Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were predominantly higher at the close of trading on Monday February 25, with investor attention diverted amid a more than 2% tumble in oil futures over the afternoon, while US-China trade talks continue to act as a strong tailwind for prices. Leading the complex higher over the afternoon, the three-month tin price increased by more than 1% over the...Read More
A flurry of fresh cancellations in LME copper this month has left market participants questioning the metal's depleting exchange inventories.Declining London Metal Exchange stocks have seen copper's three-month price surge above $6,500 per tonne this morning, its highest level since July 2018. Stock movements have predominantly taken place across US locations in February, allowing t...Read More
Seaborne coking coal spot prices held steady on Monday February 25 amid thin trading."The market is taking a breather for now but the short-term trend is still up due to tight seaborne supply," an Indian trading source said.While there are at least 12 cargoes of premium hard coking coal and four shipments of second-tier materials - all of which are scheduled for loading in February-April - in the...Read More
The Chinese domestic ferro-silicon price fell in line with weaker demand in the week ended Friday February 22, while the European price has stabilized in February after a run of losses, with suppliers holding their offer prices. China market pares gains as supply outweighs demand Europe flat, suppliers hold offers US prices slip in sluggish spot market Domestic prices dropped last wee...Read More
A flurry of fresh cancellations in LME copper this month has left market participants questioning the metal's depleting exchange inventories.Declining London Metal Exchange stocks have seen copper's three-month price surge above $6,500 per tonne this morning, its highest level since July 2018. Stock movements have predominantly taken place across US locations in February, allowing t...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Monday February 25 that are worth another look.US President Donald Trump has postponed his administration's plans to increase the current import duties on $200-billion worth of Chinese goods, de-escalating the trade tensions between the two countries. A flurry of fresh cancellations in London Metal Exchange copper this month has&nb...Read More
Nyrstar's non-executive director Jes??s Fernandez has resigned his post in order to represent its major shareholder Trafigura in restructuring talks, the company said today February 25.Fernandez, who is Trafigura's head of mergers and acquisitions has been a board member since April 2016."Fernandez and Trafigura have agreed with Nyrstar that it would promote clarity around that process...Read More
European aluminium ingot prices fell to their lowest level since December 7, 2018 on February 22, due to dampened demand exerting downward pressure on the price.Fastmarkets assessed the price of European aluminium pressure die-casting ingot DIN226/A380, at ?,?1,470-1,530 ($1,666-1,734) per tonne this week, on a delivered consumer works basis.This is down ?,?50 from ?,?1,520-1,580 per tonne last we...Read More
MMG has delayed shipments of its copper concentrates output from Las Bambas copper mine in Peru due to a road blockade initiated by the local community, the Australian-Chinese miner said on Monday February 25. Las Bambas copper mine is one of the world's largest copper mines and produced 385,299 tonnes of copper in copper concentrates in 2018. Outbound transport from Las Bambas mine has been disru...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were collectively higher during morning trading on Monday February 25, with copper and nickel futures rallying past nearby resistance levels, while progress in US-Chinese trade talks continue to buoy commodity investment. Copper's three-month price is now trading above $6,500 per tonne for the first time since July 2018, pushing higher over the morni...Read More
Export prices for steel slab from the Black Sea basin have jumped by $15-20 per tonne over the past week, supported by tight availability of the material in the region, Fastmarkets heard on Monday February 25.Necessary repairs at some production units were behind the reduced availability, market sources said.In particular, merchant slab output from Ukrainian steelmaker Metinvest in December-Februa...Read More
The Turkish steel industry managed to increase its export volumes in 2018 despite the creation of international trade barriers that had a huge effect on the market, the Turkish Steel Exporters' Assn (??IB) told Fastmarkets on Friday February 22.Turkey increased its steel exports by 20.80% year-on-year to 21.40 million tonnes in the full year of 2018, while the value of those exports rose by 36.10%...Read More
Prices for flat steel exports from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) held steady this week although market participants were expecting discounts, sources told Fastmarkets on Monday February 25.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for CIS-origin exports of hot-rolled coil (HRC) was unchanged at $520-530 per tonne fob Black Sea on February 25.Ukraine-origin HRC was offered at $530-535 per...Read More
South Korea has recommended five-year anti-dumping duties on stainless steel bar from Taiwan and Italy, after its trade commission found that imports had injured the domestic industry.The Korea Trade Commission requested the finance ministry to set tariffs of 9.47-18.56% against Taiwanese products and 10.21-13.74% against Italian products for five years, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industr...Read More
The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for hot-rolled coil, cold-rolled coil, hot-dipped galvanized coil, pre-painted galvanized iron, steel plate, steel sheet and other flat steel products. Latest transaction: hot-rolled coilHot-rolled coilEast China, domestic, commercial-grade...Read More
Import prices for steel slab in Southeast Asia and East Asia moved up again over the past week amid higher offers and limited availability, although no transactions were heard due to the large bid-offer spread.Fastmarkets' weekly import price assessment for slab imports to Southeast Asia and East Asia was $460-480 per tonne cfr on Monday February 25, widening upward by $10 per tonne from $460-470...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil exporters raised their offers on Monday February 25 following surges in the stock market, while domestic prices edged up.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,790-3,810 yuan ($564-567) per tonne, up 10-20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,740-3,750 yuan per tonne, up 20 yuan per tonnePrices in Shanghai posted moderate gains, with trading volumes being reported to be c...Read More
Import prices for rebar in Singapore held steady over the past week on limited activity in the spot market.Fastmarkets MB's import price assessment for rebar in Southeast Asia - which mainly looks at cargoes sold into Singapore on a theoretical weight basis - was $500-515 per tonne cfr for the week to Monday February 25, unchanged from the previous week.Turkish rebar was offered at $520-525 per to...Read More
Niron Metals PLC, an investment vehicle with shareholders including former Xstrata chief executive officer Mick Davis, is in exploratory talks with the government of Guinea to develop the Zogota iron ore project. Niron believes that the Zogota deposit, located in southeastern Guinea, can be brought into production on an accelerated timetable. It had been envisaged that the mine would be connected...Read More
The Turkish steel mills stayed out of the deep-sea scrap market on Monday February 25 and made no bookings, preferring to remain in wait-and-see mode after the recent sharp decrease in the prices, Fastmarkets heard.Following the news of a Baltic Sea cargo sold on February 22 at $307 per tonne cfr for HMS 1&2 (80:20) and $317 per tonne for bonus, prices went down by around $10 per tonne at the end...Read More