Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday February 14 that are worth another look.The Singapore Exchange said its new high-grade iron ore futures, which are settled against the Fastmarkets MB 65% Fe Iron Ore Index, have seen over 3 million tonnes worth of transactions since its December 3 launch involving 30 market participants. There are indications that China mi...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday February 13 that are worth another look.The London Metal Exchange has extended the consultation period regarding its proposals on pre-trade transparency to March 1, it said in a note to members on Wednesday February 13.The process to exclude steel and aluminium from the Section 232 import tariffs applied by the United Sta...Read More
Detailed data for Chinese trade is still not available, but there are indications that the East Asian country may have become the biggest importer of pig iron in Asia last year, according to Fastmarkets' research team.We pointed out in June last year that the Chinese import pig iron market might revive to fill the widening gap between iron and steel production in China, alongside ferrous scrap.Hon...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mostly lower at the close of trading on Thursday February 14, with a collective trend of dwindling LME stocks failing to prompt upward price action while volumes traded remain moderate. Nickel's three-month price was the biggest downward move over the afternoon, with its price action down 1.6% amid continued negative risk-appetite, while dollar...Read More
The US copper price failed to rebound on Thursday morning in the United States, while market participants hold back from being too optimistic about recent developments in US and Chinese trade talks.The copper price for March settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange dipped 0.65 cents to $2.7665 per lb.Positive sentiment surrounding US-China trade is also beginning to man...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices nudged up on Thursday February 14 with traders heard taking cargoes, although buying from Chinese mills remained limited.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $88.32 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $1.10 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $87.71 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $0.35 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $89.61 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $0.03 per tonne....Read More
Domestic buyers of hot-rolled coil (HRC) in Northern Europe have been resisting attempts to raise offer prices this week, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday February 14.Transaction prices, however, were expected to rise in the near future, supported by higher offers for imported coil and increases in raw material costs, according to market participants."Prices have stabilized. The mills [in Nort...Read More
Detailed data for Chinese trade is still not available, but there are indications that the East Asian country may have become the biggest importer of pig iron in Asia last year, according to Fastmarkets' research team.We pointed out in June last year that the Chinese import pig iron market might revive to fill the widening gap between iron and steel production in China, alongside ferrous scrap.Hon...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday February 14 that are worth another look.The Singapore Exchange said its new high-grade iron ore futures, which are settled against the Fastmarkets MB 65% Fe Iron Ore Index, have seen over 3 million tonnes worth of transactions since its December 3 launch involving 30 market participants. There are indications that China mi...Read More
Global copper demand will outpace supply growth or at least stay in a tight balance for at least two to three years, according to the chief executive officer of Brazilian copper producer Paranapanema, Marcos Camara. "Even with concentrators expected to start operating in the next years, demand should keep growing at a healthy speed and there is a large number of mines heading to depletion around t...Read More
The US copper price failed to rebound on Thursday morning in the United States, while market participants hold back from being too optimistic about recent developments in US and Chinese trade talks.The copper price for March settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange dipped 0.65 cents to $2.7665 per lb.Positive sentiment surrounding US-China trade is also beginning to man...Read More
The copper industry's next major mine is a step closer to bringing its first tonnes to market.First Quantum has started crushing and milling ore at its Cobre Panama mine, which is targeting 150,000 tonnes of copper in concentrate production this year, starting in the first quarter.The mine, which is set to ramp up to 270,000-300,000 tonnes per year in 2020 and 350,000 tpy...Read More
Teck Resources' zinc business became less profitable in 2018 because of falling sales and declines in commodity prices, according to its annual earnings statement released on Wednesday February 13. Last year, the Canadian miner made a gross profit before amortization and depreciation of C$1.085 billion ($817.73 million) from the zinc business, down by 7.5% year on year.The company, which operates...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mostly higher during morning trading on Thursday February 14, with positive market sentiment emerging amid stronger than expected Chinese trade data, while US-China trade talks indicate a potential resolution.Climbing just under 1% this morning, copper's three-month price continues to trade comfortably above $6,100 per tonne, while LME stocks co...Read More
Arbitrage for copper, aluminium, zinc and nickel imported into China on Thursday February 14* Copper -$156.15 (-1,058.81 yuan) Aluminium -$342.76 (-2,324.25 yuan) Zinc -$90.88 (-616.27 yuan) Nickel -$193.53 (-1,312.29 yuan) *Fastmarkets calculates the physical arbitrage for import into China daily by using SHFE front-month and LME...Read More
Steel billet import prices in Egypt increased this week with deals being done at higher levels in the wake of rising global scrap costs, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday February 14.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel billet imported into Egypt was $485-495 per tonne cfr on Thursday, rising from $460-470 per tonne cfr last week.Billet producers in the CIS sold material to Egypt...Read More
Turkish domestic rebar and wire rod prices have gone up in line with increasing scrap costs over the past week, while demand remained sluggish, sources said on Thursday February 14.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic rebar in Turkey was TRY3,180-3,250 ($604-618) per tonne ex-works, including 18% VAT, on February 14 up from the TRY3,079-3,150 per tonne last week.The local rebar price...Read More
Steel billet prices in Turkey increased over the past week due to strong demand in both the domestic and export markets, along with rising scrap import costs, sources said on Thursday February 14.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic billet in Turkey was $480-490 per tonne ex-works, up from $460 per tonne.Several domestic billet sales were heard over the past week, sources said.A steel...Read More
Turkish rebar export prices have continued to rise in line with rising scrap costs, but steel mills are still struggling to sell material due to poor demand and trade barriers, sources said on Thursday February 14.Mills in Turkey raised their offers to $510-515 per tonne fob this week on an actual weight basis from last week's $490-500 per tonne, but there were only a few small cargoes, sold...Read More
Australian miner South32 increased its manganese ore operating margin to 64% in the six months to December 31, 2018, it revealed in its half-yearly results presentation on Thursday February 14.Manganese ore generated the company's highest operating margin during the period, the first half of its 2018-19 financial year. This was up from 60% for the corresponding months of the 2017-18 year.In compar...Read More