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
In light of market feedback, Fastmarkets is amending its proposal to change the specifications of its two cobalt hydroxide price assessments and extending the consultation period by one week to allow for any final feedback.Per the original specification amendment consultation notice, Fastmarkets proposes to tighten the chemical specification of its two cobalt hydroxide assessments by adding additi...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
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
Some key Egyptian rebar producers reduced their offer prices on Monday, September 30. The country's biggest producer Ezz Steel is now offering rebar at E ?11,290 ($691) per tonne ex-works, including 14% VAT, down from E ?11,980 per tonne ex-works....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
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
Turkish steel producers have continued to book deep-sea scrap for November shipments at the beginning of this week, with prices fairly stable, sources said on Monday September 30.A steel mill in northern Turkey booked a Baltic Sea cargo on Monday, comprising 12,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20), 15,000 tonnes of shredded and 2,000 tonnes of bonus at an average price of $226 per tonne cfr.Market partic...Read More
Delegates at the 19th China Steel and Raw Materials conference organized by China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) were cautiously optimistic about demand for iron ore and steel prices after the week-long holiday in the country, starting October 1.The optimism stems from expectations that restocking demand will support prices for iron ore after the holidays, with the tight restrictions on steelma...Read More
Turkish domestic auto bundle scrap prices have gone down over the past week amid further softening of imported scrap values, but ship scrap prices were largely stable, sources said on Monday September 30.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel scrap, auto bundle scrap, domestic, delivered Turkey, was TRY1,300-1,430 ($228-251) per tonne on Monday, down from last week's TRY1,340-1,450 per ton...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
Import prices for steel slab in Southeast Asia and East Asia nudged down over the past week because of lower prices in the downstream flat steel markets, market sources said.Buyers are unable to pay more for steel slab because of the downtrend in the international and domestic flat steel markets, a source in Indonesia said.For instance, in Southeast Asia's major hot-rolled coil import market in Vi...Read More
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