We have long held the view that there is a race against time between the trade disputes tipping the global economy toward recession and a trade deal spurring growth while businesses restock as their confidence recovers. For now, the slip toward recession seems to be winning. Equities in Asia were mixed on Wednesday August 7 after a mixed performance in western markets on Tuesday, but more central...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 11 points in pre-opening trade. Walt Disney dropped $5.86 to $136.01 after reporting lower than consensus fiscal third quarter earnings. Weight Watchers (WW $21.01) is expected to open higher after reporting higher than consensus second quarter earnings. The company also raised guidance. CVS Health advanced $2.41 to $...Read More
The three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange continued its downtrend over Monday August 5, closing below the nearby $5,700-per-tonne support level to reach its lowest settlement since June 2017, while nickel futures near $15,000 per tonne. Nickel continued to trade down over the day, closing at $5,685 per tonne after slipping to an intraday low of $5,640 per tonne this morning and fai...Read More
Tin's three-month price on the London Metal Exchange declined during morning trading on Monday August 5, maintaining its downward price action while nickel futures traded higher.Reaching an intra-morning low of $16,800 per tonne from a high of $17,025 per tonne, tin's futures price is down by some 1.3% on the day with just over 60 lots traded as of 9:05am London time. Selling pressure began t...Read More
Sentiment in financial markets continues to weaken following last week's collapse of US-China trade talks and US president Donald Trump's latest threat of tariffs on Chinese goods.Equities in Asia tumbled this morning, Monday August 5, and the yuan has dropped below seven to the dollar - the first time since 2008. Weakness in Asian currencies suggests wide-scale market unease. Gold price reaches a...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Asia and Europe for the week ended Friday August 2.ChinaKey drivers The Chinese silicon export market continued to remain stable week on week for the third consecutive week. The supply tightness and a sign of increased demand in the domestic market, amid resumed buying activity for August delivery from the secondary aluminum sector, have encouraged exporters t...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Asia and Europe for the week ended August 2. ChinaKey drivers The price of antimony MMTA standard-grade II, ddp China, remained flat week on week due to sparse trading activity. Domestic antimony suppliers remained resolute in holding their offer prices firm, citing limited ore material at hand.Some domestic antimony consumers chose to sit on the sidelines aft...Read More
Turkish steel producers have not made any deep-sea bookings at the start of this week because of soft demand for finished long steel, sources said on Monday August 5.After the mills booked several deep-sea cargoes in the week ending July 26, they have backed out of the market."The mills in Turkey want to sell some [rebar] before resuming their...Read More
Domestic scrap prices in the Turkish market fell slightly over the past week due to weak demand for finished steel, sources said on Monday August 5.Several steel mills in the Izmir region reduced their buy prices for auto bundle scrap by around 20-55 Turkish lira ($4-10) per tonne over the past week.Long steel mill...Read More
Aluminium alloys from China will be subject to at least 20% in tariffs by September while for hundreds of steel products it will be at least 35% if the latest round of tariffs threatened against China take effect, sources indicated to Fastmarkets.That is because the new tariffs US President Donald Trump signaled against China will be on top of the Section 232 tariffs under an earlier act that cove...Read More
Sentiment in financial markets continues to weaken following last week's collapse of US-China trade talks and US president Donald Trump's latest threat of tariffs on Chinese goods.Equities in Asia tumbled this morning, Monday August 5, and the yuan has dropped below seven to the dollar - the first time since 2008. Weakness in Asian currencies suggests wide-scale market unease. Gold price reaches a...Read More
The downward trend in the benchmark cobalt price slowed in July, with some suppliers less eager to compete for sales while spot activity is slow, speculative buying spurs the domestic Chinese metal price and optimism filters through to the cobalt sulfate market.Price move Traders in the international market continued to focus on back-to-back business rather than restock in any meaningful way in Ju...Read More
Spot prices for cobalt metal moved up for the first time since late April on Friday August 2 after recent price declines prompted consumer and trader buying against a backdrop of stronger prices in China. Fastmarkets' benchmark standard-grade cobalt price, in whs Rotterdam rose 1.4% to $12.20-13 per lb on August 2. Prices had moved to $12.10-12.75 per lb on July 31, widening out from $12.30-12.65...Read More
Trade log for cobalt sulfate in China including transactions, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets MB prices Click here for Fastmarkets' price assessment for cobalt sulfate, Co 20.5% basis, China ex-works, yuan/tonne Click here for Fastmarkets' price assessment for the cobalt sulfate, Co 20.5% basis China ex-works, adjustment...Read More
Demand for flat steel in Turkey was only moderate in July because of the seasonal summer slowdown, market participants told Fastmarkets.And local producers have now filled their order books until late September, they said on Friday August 2.Turkish steel prices increased on May 17 after a US import duty applied at a rate of 50%, introduced in August 2018, was cut back to the previous level of 25%....Read More
China's hot-rolled coil prices fell further on Monday August 5 on weak demand caused by pessimism sparked by the country's trade tensions with the United States.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,720-3,730 yuan ($536-537) per tonne, down 40 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,750 yuan per tonne, down 30 yuan per tonneDespite mills keeping their official ex-works prices steady, thin trading...Read More
Uncertainties surrounding the trade war between China and the United States sapped trading activity in both the futures and physical markets for Chinese rebar on Monday August 5, resulting in prices falling further.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,770-3,800 yuan ($546-551) per tonne, down 50 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,730-3,760 yuan per tonne, down 20 yuan per tonneSeveral analy...Read More
Import prices for rebar in Singapore softened over the past week on ample supply from India and Turkey.The weekly Fastmarkets price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar) import, cfr Singapore - which mainly looks at cargoes sold into Singapore on a theoretical-weight basis - was $485-490 per tonne for the week to Monday August 5, narrowing downward by $5 per tonne from the previous week.Mar...Read More
The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for rebar, wire rod, steel beams and other long steel products. Latest transaction: rebarRebar East China, domestic, grade...Read More
Turkish steel producers have not made any deep-sea bookings at the start of this week because of soft demand for finished long steel, sources said on Monday August 5.After the mills booked several deep-sea cargoes in the week ending July 26, they have backed out of the market."The mills in Turkey want to sell some [rebar] before resuming their...Read More