Fastmarkets outlines some of the key topics likely to dominate discussions when participants of the battery raw materials and electric vehicle supply chain gathers in Amsterdam this week.Are cobalt buyers serious about booking early for 2020? Some discussions for cobalt supply agreements in 2020 started almost as soon as Glencore announced it would close its Mutanda mine at the end of the yea...Read More
The European low-lead tin premium moved for the first time in 15 weeks on Tuesday September 24, reflecting a combination of reduced exports amid US-imposed tariffs on steel and stagnant demand, while the latter factor kept both US and Asian premiums stable. Low-lead European premium suffers in 15% drop Illiquidity stifles US market Closed import window limits Asian business European l...Read More
Shanghai in-warehouse and cif full-plate nickel premiums dramatically swung into an unprecedented discount in the week to September 24 on persistent London Metal Exchange nickel spread backwardations and widening import arbitrage losses. China premiums hit a discount on deep spread backwardation amid frenzied offloading of material in the region European, United States premiums hold amid thin trad...Read More
Weakening automotive sales and production figures in India pushed the Indian lead premium to a new low in the week to September 24, while trade concluded higher in the Italian zinc market pushing the delivered, duty-paid premium up despite a stolid global demand picture....Read More
Global long steel consumption was expected to reach 851 million tonnes in 2019, up by 2.4% year-on-year although mounting political uncertainties such as trade wars and the UK's intended exit from the EU may soften this growth, according to steelmaker Celsa."A strong performance in construction activity in China, India and the rest of Asia will give support to long products consumption, specifical...Read More
Brazilian flat steelmakers were ready to announce to distributors an increase in their prices for early October, because of reduced competition from imported material, according to national flat steel distribution association Inda.Producers were announcing a 10% price increase to remove discounts that have been granted to domestic buyers, according to Inda president Carlos Loureiro."By October 7,...Read More
Steel H-beam prices in Europe were unchanged this week but recent feedstock price falls have caused uncertainty which is delaying further buying activity, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday September 25.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel beams, domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?560-600 ($616-660) per tonne on September 25, unchanged week on week."The market is more than quiet. So...Read More
Turkish steel producers have continued to book deep-sea scrap cargoes for November shipments, confirming another downturn in the prices, sources said on Wednesday September 25.A steel mill in the Iskenderun region booked a US cargo, comprising 15,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $228 per tonne, 15,000 tonnes of shredded at $233 per tonne and 2,000 tonnes of plate and structural scrap (P&S) at $238...Read More
The physical iron ore markets were largely inactive on Wednesday September 25 because of a key industry conference in China and the current restrictions on that country's steelmakers.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $90.34 per tonne, down by $0.49 per tonne62% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, cfr Qingdao: $90.73 per tonne, down by $0.49 per tonne.62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao:...Read More
The seaborne coking coal market gained some strength on Wednesday September 25, with bids for cargoes to be loaded in the last two months of this year emerging above prevailing transaction prices.Premium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $133.60 per tonne, up $5.41 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $153.98 per tonne, down $1 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $122.50 per tonne, unchange...Read More
China Molybdenum Co (CMOC), the winner of the recent auction of ammonium paratungstate (APT) stocks formerly held by the defunct Fanya Metal Exchange, is not likely to offload the materials within the next year, market participants told Fastmarkets. CMOC won 28,336 tonnes of Fanya's APT stocks for 3.27 billion yuan ($463 million) in an auction on Tuesday September 17. Rather than casting a sh...Read More
The Shanghai copper cathode premium moved higher in the week to Tuesday September 24, with continued opportunities in the London-Shanghai arbitrage prompting increased market interest, while flat demand caps premiums in Europe and the United States. Improved arbitrage prompts Shanghai premium interest European demand woes continue US traders wary of import arbitrage lossImproved arbitrage drives u...Read More
Eastern China's hot-rolled coil prices retreated on Wednesday September 25 with traders seeking more sales before the country's October 1-7 Golden Week.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,640-3,650 yuan ($512-513) per tonne, down 20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,600 yuan per tonne, unchangedHRC futures traded below Tuesday's settlement price of 3,522 yuan per tonne for most of the day...Read More
Eastern China's rebar prices retreated on Wednesday September 25, which went on to stimulate trading activity. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,680-3,700 yuan ($517-520) per tonne, down 20-30 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,590-3,630 yuan per tonne, unchangedSellers in eastern China lowered their prices after two days of increases, which led some end users in the region to raise thei...Read More
The following Fastmarkets minor metals prices changed on Wednesday September 25:Minor metalsAntimony max 100ppm Bi, in-whs Rotterdam $/tonne: $5,950-6,175 per tonne from $5,850-6,150Antimony MMTA standard grade II, in-whs Rotterdam, $/tonne: $5,900-6,100 per tonne from $5,800-6,100Antimony MMTA standard grade II, ddp China, yuan/tonne: 39,000-39,500...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday September 25.Key driversThe ferro-titanium market dropped in price in the past week, losing $10 on the top end of the range amid slow trading. Consumers have been slow to return to the market since the seasonal summer lull, both for prompt and quarterly deliveries of ferro-titanium. Around 70 tonnes of ferro-titanium was reported so...Read More
While the ferro-alloys industry prepares to gather in Chicago for the annual North American Ferro-alloys conference on September 25-27, Fastmarkets outlines some of the key topics likely to dominate discussions this year. Where is the floor for ferro-vanadium prices? Ferro-vanadium prices in Chinese and European markets both hit all-time highs last year, partly because of an anticipated increase i...Read More
The London Metal Exchange will extend the waiver of listing fees for new cobalt brands until December 20, 2019, it said on September 24. The exchange launched the initiative on March 26 this year, initially for six months, in an effort to encourage liquidity on its physically delivered cobalt contract. Since then, Norilsk grade-I cut cobalt cathodes and Huayou cut cobalt cathodes have been listed...Read More
Ahead of the annual North American Ferro-alloys conference in Chicago on September 25-27, Fastmarkets looks at some of the key factors likely to dominate vanadium contract negotiations over the coming weeks. See also: NA FERRO-ALLOYS CONF: Likely key talking points at industry gathering in ChicagoRead More
The following Fastmarkets UK non-ferrous scrap and foundry ingot prices changed on Wednesday September 25:Aluminium scrapCommercial cast, delivered consumer UK, ?/tonne: ?660-700 per tonne...Read More