Steel billet export prices from Iran continued to climb in the first week of February supported by an uptrend in the global market after a sharp rise in raw materials prices.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for Iranian billet exports was $370 per tonne fob on Wednesday February 6, against $360-370 per tonne fob last week.Iranian billet producers and traders selling material to f...Read More
Turkish steel billet prices have shown a notable increase in the first week of February, supported by customers in both the domestic and export markets, Fastmarkets heard on Thursday February 7.Scrap prices have increased with Turkish buyers replenishing their stocks after thin buying in recent months, and because of the higher collection costs resulting from the winter weather.Fastmarkets' daily...Read More
Steel billet import prices in Egypt increased this week with deals being agreed at higher levels, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday February 7.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel billet imported into Egypt was $460-470 per tonne cfr on Thursday, rising from $450-455 per tonne cfr last week.Billet producers in the CIS were offering material to Egypt at $470-480 per tonne cfr. This com...Read More
Import prices for stainless steel in East Asia continued to edge up over the past week, with mills raising their offers further amid costlier nickel, although trading activity was still thin due to the Lunar New Year holidays.Fastmarkets MB's weekly import price assessment for 304 stainless 2mm trimmed cold-rolled coil in East Asia was $1,940-2,030 per tonne cif on Thursday February 7, up $20 per...Read More
Prices for domestic hollow steel sections in Europe were unchanged on Wednesday February 6 but increases are likely over the coming sessions, market participants told Fastmarkets MB.Fastmarkets MB's domestic price assessment for commodity-size, grade-S235 square hollow sections made in Northern Europe was unchanged week on week on Wednesday at ?,?630-640 ($719-731) per tonne delivered.The European...Read More
The Brazilian automotive industry produced 196,767 cars, light commercial vehicles, trucks and buses in January 2019, local manufacturers' association Anfavea said on Wednesday February 6.Output was down by 10% from 218,717 units in the corresponding month of 2018, as exports continued to fall, the group added.But the volumes produced were 10.90% higher than the 177,503 units in December 2018. The...Read More
ArcelorMittal Europe's fourth-quarter earnings declined by 13% year on year in 2018 on "lower steel shipment volumes," the company said on Thursday February 7.Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) at ArcelorMittal Europe dropped to $749 million in the October-December quarter, down from an Ebitda of $861 million in the corresponding period in 2017. The compan...Read More
The environmental secretariat of Brazil's southeastern Minas Gerais state, Semad, has suspended a license granted in 2015 for Vale to operate the Laranjeiras tailings dam, connected to the Brucutu iron ore mine.The decision follows a court ruling that ordered the suspension of the Brucutu mine, according to Vale, and it makes any restart of the mine's operations more difficult."The resumption of t...Read More
Brazilian miner Vale has declared force majeure on a number of iron ore and pellet contracts with customers, following the halt of its Brucutu mine in the state of Minas Gerais, the company said on Tuesday February 5.A court in Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais, has prohibited Vale from using eight tailings dams on February 4, with Brucutu being the most-affected operation. Annual output...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were collectively lower at the close of trading on Thursday February 7, with low volumes and limited buying interest due to the Lunar New Year public holiday in China, while the strength of the US dollar deterred investment.Aluminium futures continued to trade against positive fundamentals in the day's trading, falling below the support level of $1,9...Read More
Turkish export rebar and wire rod prices have soared in the first week of February following the surge in import scrap costs in the country.The price for imported scrap increased on tight supply, low stocks and high collection costs because of the winter weather.The Fastmarkets MB daily ferrous scrap HMS 1&2 (80:20) index for material in North...Read More
Steel billet export prices from Iran continued to climb in the first week of February supported by an uptrend in the global market after a sharp rise in raw materials prices.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for Iranian billet exports was $370 per tonne fob on Wednesday February 6, against $360-370 per tonne fob last week.Iranian billet producers and traders selling material to f...Read More
Turkish steel billet prices have shown a notable increase in the first week of February, supported by customers in both the domestic and export markets, Fastmarkets heard on Thursday February 7.Scrap prices have increased with Turkish buyers replenishing their stocks after thin buying in recent months, and because of the higher collection costs resulting from the winter weather.Fastmarkets' daily...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday February 7 that are worth another look.A group of lawmakers in the United States introduced legislation that would require the US Department of Defense to justify the national security basis for new tariffs under Section 232 and increase congressional oversight of that process. Producer Norsk Hydro's underlying operat...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday February 6 that are worth another look.Brazilian miner Vale has declared force majeure on a number of iron ore and pellet contracts with customers following the halt of its Brucutu mine in the state of Minas Gerais, the company said on Tuesday February 5. Ghana Manganese has been ordered to cease operations by Ghana'...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were collectively lower at the close of trading on Thursday February 7, with low volumes and limited buying interest due to the Lunar New Year public holiday in China, while the strength of the US dollar deterred investment.Aluminium futures continued to trade against positive fundamentals in the day's trading, falling below the support level of $1,9...Read More
Comex copper prices rallied for the third straight session on Thursday February 7 with the market growing more optimistic on the red metal's prospects through the first quarter. The copper price for March settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange gained 1.05 cents to $2.8470 per lb. Market activity remains stunted with Chinese participants sidelined due to the Lunar New...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices remained flat on Thursday February 7 on continued muted trading amid a week-long public holiday in China. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $85.53 per tonne cfr Qingdao, unchanged. MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $86.37 per tonne cfr Qingdao, unchanged. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $87.32 per tonne cfr Qingdao, unchanged. MB 58% Fe Premium Index: $78.74 per tonne cfr...Read More
The daily indices of prices for Turkish deep-sea scrap imports went down by $1 per tonne on Thursday February 7 after another cargo was booked from the United States, sources have told Fastmarkets.The recent trend remains positive, however, after a $9 per tonne jump earlier in the week, boosted by strong sales of billet and rebar in Turkey.In the latest deal, a steel mill in the Samsun region book...Read More
Comex copper prices rallied for the third straight session on Thursday February 7 with the market growing more optimistic on the red metal's prospects through the first quarter. The copper price for March settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange gained 1.05 cents to $2.8470 per lb. Market activity remains stunted with Chinese participants sidelined due to the Lunar New...Read More