The price paid for steel billet exported from Iran weakened in the first week of August following the drop in the global iron ore market.Iranian producers were offering billet scheduled for October shipment at $400-405 per tonne fob Iranian ports, sources told Fastmarkets, but this price was rejected by customers in the major sales outlets in Asia and the Middle East."The slump in iron ore prices...Read More
Pessimism continued to dominate the CIS export market for steel billet in the first week of August amid the weakening of the finished long steel markets both in the CIS and in customers' domestic territories.Another reason for the dullness of sentiment was the recent sharp drop in global iron ore prices, following the lack of demand from China, which is the largest global iron ore importer. This p...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices were unchanged on Wednesday August 7 amid a fluctuating futures market clouded by a lot of pessimism generated by trade tensions between the country and the United States.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,770-3,800 yuan ($536-540) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Beijing): 3,730-3,760 yuan per tonne, unchangedEarly gains in the futures market led some buyers to...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' Wednesday August 7 pricing session in Europe:Key drivers Ferro-titanium suppliers increase offer prices, with the range moving slightly higher at the top end, although overall business conditions are quiet given the time of year. At present there is tight availability on a spot basis and an increase in buying inquiries for August and September, although consumer demand i...Read More
Ferro-chrome market conditions will remain challenging in the near term due to oversupply and macroeconomic factors, Glencore warned on Wednesday August 7.The trader-miner noted an average charge chrome price of 81 cents per lb in the first half of 2019, referencing Fastmarkets' ferro-chrome index 50% Cr import, cif Shanghai, $/Ib contained Cr, down by around 16% year on year.The index has held at...Read More
Domestic prices for hollow steel sections in both Northern and Southern Europe were flat this week with market activity paused for the summer, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday August 7.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?615-630 ($689-706) per tonne on Wednesday, flat week on week.Market participants reported very low levels o...Read More
China's Hebei Iron & Steel (HBIS) has failed to get approval from the Hebei government to purchase a majority stake in Tata Steel's businesses in Thailand and Singapore."HBIS have not been able to procure the requisite approvals from the Hebei government, one of the key conditions precedent for the proposed...Read More
Glencore's decision to shut its Mutanda copper-cobalt mine and reduce the production guidance for its Katanga cobalt asset, both in Democratic Republic of Congo, spurred producers and consumers to look for higher spot prices toward the end of Fastmarkets' pricing session on Wednesday August 7.Fastmarkets' benchmark price for cobalt, standard grade, in whs Rotterdam, rose by 4% to $12.25-13.95 per...Read More
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday August 7.Please click...Read More
Nickel's three-month price on the London Metal Exchange rallied by around 3% after the close of trading on Wednesday August 7, reaching a year-to-date high of $15,500 per tonne in what market participants labelled a broadly technical move.The metal's three-month price settled at $14,810 per tonne by the 5pm close on Wednesday, but was subject to a sudden bout of fresh buying at 5:30pm London time,...Read More
Domestic prices for hollow steel sections in both Northern and Southern Europe were flat this week with market activity paused for the summer, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday August 7.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?615-630 ($689-706) per tonne on Wednesday, flat week on week.Market participants reported very low levels o...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday August 7 that are worth another look.Rising trade tensions between Japan and South Korea threaten to disrupt the lithium-cobalt battery market in East Asia in a rapidly developing sideshow to the United States-China face-off.Glencore's decision to shut its Mutanda copper-cobalt mine and reduce the production guidance for...Read More
Two former employees of Gerald Group have filed a lawsuit in the United States alleging wrongdoing and misconduct by the commodity trading company's senior management - accusations that Gerald denies.Guoliang Zhao and Fabio Calia allege in the lawsuit that a share-dilution scheme was created that allowed senior management to misappropriate almost $300 million in shareholder value from Metals Tradi...Read More
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday August 7.Please click...Read More
Nickel's three-month price on the London Metal Exchange rallied by around 3% after the close of trading on Wednesday August 7, reaching a year-to-date high of $15,500 per tonne in what market participants labelled a broadly technical move.The metal's three-month price settled at $14,810 per tonne by the 5pm close on Wednesday, but was subject to a sudden bout of fresh buying at 5:30pm London time,...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices continued to fall on Wednesday August 7 amid very limited buying interest among steel mills.Fastmarkets' index for iron ore 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $93.31 per tonne, down $4.24 per tonne.Fastmarkets' index for iron ore 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines, cfr Qingdao: $91.81 per tonne, down $4.24 per tonne.Fastmarkets' index for iron ore 62% Fe low alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $9...Read More
An overview of the minor metals markets and the reasons for any price moves.Read More
Two former employees of Gerald Group have filed a lawsuit in the United States alleging wrongdoing and misconduct by the commodity trading company's senior management - accusations that Gerald denies.Guoliang Zhao and Fabio Calia allege in the lawsuit that a share-dilution scheme was created that allowed senior management to misappropriate almost $300 million in shareholder value from Metals Tradi...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday August 7 that are worth another look.Rising trade tensions between Japan and South Korea threaten to disrupt the lithium-cobalt battery market in East Asia in a rapidly developing sideshow to the United States-China face-off.Glencore's decision to shut its Mutanda copper-cobalt mine and reduce the production guidance for...Read More
Australian Mines has signed a seven-year offtake agreement giving South Korean energy and petrochemicals company SK Innovation 100% offtake rights to its battery-grade materials production, the company said on Tuesday August 6. Under the terms of the agreement, SK will have 100% rights to downstream nickel and cobalt sulphate output from Australian Mines' Queensland-based Sconi nickel-cobalt-scand...Read More