon, its highest closing price since August 1, while volumes traded were at their highest since Septe...Read More
Chinese buying activity pushed up seaborne coking coal prices on Monday September 30, ahead of a week-long holiday to mark the country's 70th National Day.Premium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $137.29 per tonne, up $4.56 per tonne Premium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $159.70 per tonne, up $6.11 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $121.25 per tonne, unchangedHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $134.0...Read More
China's domestic hot-rolled coil prices strengthened on Monday September 30 amid more stringent production curbs, though market participants are wary about them falling after the Golden Week.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,620-3,630 yuan ($508-510) per tonne, up 20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,580 yuan per tonne, up 60 yuan per tonnePrices gained after sentiment picked up in resp...Read More
Tender price hikes from China's stainless steel mills for October ferro-chrome purchasing have prompted higher spot prices for both ore and alloy, Fastmarkets learned. Spot ferro-chrome prices in China follow October tenders higherChrome ore prices underpinned by alloy strengthAlloy prices hold in Japan and South KoreaEuropean alloy prices ease amid subdued demand Chrome ore and ferro-chrome price...Read More
CIS export billet prices continued to fall at the end of September amid the continuing downtrend in the global steel markets, particularly the finished flat steel segment, both domestically and in the major customer outlets, due to the slowdown in trading activity.Despite the reduced availability of slab in the region due to maintenance work at major mills, suppliers still had to cut their prices...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Monday September 30 that are worth another look.The European Commission has made a number of changes to its existing regime of safeguard measures concerning 26 steel product categories, it said on Thursday September 26. At the same time, the appointment of a European chief trade enforcement officer was welcomed by the steel and alu...Read More
Refining charges for imported blister copper went down in China in September because of unusually tight availability in the spot market, with only minimal volumes coming from Zambian producer Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) and local producers limiting their primary smelting activities due to record-low treatment charges for copper concentrates.The refining charges (RCs) for the intermediate product of...Read More
The benchmark alumina price in the Pacific region has fallen to a fresh two-year low and below $290 per tonne for the first time since May 25, 2017. Fastmarkets' daily alumina index, fob Australia fell to $289.13 per tonne on Monday September 30, from $290.40 per tonne on Friday September 27. The index is down 27% from the start of the 2019 and by 42% year on year from $500 per tonne on Septe...Read More