Import prices for stainless steel in East Asia softened slightly over the past week due to weak regional demand, despite the recovery in the London Metal Exchange nickel price.Fastmarkets' weekly import price assessment for benchmark-304 stainless 2mm trimmed cold-rolled coil (CRC) in East Asia was $2,030-2,110 per tonne cif on Wednesday April 3, down by $10-20 per tonne from a week earlier.Fastma...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were predominantly higher during morning trading on Wednesday April 3, improving on continued progress emanating from recent US-Chinese trade talks while persistent strength in the US dollar fails to deter buying momentum. Nickel's three-month price is now trading comfortable above $13,300 per tonne amid a continued drawdown in the LME's dwindling st...Read More
Global aluminium markets took divergent paths in the week ended Tuesday April 2, with premiums in the Dutch port of Rotterdam and Asia edging upward after gaining support from wide contangoes in London Metal Exchange aluminium price spreads and tightening spot supply of refined metal in Asia.Premiums were largely weaker elsewhere, with those in the United States dropping to an 11-week low. Rotterd...Read More
Trade log for cobalt sulfate in China including transactions, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets MB. Unless otherwise stated, all prices are yuan per tonne on an ex-works basis.The cobalt sulfate, Co 20.5% min, China ex-works, adjustment to the low-grade cobalt low-end price at Co 20.5% basis is on a $ per lb basis.Fastmarkets MB prices Click here for Fastmarket MB's price assessment for coba...Read More
Key data from the pricing session in London on Wednesday April 3.Key drivers- Traders continue to restock after prices stabilized two weeks ago; consumers start to buy after months of reducing their positions and working through high-priced stock.- Sellers successfully raise offer...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 Wednesday April 3:Antimony MB free market regulus, $/tonne: $7,100-7,450 per tonne from $7,200-7,500Antimony MB Chinese free market MMTA standard grade II, yuan/tonne: 43,500-45,000 yuan per tonne from 44,000-45,000 yuanCobalt MB free market alloy grade, $/lb: $14.90-16.35 per lb...Read More
A summary of Jiangxi Copper's production results for the year ended December 31, 2018.What follows is a year-on-year percentage change from 2017.Copper...Read More
Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were firmer during morning trading on Wednesday April 2, up by an average of 0.4% - further evidence of a recovery in China's economy seems to be providing support.Nickel once again led the way with a 0.7% rise on Wednesday, with the metal's three-month price recently quoted at $13,255 per tonne, up from Tuesday's close at $13,165 per ton...Read More
Key data from the Wednesday April 3 pricing session in Europe. Key drivers The European ferro-titanium market was unchanged for the second consecutive week, cementing gains made in a price rally through March. There has been regular consumer demand for prompt shipment, with more buying inquiries emerging for second-quarter deliveries from consumers. Some sources reckoned that the...Read More
The following Fastmarkets UK non-ferrous scrap and foundry ingot prices changed on Wednesday April 3:Aluminium scrapCommercial pure cuttings: ?960-1,000 per tonne...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were mixed this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 1 point in pre-opening trade.Index futures were virtually unchanged following released of the Weekly Jobless Claims report at 8:30 AM EDT. Consensus was an increase to 219,000 from upwardly revised 212,000 last week. Actual was 202,000.Tesla dropped $26.96 to $264.70 after the company delivered lower than expected fir...Read More
Russian aluminium producer Rusal is again shipping fresh primary aluminium to the United States and Europe following the removal of sanctions against the company in January, according to chief executive Evgenii Nikitin, Rusal's press office told Fastmarkets on Tuesday April 2."The volume [of supplies to Europe and the US] has been fully restored on aluminium. It has not been resumed on alloys, tho...Read More
Nickel was the standout performer among base metals in trading on the London Metal Exchange on Tuesday April 2, with an increase of $35 per tonne making it the only base metal not to show a fall.Tin was one of the worst performers, with its price going down by $220 per tonne to $21,200 per tonne in Tuesday trading.The price of lead fell by $20.50 per tonne to $1,990.50 per tonne, making it one of...Read More
Fastmarkets has corrected its assessment of the premium for aluminium P1020, fca South Korea, duty-free, which was published incorrectly on Tuesday April 2 due to an error.The premium for P1020 in South Korea was incorrectly given as $110-130 per tonne. The correct figure was $115-135 per tonne, unchanged from the previous assessment on March 26. This was correctly displayed in the pricing rationa...Read More
Manganese ore prices have diverged according to grade, increasing the gap between 37% and 44% ore after buyers complained about the cost of the low-grade material. 37% manganese ore slides, 44% ticks up Alloy prices diverge in China Indian silico-manganese prices hold steady Alloys stage mixed performance in Europe, USPrices for low- and high-grade manganese ore diverged at the end of March amid m...Read More
Treatment charges (TCs) for spot zinc concentrate continued to rise in March with deals over the $300-per-tonne mark made for clean cargoes.Fastmarkets assessed spot zinc concentrate TCs basis cif Asia-Pacific at $270-305 per tonne last month, up by $55 per tonne from $215-250 per tonne in February.The rise took place amid large tonnages being offered into the Chinese market and with a wide spread...Read More
Based on initial research and a consultation among market participants, Fastmarkets proposes to launch a weekly assessment of electrolytic manganese flake, 99.7% basis, fob China, $/tonne. The introduction of the price will expand Fastmarkets' current price coverage for electrolytic manganese flake, which tracks the Chinese manganese flake market on a regular basis. The proposed new assessment wil...Read More
Brazilian miner Vale's revenue from its cobalt business rose in 2018 despite reduced sales thanks to high cobalt prices, according to its production results released on Wednesday March 27. Vale's cobalt sales volumes totaled 4,974 tonnes in 2018, down from 5,013 tonnes a year before. But cobalt revenues were higher year on year at $313 million last year compared with $258 million in 2017. Cobalt p...Read More
Turkish deep-sea scrap import prices fell sharply after confirmation of transactions done late last week, sources said on Tuesday April 2.A steel producer in the Marmara region booked a European cargo, comprising 22,000-23,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $308 per tonne and 5,000 tonnes of bonus at $318 per tonne cfr on Thursday March 28.And a mill in the Izmir region booked a UK cargo, comprising...Read More