Domestic prices for hollow steel sections in Northern and Southern Europe were unchanged this week, with market participants expecting increases in the coming weeks, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday June 19.Fastmarkets' domestic price assessment for commodity-size, grade-S235 square hollow sections made in Northern Europe was ?,?620-640 ($695-717) per tonne delivered on Wednesday, stable week...Read More
EU demand for passenger cars increased by 0.1% year on year in May, following eight consecutive month of decline, the European Automotive Manufacturers Association (ACEA) said this week.New car sales in Europe totalled 1,400,518 units in May 2019, compared with 1,399,398 vehicles sold in May 2018."Demand in the region was mainly driven by the Central European countries [including Poland, Roma...Read More
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday June 19.Please click...Read More
Fastmarkets MB will launch a weekly assessment of the South America Galvalume steel coil import price, reported on a US-dollar-per-tonne cfr South America basis.Following the original consultation period for this proposed launch, which ended on May 31 before it was extended by two weeks to June 7, Fastmarkets has decided to launch its Galvalume steel coil import, cfr main ports South America, $ pe...Read More
The United States Secretary of Commerce has joined the growing chorus of voices questioning the current method of setting the US Midwest aluminium premium. Wilbur Ross said the US Midwest aluminium premium is at inflated levels that do not justify the cost of transportation and logistical handling costs that it was originally designed to reflect. His view is being echoed by a number of...Read More
Prices paid for rebar produced and delivered in Southern Europe were unchanged this week amid heavily subdued activity while buyers await an expected influx of imports in July, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday June 19.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic rebar in Southern Europe was ?,?495-515 ($555-577) per tonne delivered on Wednesday, unchanged week on week."It's completely ca...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday June 19 that are worth another look.The United States Secretary of Commerce has joined the growing chorus of voices questioning the current method of setting the US Midwest aluminium premium. Chinese nickel premiums jumped to record highs, creating expectations that global premiums will follow them higher while metal is d...Read More
The United States Secretary of Commerce has joined the growing chorus of voices questioning the current method of setting the US Midwest aluminium premium. Wilbur Ross said the US Midwest aluminium premium is at inflated levels that do not justify the cost of transportation and logistical handling costs that it was originally designed to reflect. His view is being echoed by a number of...Read More
A decade ago, the Shanghai Futures Exchange launched its steel rebar futures contract. In the years that followed it has become the gold standard for steel derivatives, achieving a success that other exchanges aspire to emulate. And they are definitely trying, with a total of 11 steel derivatives contracts launched by the main trading exchanges since. SHFE, which launched a wire rod futures contra...Read More
Largo Resources has appointed Paul Vollant as its director of sales and trading, the vanadium producer said on Wednesday June 19.Starting from September 2019, Vollant will lead the development of Largo's sales and trading business, the Toronto-based producer said.Vollant's experience includes the position of general manager of sales and marketing at TNG Limited, Shanghai, where his responsibilitie...Read More
The European Commission (EC) imposed definitive safeguard measures on 28 imported steel products in February, replacing the provisional measures that had been in place since July 2018.The EC opened the safeguard case in an attempt to prevent steel shipments being redirected to the EU after the United States imposed import tariffs as part of its Section 232 investigation. Almost one year after the...Read More
Zinc's three-month price on the London Metal Exchange was subdued at the close of trading on Wednesday June 19, drifting below the nearby $2,500-per-tonne support level after steady inflows and dwindling demand continue to pressure the galvanizing metal's outright price.Additionally, the metal's cash/three-month spread remains in a sizable backwardation - recently at $116.50 per tonne - placing th...Read More
Physical iron ore prices continued to advance on Wednesday June 19 amid big gains in the futures markets following amelioration of trade tensions between China and the United States.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $114.08 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $1.80 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $112.88 per tonne cfr Qingdao,up $1.80 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $115.81 per tonn...Read More
The seaborne coking coal market regained its downward momentum on Wednesday June 19 with participants mostly fixated on their bearish outlook for prices.A July-loading cargo of branded materials was traded on the Global Coal trading platform at $195 per tonne fob Australia during the day, various sources confirmed.A shipment of premium mid-vol hard coking coal, also scheduled for loading in July,...Read More
The price of rebar produced and delivered in Northern Europe widened upward slightly this week despite the market being largely quiet with many buyers waiting for the renewal of EU import quota balances on July 1, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday June 19.From July 1, 2019 until June 30, 2020, 301,538 tonnes of Turkey-origin rebar will be permitted to enter the EU tariff-free. After this quota...Read More
Chinese nickel premiums jumped to record highs, creating expectations that global premiums will follow them higher while metal is drawn to China from Europe. Arbitrage opportunities push up both Chinese nickel premiums European premiums hold up despite some supply being diverted to Asia US premiums steady but briquette business seen as weak Chinese premiums at highest everIn China, the in-warehous...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday June 19 that are worth another look.The United States Secretary of Commerce has joined the growing chorus of voices questioning the current method of setting the US Midwest aluminium premium. Chinese nickel premiums jumped to record highs, creating expectations that global premiums will follow them higher while metal is d...Read More
Prices for spent lead-acid batteries in the United States inched lower over the two weeks to Tuesday June 18, due to oversupply and weak demand at the beginning of the seasonal summer slowdown.Fastmarkets AMM assessed the price for whole lead-acid batteries delivered to smelters at $30-32 per hundredweight on June 18, down by 3.1% from $31-33 per cwt on June 4. This marks the price's lowest s...Read More
Zinc's three-month price on the London Metal Exchange was subdued at the close of trading on Wednesday June 19, drifting below the nearby $2,500-per-tonne support level after steady inflows and dwindling demand continue to pressure the galvanizing metal's outright price.Additionally, the metal's cash/three-month spread remains in a sizable backwardation - recently at $116.50 per tonne - placing th...Read More
Global tin premiums were flat across the week ending Tuesday June 18, despite easing nearby spreads prompting a slight uptick in spot business at lower premium levels in Europe, while supply concerns and a closed import window capped premium ranges in the United States and Asia.European premiums flat despite emergent downside pressureIn Europe, Fastmarkets assessed the premium for 99.9% standard-g...Read More