Stable contangoes on the London Metal Exchange helped push the Rotterdam duty-unpaid aluminium premium to its highest since June 28, 2018.Fastmarkets assessed the benchmark Rotterdam P1020 premium at a near 10-month high of $87-97 per tonne Monday April 1, up $2 per tonne from last Friday's assessment of $85-95 per tonne. Multiple deals were reported on Monday at premiums of $90-100 per tonne, whi...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
The threshold for electric vehicles (EVs) to receive subsidies in 2019 has been increased again while the value of subsidies has been cut sharply, which was expected by the majority of market participants who are now cautiously checking the resulting impact on the battery supply chain.Subsidies for EVs with a driving range below 250km will be phased out after a transitional period between March 26...Read More
Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were slightly firmer during morning trading on Tuesday April 2, up by an average of 0.2% but still down from Monday's highs.Nickel once again led the way with a 0.5% rise, this after a 0.9% rise on Monday, with the metal's three-month price recently quoted at $13,180 per tonne, up from Monday's close at $13,115 per tonne.Copper, aluminium...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 clo...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 17 points in pre-opening trade. Index futures were responding to news that a trade agreement between China and the U.S. is "90% complete". The Shanghai Composite Index added another 1.24% to 3216.30.Index futures were virtually unchanged following release of the March ADP Private Employment report released at 8:15 AM E...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were predominantly higher at the close of trading on Monday April 1, supported by strength in both the Chinese and United States' manufacturing data despite continued market concerns over the health of the global economy. Despite reported strength from the manufacturing sector, US retail sales were weaker than expected in February at -0.4%, down from...Read More
The US copper price built on Friday's momentum with the base metals complex receiving a boost from strong Chinese manufacturing data on Monday April 1.The copper price for May settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange rose by 1.25 cents to $2.9520 per lb. Overnight, the Chinese official manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 50.5 in March, beating the exp...Read More
Copper concentrate treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) for Asia Pacific continued to drop in the second half of March in the absence of Las Bambas output, while Chinese smelters are prepared to accept significantly lower spot TCs for the second quarter this year. Fastmarkets' spot copper concentrate index for Asia Pacific was calculated at $66.7 per tonne/ 6.67 cents per lb on March 25, d...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Monday April 1 that are worth another look.The United States has challenged European Union proposals to label titanium dioxide and cobalt as carcinogens on free-trade grounds. As consumer inventories of cobalt start to run low, their metal restocking alone is unlikely to establish a floor in ailing prices, such is the believed exte...Read More
The price of domestic ferro-chrome in China fell in the week ended Friday March 29 on lower offers from suppliers trying to tempt stainless steel consumers to buy, while the price of imported alloy was stable due to supply concerns. Domestic alloy prices in China drop prior to VAT cut Tenders in Japan see ferro-chrome price rise Imported ores into China rise Rise in the top end...Read More
Copper concentrate treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) for Asia Pacific continued to drop in the second half of March in the absence of Las Bambas output, while Chinese smelters are prepared to accept significantly lower spot TCs for the second quarter this year. Fastmarkets' spot copper concentrate index for Asia Pacific was calculated at $66.7 per tonne/ 6.67 cents per lb on March 25, d...Read More
As consumer inventories of cobalt start to run low, their metal restocking alone is unlikely to establish a floor in ailing prices, such is the believed extent of the surplus, according to Fastmarkets' market sources. Trader and consumer buying returned to the cobalt market in earnest last week for the first time in the best part of a year, but the restocking does not signal the beginning of a ret...Read More
With the international cobalt metal market falling rapidly between December 2018 and February this year, the arbitrage between the international and Chinese cobalt metal price has gradually turned in favor of Chinese imports. As a result, Chinese buyers have been considering increasing their shipments of cobalt metal since February with an expectation international cobalt prices are close to botto...Read More
Prices for shipbreaing scrap prices in Turkey have gone down slightly this week with one steel mill reducing its buying prices, but auto bundle scrap prices remained stable over the past week, sources said on Monday April 1.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for Turkish domestic melting scrap from shipbreaking was $320-325 per tonne on April 1, narrowing downward from the $320-330 per tonne deli...Read More
Turkish steel mills continued to hold back from the deep-sea scrap markets to watch which way the market moves after the mayoral elections held across the country yesterday, sources said on Monday April 1.The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has claimed victories in the coastal Aegean and Mediterranean provinces, as well as in major cities including Istanbul. It also claims to have...Read More
Better Chinese manufacturing data has surprised the market and boosted three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange by an average of 1% this morning, Monday April 1.Nickel led the way with a 2.2% gain to $13,285 per tonne, up from Friday's close at $12,995 per tonne, while tin was the laggard with a 0.4% gain. Aluminium, zinc and lead were all up by 0.9%, while copper was up by 0.7%...Read More
The European Commission (EC) has published a secondary regulation that lays down how it will assess and authorize conflict mineral due diligence schemes. The schemes can be used by European Union metal importers to demonstrate they have not sourced product from mines and smelters associated with human rights abuses.This new regulation (EU) 2019/429 'on methodology and criteria for the assessment a...Read More
With the international cobalt metal market falling rapidly between December 2018 and February this year, the arbitrage between the international and Chinese cobalt metal price has gradually turned in favor of Chinese imports. As a result, Chinese buyers have been considering increasing their shipments of cobalt metal since February with an expectation international cobalt prices are close to botto...Read More