Key data from the June 14 pricing session in London Key drivers- Cobalt prices continue to drift lower, with sellers open to cheaper bids to achieve sales early in what is expected to be a quiet few months for buying. Demand is slow and potential buyers are happy to hold out for expected lower prices in the coming weeks. Some sources have reported receiving minimum call-offs...Read More
An overview of the minor metals markets and the reasons for any price moves.Read More
The following Fastmarkets minor metals prices changed on Friday June 14:Minor metalsBismuth MB China domestic, yuan/tonne: 41,500-43,500 yuan per tonne from 40,500-42,000 yuanChromium MB free market alumino-thermic, $/tonne: $7,580-7,850 per tonne from $7,750-7,950Cobalt...Read More
An overview of the minor metals markets and the reasons for any price moves. Read More
Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mixed so far on Friday June 14, reflecting deteriorating sentiment in broader risk markets amid the recent uptick in tensions in the Middle East and while global trade tensions overhang.Military officials from the United States have released a video of what they say shows Iran's Revolutionary Guard removing an unexploded limpet mine...Read More
European stainless steel prices have been largely stable this week despite coming under pressure from a number of market factors, with mills seeming determined to avoid any erosion of their production margins, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday June 14.Fastmarkets assessed the price of grade-304 cold-rolled (CR) stainless steel sheets at ?,?2,190-2,250 ($2,472-2,539) per tonne delivered in Norther...Read More
Copper's three-month price on the London Metal Exchange consolidated at the close of trading on Thursday June 13, improving from an intraday low of $5,811.50 per tonne and closing marginally higher despite fresh inflows totaling more than 37,000 tonnes.News of strike action at Chilean state-owned copper producer Codelco's Chuqicamata mine helped to improve copper's three-month price over the day,...Read More
Workers in unions 1, 2 and 3 of Codelco's Chuquicamata copper mine have rejected the company's most recent contract offer and plan to go on strike from Friday June 14, Codelco said on Wednesday June 12.The strike is to begin during the first work shift on Friday after workers expressed their dissatisfaction with a 1.2% salary rise and a one-time benefits package - worth around $20,000 - without an...Read More
Employees at the Chuquicamata division of Codelco plan to go on strike from tomorrow, Friday June 14, after union-to-management talks broke down, the three workers' trade unions said on Thursday June 13.The members of the three workers' trade unions unanimously decided to begin industrial action on Friday after Codelco's latest offer failed to meet workers' expectations over medical expenses and p...Read More
Brazilian primary aluminium production declined for the 17th consecutive month on an annual basis during April 2019, data from national industry association Abal showed on Wednesday June 12.The aluminium industry in the country is preparing for the Albras smelter to return to full capacity and is preparing to discuss its import quota for the second half of the year.Primary aluminium production in...Read More
After China's spot tungsten concentrate price fell below a level widely considered to be the break-even point for most producers in the country, many in the market had expected the price to bottom out.But the price has defied this expectation and continues on a downward trend, most recently reaching its lowest since July 2017. Some in the market are pointing to an abundance of supply as the reason...Read More
Vietnam's tungsten miner Masan Resources has hired former Amalgamated Metals Corporation (AMC) trader William Parry-Jones, the company told Fastmarkets on Thursday June 13.Parry-Jones has joined the company this month as its manager for tungsten raw materials and has relocated to Hanoi from London after almost eight...Read More
Turkish steel producers have continued their deep-sea scrap purchases, increasing their combined tonnage for import to 226,000 tonnes in two days, sources said on Thursday June 13.In addition to two deep-sea cargoes booked early on June 12, four steel mills booked five more cargoes late that day.A steel mill in the Marmara region booked a US cargo, comprising 18,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $2...Read More
The Chilean government expects to publish new lithium mining concession rules next week, in hopes that "clearer regulation" will boost projects in the country, deputy mining minister Pablo Terrazas said at Fastmarkets' 11th Lithium Supply and Markets Conference."We have decided that Chile needs to increase its lithium production, and President Sebasti??n Pi??era gave the ministry of mining the man...Read More
An increasing number of cobalt sulfate producers in China have cut, or are planning to cut, output in response to falling battery raw materials prices amid stagnant demand, market sources told Fastmarkets MB.In addition, some producers have switched to producing other chemistry compounds, including cobalt chloride and nickel sulfate, sources added. But market participants have mostly downplayed th...Read More
Domestic prices for heavy steel plate across Europe have inched down over the past week due to slow trading activity, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday June 13."I do not expect prices to recover any time soon, because trading activity is very weak in the end-markets," a representative of an Italian re-roller said.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic grade-S235JR heavy steel plate i...Read More
The domestic price for hot-rolled coil (HRC) in the south of Europe has picked up over the past week, supported by production cuts, market sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday June 13.Steel mills in the region continued with their attempts to raise prices further, while bigger Italian buyers returned to purchasing imported material, according to market participants.Fastmarkets' weekly price assess...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil prices continued to drop on Thursday June 13, narrowing producers' already-slim margins further amid rising costs.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,820-3,830 yuan ($552-554) per tonne, down 10 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,780-3,790 yuan per tonne, narrowing downward by 10 yuan per tonnePrices continued to drop during the day with trading activity remaining th...Read More
The price of steel billet imported into Egypt has decreased in the week to June 13 on lower offers due to a lack of domestic demand.Billet producers, from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in particular, expected demand to pick up after the observance of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, but the market remained quiet this week.The recent drop in...Read More
Domestic long steel prices in Turkey have gone down over the past seven days, due to weak demand and falling imported scrap costs, sources said on Thursday June 13.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic rebar in Turkey was TRY3,200-3,220 ($551-554) per tonne ex-works on Thursday, down from last week's TRY3,330-3,400 per tonne.The domestic rebar price in the Izmir region was TRY3,220-3,2...Read More