Primary aluminium stocks at the three main Japanese ports (MJP) of Osaka, Nagoya and Yokohama rose by 5.6% month on month in August, according to data released by major Japanese trading house Marubeni Corp on Thursday September 26.Total aluminium stocks at the three ports totaled 326,100 tonnes at the end of August compared with 308,800 tonnes at the end of July. It is the third consecutive monthl...Read More
European domestic prices for heavy steel plate have moved down across the region over the past week due to low buying activity, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday September 26."The market is slow and buyers expect prices to decline further," a representative of a European mill said. "Generally, the outlook is gloomy, because the situation in coil products across Europe is also pessimistic."Price...Read More
Import prices for steel billet in Egypt fell in the week ended Thursday September 26, amid lower offer and deal prices from the Commonwealth of Independent States.Buyers were reluctant to book material because of uncertainty about the possible imposition of safeguard duties.The Supreme Administrative Court of Egypt has repeatedly postponed its decision on the possible re-imposition of safeguard du...Read More
The price of billet produced in Turkey has gone down over the past week in line with falling seaborne scrap costs, while import billet prices remain stable, sources said on Thursday September 26.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel billet export, fob main port Turkey was $355-360 per tonne on Thursday, down from $370-380 per tonne fob last week.A steel mill in the Iskenderun region was h...Read More
The United Arab Emirates' biggest producer Emirates Steel and second biggest producer Conares Steel have both decreased their rebar prices, effective from Thursday September 26, Fastmarkets has learned.Emirates Steel is now offering rebar at 1,737 dirhams ($472) per tonne ex-works, down from 1,953 dirhams...Read More
Domestic long steel prices in Turkey have softened over the past week due to falling imported scrap costs and reduced demand, sources said on Thursday September 26.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, exw Turkey, was TRY2,750-2,780 ($483-488) per tonne on Thursday, narrowing downward from last week's TRY2,750-2,820 per tonne ex-works.The domestic rebar...Read More
Current seaborne market conditions have prompted Vale to cut its iron ore pellet production guidance for 2019 to 43 million tonnes from 45 million tonnes previously, the Brazilian mining company said on Thursday September 26. This is the second reduction in the company's iron ore pellet production guidance, following a cut from 60 million tonnes in July. The guidance for overall iron ore and pelle...Read More
The Turkish steel mills have continued to book deep-sea scrap for November shipments, keeping prices fairly stable, sources said on Thursday September 26.A steel mill in the Izmir region booked a Baltic Sea cargo on Thursday, comprising 30,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $223.50 per tonne and 5,000 tonnes of bonus at $233 per tonne cfr.Another steel mill in the Marmara region also booked a Baltic...Read More
Physical iron ore prices strengthened on Thursday September 26 following gains in the futures market.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $90.91 per tonne, up by $0.57 per tonne.62% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, cfr Qingdao: $91.30 per tonne, up by $0.57 per tonne.62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $89.45 per tonne, up by $1.79 per tonne.58% Fe fines high-premium, cfr Qingdao: $80....Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices were largely steady on Thursday September 26, with participants still holding out for clearer factors that could determine the direction of the market.Premium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $133.60 per tonne, unchangedPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $153.59 per tonne, down $0.39 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $122.50 per tonne, unchangedHard coking coal, cfr...Read More
Mining major Rio Tinto is stepping into China's port market for iron ore, with sales in the segment gaining significance amid changes in the raw material procurement strategies of steelmakers in the country.It will begin a trial sale of its products at the Port of Rizhao in eastern China and the Port of Caofeidian in northern China, its vice president for iron ore sales and marketing, Simon Farry,...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil prices fell further on Thursday September 26 amid weak demand despite mills in some parts of the country being subjected to steelmaking curbs.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,600-3,630 yuan ($505-509) per tonne, down 20-40 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,550 yuan per tonne, down 50 yuan per tonneA Shanghai-based trader said trading thinned in comparison with W...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices were unchanged on Thursday September 26, with low spot market inventories providing support amid declining futures.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,680-3,700 yuan ($517-520) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Beijing): 3,590-3,630 yuan per tonne, unchangedStockists had lower inventories after their active selling over the past one week.Major spot markets in China...Read More
Export prices for Chinese stainless steel rose over the past week, with producers raising their offers amid a strengthening nickel market.The three-month nickel contract on the London Metal Exchange is averaging at $17,593 per tonne so far this month, compared with August's average of $15,661 per tonne.Buying interest was limited in the stainless steel market, however, with bearish factors such as...Read More
The acquisition of processed graphite represents a potential reputational risk for participants in the battery sector, according to Adam Panayi, managing director of battery analyst RHO Motion."There are reputational issues surrounding graphite processing, as well as cobalt," Panayi said at Fastmarkets' Battery Materials Europe 2019 conference in Amsterdam, September 26-27. "The leaching process o...Read More
Fastmarkets is extending until October 15 the consultation period for its proposal to discontinue five of its precious metals prices.Fastmarkets made this decision because the responses received to date have identified a need to conduct more in-depth consultation into the usage of and need for these prices.The prices being proposed for discontinuation are as follows:Platinum min 99.9% Europe Free...Read More
Europe's battery production capacity will have more than doubled by 2025 from the level in 2015, according to Eurobat, the Association of European Automotive & Industrial Battery Manufacturers.Battery production capacity in Europe will increase to at least 1,000GWh by 2025 from 440GWh in 2015, according to Gert Meylemans, the group's senior communications manager, speaking at Fastmarkets' Battery...Read More
The latest selenium transactions, bids, offers and assessments in Europe reported to Fastmarkets.Unless otherwise stated, all prices are per lb and on an in-warehouse Rotterdam basis. Delivered prices are netted back.To view the latest price assessment for selenium, 99.5% Se min, in-whs Rotterdam, click here.To see all Fastmarkets' pricing methodology and specification documents, go to https:...Read More
Taiyuan Iron & Steel (Tisco) has raised its ferro-chrome tender price for October above that of Tsingshan Group in a rare move, signaling differing procurement strategies and feedstock needs for the remainder of 2019. Tisco took the lead on Friday September 20 by announcing a monthly tender price for high-carbon ferro-chrome at 6,500 yuan ($911) per tonne on a duty-paid basis including delivery fo...Read More
China's domestic stainless steel prices rose late last week on costlier nickel, and maintained those gains over the first three days of this week.The start of trading of stainless steel futures on the Shanghai Futures Exchange on Wednesday September 25 had little effect on the spot market. Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for stainless steel cold-rolled coil 2mm grade 304 domestic, ex-whs Chin...Read More