Cobalt prices rose for the first time since late October 2018 at the end of March with traders and consumers restocking. Fastmarkets' benchmark standard-grade cobalt price assessment was $13.75-14.40 per lb, in-warehouse, on Friday March 29, up 2.2% from the previous $13.30-14.25 per lb on March 27, when they had risen 5 cents at the high end of the range. Fastmarkets' pri...Read More
The market for hot-rolled (HR) and cold-rolled (CR) steel sheet in Russia's Central Federal District around Moscow was strong during the week ended Monday April 1, on seasonally good demand.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for Russia-origin 4mm HR sheet was stable at 43,900-44,000 roubles ($668-670) per tonne cpt Moscow on April 1, including 20% VAT."Demand [in the secondary market] remains st...Read More
The market for flat steel exports from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) has softened on improved availability of May-rolling products, sources told Fastmarkets on Monday April 1.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for CIS-origin exports of hot-rolled coil (HRC) was $500-515 per tonne fob Black Sea on April 1, down from $510-520 per tonne fob a week ago.Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works...Read More
Turkey's flat steel exports increased by 38.12% year on year in February 2019 amid increased demand in Europe, according to the latest figures from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK).Yet current demand for flat steel is weak in the country's key export markets, so export volumes may decrease in the next few months, Turkish market participants told Fastmarkets.Turkish producers have been offe...Read More
Prices for merchant bar quality (MBQ) steel were flat in the United States over the past month amid reports of mostly steady market conditions, while confirmed transactions for Mexican material have caused import prices to dip slightly. Fastmarkets AMM assessed domestic 2- x 2- x 1/4 -inch angle merchant bar at $37.05 per hundredweight ($741 per short ton) fob mill on Friday March 29, unchanged...Read More
CIS export rebar prices dropped by $10 per tonne week on week on Monday April 1 on subdued demand and a weakening of the Turkish import scrap market.Rebar offers from Ukraine and Belarus varied within the range of $470-475 per tonne fob Black Sea, down from $480-490 per tonne fob a week earlier, sources told Fastmarkets on Monday.Several sources reported a 30,000-tonne CIS-origin cargo being sold...Read More
With competition in the global steel markets remaining fierce, Fastmarkets provides an update on the new, progressing and closed trade cases from around the world in March 2019.The case list below includes only updates. For other continuing cases, see the updates for January and...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
Iron ore prices continued to strengthen on Monday April 1 on more news about supply disruptions.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $88.69 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $1.88 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $87.81 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $1.88 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $90.23 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $1.41 per tonne. MB 58% Fe Premium Index: $79.86 per tonne cfr Qingdao...Read More
A sale of CIS-origin slab to Italy was heard agreed last week at a price lower than in other recent deals, sending the CIS export slab price assessment downward on Monday April 1.A cargo containing 25,000-30,000 tonnes of Ukrainian slab was reported sold to Italy at $510-512 per tonne cfr, equivalent to around $490 per tonne fob Black Sea. But market participants had expected such a development.Th...Read More
Monthly European alloy surcharges for stainless steel products have increased for April because of higher component costs, including those for nickel, molybdenum and ferro-chrome, Fastmarkets heard on Monday April 1.April surcharges for grade-304 cold-rolled (CR) stainless sheets - according to data released by Outokumpu, Acerinox and Aperam - have increased to ?,?1,423-1,430 ($1,596-1,604) per to...Read More
South Korea's government and major steelmaker Posco both oppose China's ongoing stainless steel anti-dumping investigation and claim that no trade measures should be imposed because Korean exports do not damage the Chinese domestic industry.Hot-rolled stainless steel produced in South Korea has significantly different applications, materials and prices from those of Chinese products, thus there is...Read More
The Chinese ferro-silicon price moved up in the past week in line with upstream costs while suppliers look to new consumer tenders expected in the coming days; new quarterly settlements have weighed on the spot market in Europe. China heads higher on upstream costs Chinese suppliers expect April consumer delivery tenders Europe dragged down on second-quarter deals US market rema...Read More
Turkey's flat steel exports increased by 38.12% year on year in February 2019 amid increased demand in Europe, according to the latest figures from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK).Yet current demand for flat steel is weak in the country's key export markets, so export volumes may decrease in the next few months, Turkish market participants told Fastmarkets.Turkish producers have been offe...Read More
China's long steel market recovered in March because of seasonal factors, with domestic demand picking up after the Chinese New Year in February amid improved weather conditions, boosting prices and output.Domestic demand for long steel products are likely to continue to rise in April given the expectations of growth in the domestic infrastructure and property sectors.Long steel output in the firs...Read More
The market for hot-rolled (HR) and cold-rolled (CR) steel sheet in Russia's Central Federal District around Moscow was strong during the week ended Monday April 1, on seasonally good demand.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for Russia-origin 4mm HR sheet was stable at 43,900-44,000 roubles ($668-670) per tonne cpt Moscow on April 1, including 20% VAT."Demand [in the secondary market] remains st...Read More
The market for flat steel exports from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) has softened on improved availability of May-rolling products, sources told Fastmarkets on Monday April 1.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for CIS-origin exports of hot-rolled coil (HRC) was $500-515 per tonne fob Black Sea on April 1, down from $510-520 per tonne fob a week ago.Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works...Read More
CIS export rebar prices dropped by $10 per tonne week on week on Monday April 1 on subdued demand and a weakening of the Turkish import scrap market.Rebar offers from Ukraine and Belarus varied within the range of $470-475 per tonne fob Black Sea, down from $480-490 per tonne fob a week earlier, sources told Fastmarkets on Monday.Several sources reported a 30,000-tonne CIS-origin cargo being sold...Read More
Monthly European alloy surcharges for stainless steel products have increased for April because of higher component costs, including those for nickel, molybdenum and ferro-chrome, Fastmarkets heard on Monday April 1.April surcharges for grade-304 cold-rolled (CR) stainless sheets - according to data released by Outokumpu, Acerinox and Aperam - have increased to ?,?1,423-1,430 ($1,596-1,604) per to...Read More