Ahead of Fastmarkets' Battery Materials Europe conference in Amsterdam, find out what our industry experts think are the key drivers in the market and what's on the horizon. Fastmarkets will host a free web seminar on Wednesday September 18 at 3pm London time to discuss recent market moves in the battery raw materials sector. Click here to register for the webinar. Date Wednesday September 18, 201...Read More
The markets were in limbo this morning, Wednesday September 18, while they wait for developments on trade talks, the direction of oil prices and the outcome of this evening's US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting and rate decision.Once again the recent show of strength in most of the metals has run into resistance, suggesting confidence is not strong enough to chase prices higher and tha...Read More
Export prices for Chinese stainless steel edged have downward over the week ended Tuesday September 17 amid poor demand after the price of nickel tumbled from a five-year high attained earlier in the month.The three-month nickel contract on the London Metal Exchange ended Tuesday's trading session at $16,925-16,950 per tonne, compared with $17,980-18,000 per tonne a week earlier. The price of nick...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday September 18. Key drivers The ferro-titanium market was stable for the third consecutive week, with spot prices seemingly cemented until fourth-quarter delivery tenders are settled with consumers. One deal for a truckload of ferro-titanium was reported sold at $4.80 per kg ddp. Fourth-quarter tenders may be settled as la...Read More
The following Fastmarkets UK non-ferrous scrap and foundry ingot prices changed on Wednesday September 18:Aluminium scrapCommercial pure cuttings, delivered consumer UK, ?/tonne: ?850-900 per tonne from ?870-920Loose old rolled cuttings, delivered consumer UK, ?/tonne: ?590-620 per tonne from ?610-640Baled...Read More
Equity index futures mixed this morning. S&P 500 futures were unchanged in pre-opening trade.Index futures were virtually unchanged following release of economic news at 8:30 AM EDT. Consensus for Weekly Initial Jobless Claims was 210,000 versus 204,000 last week. Actual was 208,000. Consensus for September Philly Fed Index was 10.0 versus 16.8 in August. Actual was 12.0.Microsoft gained $1.83...Read More
A summary of base metals premiums from across the globe for the week to Tuesday September 17.Read More
Fastmarkets incorrectly published weekly assessments for its Southeast Asian zinc premium over the past two months when the price should have been published every two weeks.Following a market consultation, Fastmarkets reduced the frequency of publication of a number of base metals price assessments in July in response to low transaction liquidity and a lack of price volatility.As a resul...Read More
The three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange fell by 0.5% at the close of trading on Tuesday September 17 but held above nearby support levels, while aluminium futures were the only positive mover in a predominantly weaker base metals complex. Copper traded volumes were relatively low over the day at 14,000 lots by the close. Although the red metal's closing price was lower than Monda...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Tuesday September 17 that are worth another look.Fastmarkets looks at the key takeaways from the seventh Fastmarkets Asian Nickel conference in Jakarta, Indonesia, on September 11-12, from who will fill the Asian supply gap from 2020 to emerging demand for nickel from the electric vehicle battery sector.Import prices for steel slab in S...Read More
Fastmarkets looks at the key takeaways from the seventh Fastmarkets Asian Nickel conference in Jakarta, Indonesia, on September 11-12, from who will fill the Asian supply gap from 2020 to emerging demand for nickel from the electric vehicle battery sector. Indonesian nickel ore export ban will create Chinese nickel ore shortfall China is heavily reliant on nickel ore imports from Indonesia and Phi...Read More
Low-grade manganese ore cif prices fell over the past week, with some buyers holding back from purchasing in the hope of lower prices. 37% cif China prices fall in response to low demand High-grade ore price stable Alloys in India fall again, sparking output cuts Weak market dampens European alloy prices Alloy prices stable in the United StatesThe low-grade seaborne manganese ore price in China co...Read More
Ferrous scrap prices in Mexico were stable in Monterrey but started falling in Baj?-o where downward momentum in the United States scrap market has begun to have an impact.In Mexico's central Baj?-o region, Fastmarkets' weekly assessment of steel scrap No1 busheling, consumer buying price, delivered mill Baj?-o, fell to $4,750 pesos per tonne on Tuesday September 17, from 4,900 pesos per tonn...Read More
Turkish steel mills continued to stay away from the deep-sea scrap market on the second working day of the week amid limited demand for finished long steel, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday September 17.The latest transaction was a cargo from the United States at the end of last week, which was sold at $240 per tonne cfr for HMS 1&2 (80:20), $245 per tonne for shredded and $250 per to...Read More
Higher oil prices are not going to do the manufacturing sector any favors, other than in parts of the oil industry itself, and that seems to be being reflected in the markets where prices are under pressure again this morning, Tuesday September 17.For now, the rally on optimism that an interim United States-China trade deal may be forthcoming seems to have been overtaken by concerns over what dama...Read More
Buying activity softened further in the export markets for hot-rolled coil and cold-rolled coil (HRC, CRC) from the Commonwealth of Independent States during the week ended Monday September 16, because prices have been falling too fast.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel HRC, export, fob Black Sea, CIS, was $420-435 per tonne on September 16, down from $430-438 per tonne a week earlier."There...Read More
Chinese cold-rolled coil and hot-dipped galvanized coil export prices held steady over the past week amid stable domestic demand, although trading activity remained sluggish in the export markets.Cold rolled coilFastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel cold-rolled coil export, fob China, was $505-510 per tonne on Tuesday September 17, unchanged from a week earlier.On Tuesday, Liaoning-based...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil prices dropped on Tuesday September 17, tracking a weakening futures market amid slower buying.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,690-3,700 yuan ($522-523) per tonne, down 20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,600-3,620 yuan per tonne, down 10-20 yuan per tonneHRC futures fell during the day, along with trading activity, which weighed on spot prices, a source in Sh...Read More
Import prices for steel billet in the United Arab Emirates fell this week because of weak demand, and rebar prices were also expected to decline, sources said on Tuesday September 17. Market participants expect new domestic rebar prices to be announced in the near future, Fastmarkets understands. Billet imports Billet was on offer from Oman at about $405-410 per tonne cpt, but no si...Read More
Wire rod price export prices from the Commonwealth of Independent States continued to slide over the past week due to a lack of demand and growing competition with Turkish suppliers. The Turkish steelmakers reduced their export prices last week in attempt to attract customers and, in response, offers from the CIS region -particularly from Russia - dropped to $440-445 per tonne fob Black...Read More