Brazil has decided to extend anti-dumping duties covering heavy steel plate from China, South Africa, South Korea and Ukraine for five years, the country's foreign trade and international affairs secretariat, Secex, said on Tuesday October 1.While South Africa remained on the restriction list, its anti-dumping tariff was suspended, the document, published in the federal official gazette,...Read More
While the US flat-rolled and plate import markets remained mostly quiet over the past two weeks, an increased number of low-priced hot-rolled coil offers were heard from overseas suppliers, reflecting expectations of continued softness in the domestic steel market.Hot band prices in the United States have fallen sharply because of a lack of demand, with major downstream steel consuming sector...Read More
Reinforcing bar prices in the United States have resumed their downward trek, propelled by declining ferrous scrap prices, slowing demand in certain regional markets and competitively priced imports. Fastmarkets' assessment for steel rebar, fob mill US was at $30-31 per hundredweight ($600-620 per short ton) on Wednesday October 2, down by 3.9% from $31-32.50 per cwt previously and the lowest...Read More
Ukrainian steel billet producer Dneprovskiy Dzerzhinsky Metallurgical Plant (DMKD) has decided not to resume operations in part of its main production facility after a maintenance outage, due to the crisis in the global steel market, the company announced on Wednesday October 2.DKMD decided to idle blast furnace (BF) No9, which can produce 800,000 tonnes per year of pig iron, and BF No12 which has...Read More
The increase in global freight rates caused by tighter emissions control regulations is putting pressure on steel product exporters already facing reduced demand and falling raw materials and steel prices, Fastmarkets has learned. From January 1, 2020, new International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations come into force to help reduce air pollution from ships globally. Kno...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices stayed flat on Thursday October 3, with Chinese market participants absent due to the week-long public holiday in China.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $93.38 per tonne, unchanged.62% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, cfr Qingdao: $92.91 per tonne, unchanged.62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $91.72 per tonne, unchanged.58% Fe fines high-pre...Read More
The 15-million-tonnes-per-year Olive Downs coking coal project in Australia's Bowen Basin has received environmental approval, its operator said amid a quiet seaborne market in the absence of Chinese participants.Premium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $146.08 per tonne, unchangedPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $159.70 per tonne, unchanged Hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $123.13 per tonne, unchang...Read More
India's federal government has mandated that state governments in the country extend the iron ore mining leases of state-owned companies in blocks of up to 20 years if such applications are made at least 12 months prior to their expiry.The move is an effort to ensure a stale supply of domestic iron ore next year, with the leases of 31 mines - affecting some 60-80 million tonnes - set to expire on...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices remained flat on Wednesday October 2, with the market largely muted amid the week-long public holiday in China from October 1-7.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $93.38 per tonne, unchanged.62% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, cfr Qingdao: $92.91 per tonne, unchanged.62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $91.72 per tonne, unchanged.58% Fe fines high-...Read More
Cobalt trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets. Unless otherwise stated, all prices are per lb on an in-warehouse (in-whs) basis. Delivered prices are netted back.Fastmarkets pricesClick here for Fastmarkets' price assessment for cobalt, standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $ per lbClick here for Fastmarkets' price assessment for cobalt, alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $...Read More
Fastmarkets looks at the key takeaways from the annual Fastmarkets North American Ferro-alloys conference in Chicago on September 25-27. Slowing economic, steel production growth will weigh on ferro-alloys prices Ferro-alloys prices will continue to fall going into 2020 because of slowing economic growth and falling steel production, Fastmarkets analyst Amy Bennett told delegates in Chicago last w...Read More
A judge in the United Kingdom has ruled that broker Marex Spectron must pay up to $32 million in losses to French bank Natixis stemming from a case of forged warehouse receipts more than two years ago.The court found both Marex Spectron and Glencore-owned Access World negligent.Natixis sued Marex Spectron and Access World in 2017 over fraudulent receipts. Marex rejected the lawsuit, and a trial wa...Read More
The London Metal Exchange three-month nickel price rose by 1.4% to close at $17,475 per tonne on Wednesday October 2 from $17,220 per tonne the previous day. The three-month nickel price has been buoyed by a 5,802 tonne outflow from LME approved warehouses recorded on the same day alongside a 2,964 tonne fresh cancelation. Sentiment was buoyant despite a paltry 3,774 lots changing hands by close o...Read More
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday October 2.Please click...Read More
A bleak outlook for downstream demand, impending backwardations in the forward curve on the London Metal Exchange and general economic uncertainty helped drive bearish sentiment and stifle spot business at Fastmarkets' recent aluminium conference in Athens.Although the Fastmarkets International Aluminium conference is typically a hub for aluminium participants to negotiate and sign contracts for t...Read More
An overview of the minor metals markets and their latest price moves.Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday October 2.Key drivers A drop in the ferro-titanium price to $4.40-4.80 per kg delivered this week from $4.60-4.90 per kg last week reflects quiet consumer buying interest and only low levels of trading at lower prices. Consumers in the steel sectors have been slow to return to the market since the seasonal summer lull, both for prom...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday October 2.Key drivers A drop in the ferro-titanium price to $4.40-4.80 per kg delivered this week from $4.60-4.90 per kg last week reflects quiet consumer buying interest and only low levels of trading at lower prices. Consumers in the steel sectors have been slow to return to the market since the seasonal summer lull, both for prom...Read More
Turkish steel producers have booked more deep-sea scrap cargoes for November shipment, although prices remained fairly stable, sources said on Wednesday October 2.A long steel mill in the Marmara region booked a US cargo, comprising 32,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $226 per tonne and 7,000 tonnes of bonus at $231 per tonne cfr.The price was similar to that of a US cargo traded on October 1...Read More
Weak manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) data out across major economies on Tuesday October 2 dampened the tone across most markets, with money rotating into havens. That said, the situation in the United States is still looking mixed - the IHS Markit manufacturing PMI edged up to 51.1, from 51, so still shows expansion, while the ISM reading fell to 47.8, from 49.1. In addition, U...Read More