Nickel's three-month price on the London Metal Exchange continued its uptrend at the close of trading on Wednesday July 17, appreciating by 3% to surpass $14,400 per tonne and trade at its highest level in a year.The metal's futures price traded at an intraday low of $13,900 per tonne during Asian trading hours, before climbing to an intraday high of $14,460 per tonne during the European trading d...Read More
Tin premiums across all global locations were flat in the week ending Tuesday July 16, with the metal's volatile three-month price and weakening demand picture capping spot liquidity. Some say weak European demand is weighing on sales, premiums. US market illiquid; premiums hold, despite pressure from aggressive new suppliers. Weak demand kept Chinese tin premiums unchanged.Low prices, supportive...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday July 17 that are worth another look.China's top copper concentrate buyers are in a fix. On Thursday July 18, the historically powerful China Smelter Purchase Team will gather for a quarterly meeting that traditionally is an arena for members to share information on trade flows and maintenance schedules, and to set a quarterly...Read More
China's top copper concentrate buyers are in a fix.On Thursday July 18, the historically powerful China Smelter Purchase Team (CSPT), which comprises purchasing managers from the country's 10 top-rated state-backed copper smelters, will gather in Hunchun city for their quarterly meeting.Traditionally, the forum is an arena for members to share information on trade flows and maintenance schedules,...Read More
Global alumina prices have plummeted over the past two months in June and July due to poor demand and a surplus of excess cargoes in the market.Alumina prices in Western Australia, Brazil and China are all down over 15% since May and close to their lowest level in over two years. This is a stark contrast to this time last year, when alumina prices were trading close to record highs following strik...Read More
An overview of the minor metals markets and the reasons for any price moves.Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' Wednesday July 17 pricing session in Europe:Key drivers The ferro-titanium market moved down amid a decline in spot demand for ferro-titanium for the past couple of months in response to a weakening European steel market, which is likely to remain quiet over the summer. The ferro-titanium market is close to its floor, according...Read More
Turkish steel mills continued to stay away from the deep-sea scrap market on Wednesday July 17, because of the sluggish finished steel demand, sources told Fastmarkets.After booking a UK cargo at $288 per tonne cfr for HMS 1&2 (80:20), the mills have stayed out of the market despite still needing to buy more cargoes for August deliveries."The steel producers in Turkey need to buy scrap for August...Read More
Trade negotiations between the United States and China following a meeting between the countries' leaders on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Japan at the end of last month have not progressed as well as investors had hoped. Instead, relations between the world's two largest economies remain frosty following a report that China will sanction US firms that sell weapons to Taiwan. In...Read More
A multi-year low in the cobalt metal price in China triggered the speculative buying witnessed over the week to July 12, which is likely to be followed by restocking activity in the spot market, Fastmarkets learned.Fastmarkets' assessment of the price for cobalt 99.8% Co min, ex-works China was at 210,000-230,000 yuan ($12.27-13.43 per lb, minus China VAT) per tonne on Friday July 12, down nearly...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil (HRC) have decreased over the past week in the south of Europe due to slow trading, market sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday July 17.Prices in the north of the EU have been largely stable, however, although the market was reported to be slow.Despite weak market activity, steelmakers were reported to be considering price rises for September-rolling coil produ...Read More
Eastern China's domestic prices for hot-rolled coil continued to pick up strength on Wednesday July 17, while those in the northern region held steady.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,890-3,910 yuan ($566-569) per tonne, up 10 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,850-3,860 yuan per tonne, unchangedRising futures stimulated trading in the spot market in eastern China, resulting in more buyi...Read More
US wire rod prices have trended downward for six straight months to hit a 16-month low, driven primarily by weak demand and high inventory levels, Fastmarkets has learned. Fastmarkets' assessment for steel wire rod (low carbon) industrial quality, fob mill US, fell to $32.50-33.50 per hundredweight ($650-670 per short ton) on Tuesday July 16, down by 4.3% from $34-35 per cwt in June and down 18% f...Read More
The price for rebar produced and delivered in Southern Europe has widened upward by ?,?5 ($6) per tonne week on week, with Italian mills intending to raise prices before the traditional August holiday period, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday July 17.Market activity remains low and buyers remain generally reluctant to commit to volumes, market participants said.Fastmarkets' weekly price assess...Read More
The domestic prices of hollow steel sections in Northern and Southern Europe fell this week, pressured lower by poor demand, market sources said.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?620-630 ($696-708) per tonne on Wednesday July 17, down from ?,?625-640 one week earlier."Some mills are decreasing capacity but it seems not to have wo...Read More
Physical iron ore prices fell backward on Wednesday July 17 amid losses in the futures market, after the Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) increased the cost of trading.Fastmarkets' index for iron ore 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $121.27 per tonne, down by $0.88 per tonne.Fastmarkets' index for iron ore 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines, cfr Qingdao: $121.19 per tonne, down by $0.88 per tonne.Fastmarkets' in...Read More
The price for rebar produced and delivered in Southern Europe has widened upward by ?,?5 ($6) per tonne week on week, with Italian mills intending to raise prices before the traditional August holiday period, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday July 17.Market activity remains low and buyers remain generally reluctant to commit to volumes, market participants said.Fastmarkets' weekly price assess...Read More
Turkish steel mills continued to stay away from the deep-sea scrap market on Wednesday July 17, because of the sluggish finished steel demand, sources told Fastmarkets.After booking a UK cargo at $288 per tonne cfr for HMS 1&2 (80:20), the mills have stayed out of the market despite still needing to buy more cargoes for August deliveries."The steel producers in Turkey need to buy scrap for August...Read More
Iranian steel billet and slab prices increased again in the week to Wednesday July 17 after customers in Asia made several bookings.Fastmarkets weekly price assessment for steel billet index export, fob Black Sea, CIS, $/tonne, was $382-394 per tonne fob on Wednesday July 17, widening from $385-390 per tonne fob.Some 50,000 tonnes of Iranian steel...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices maintained their upward momentum on Wednesday July 17 amid rising futures. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,980-4,010 yuan ($579-583) per tonne, up 10 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,900-3,930 yuan per tonne, up 10 yuan per tonneSome buyers raised their procurement rates to replenish their inventories on seeing the gains in the futures market.End users m...Read More