Indonesia's Gresik 300,000 tpy copper smelter has yet to resume full operations after an earlier maintenance shutdown caused by an oxygen plant issue, Fastmarkets has learned. "The oxygen plant, which is operated by the third party has resumed, but not reached full operations. Therefore, although Gresik smelter has partially resumed since the middle of December 2018, it has not returned normal ope...Read More
The Comex copper price reversed lower in the US morning on Thursday January 17 with the market unable to find solid direction amid a lack of news on trade developments between the United States and China. The copper price for March settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange dipped 0.95 cents to $2.6640 per lb. "We are seeing modest losses across the metals board in relati...Read More
China's exports of unwrought aluminium and aluminium products increased by 19.8% in December 2018 compared with December 2017, but down 0.6% from November 2018, according to preliminary Chinese customs data.China exported 527,000 tonnes of unwrought aluminium and aluminium products in December, a 87,000-tonne increase from the same month of 2017 and 3,000 tonnes less than in November 2018, customs...Read More
European steel association Eurofer is concerned that the definitive measures in the European Commission's safeguard case against steel product imports will not be enough to protect the region's markets from material redirected from the United States."While we welcome this endorsement, we are nevertheless worried that the form of the final measures may undermine their intended safeguarding function...Read More
The number of new passenger car registrations in the EU decreased 8.41% year-on-year in December 2018, the European Automotive Manufacturers Association (ACEA) said on Wednesday January 16.New car sales in Europe totaled 998,503 units in December 2018, compared with 1,090,190 vehicles sold in the corresponding month of 2017."The EU passenger car market declined for the fourth month in a row. Last...Read More
The Turkish billet markets remained weak over the past seven days due to limited demand, sources said on Thursday January 17.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic billet in Turkey was $416-425 per tonne ex-works, slightly widened down from last week's $420-425 per tonne.Long steel producer Kardemir opened its domestic billet sales at...Read More
Domestic rebar and wire rod prices in Turkey have continued to weaken in line with the poor demand over the past seven days, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday January 17.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic rebar in Turkey was TRY2,800-2,830 ($519-525) per tonne ex-works on Thursday, down from last week's TRY2,880-2,930 per tonne, including 18% VAT.The local rebar price in...Read More
Turkish steel producers have resumed their deep-sea scrap purchases for January-February at higher prices, sources said on Thursday January 17.Suppliers were seeking higher prices for their scrap because of the rise in collection costs during the difficult winter season, sources said.A steel producer in the Marmara region booked a Canadian cargo, comprising 17,000-20,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (90:10),...Read More
Physical iron ore buying was lackluster on Thursday January 17, despite fixed-price seaborne cargoes of Pilbara Blend fines trading at higher prices.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $74.55 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $0.24 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $75.20 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $0.75 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $75.92 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $0.13 per tonne...Read More
The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for iron ore, pig iron, direct-reduced iron and other steelmaking raw materials. Latest transactions: iron oreIron oreRio Tinto, Global Ore, 190,000 tonnes of 62% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, traded late...Read More
Prices on a cfr China basis in the seaborne coking coal market picked up on Thursday January 17 following the emergence of some optimism among traders in the country.A cargo of premium mid-vol hard coking coal scheduled for loading in February was traded around $191-192 per tonne cfr China a day earlier, various sources told Fastmarkets MB during the day. This is $1-2 per tonne higher than the pre...Read More
The import price for steel billet in Southeast Asia edged down on Thursday January 17 amid lower bids from buyers who expect further price drops, although trading activity has picked up in the region this week.Fastmarkets' daily import price assessment for billet in Southeast Asia was $445-448 per tonne cfr Manila on Thursday, narrowing downward by $2 per tonne on the high end from $445-450 per to...Read More
South32 has raised the production guidance for its Illawarra metallurgical coal operations in Australia's New South Wales state during its 2019 financial year by 7%.The miner now expects to produce 6.5 million tonnes of saleable coal in the 12 months to June 30, with met coal accounting for 5.2 million tonnes of saleable...Read More
China's ferrous futures experienced a slight uptick on Thursday January 17 across the board, with steel contracts maintaining their strength from a day earlier.Futures closing prices - morning session Shanghai Futures Exchange May rebar: 3,557 yuan ($526) per tonne, up 5 yuan per tonneMay hot rolled coil: 3,464 yuan per tonne, up 16 yuan per tonne Dalian Commodity Exchange May iron ore: 513 yuan p...Read More
The London Metal Exchange will launch a new cash-settled cobalt contract on March 11, settled against the benchmark standard-grade cobalt price assessed by Fastmarkets. The final settlement price will be an arithmetic average of the twice-weekly Fastmarkets standard-grade cobalt price in the expiring contract month. Fastmarkets achieved type 1 IOSCO assurance for its standard-grade cobalt price in...Read More
The London Metal Exchange will launch its new cash-settled alumina contract on March 11, to be settled on the Fastmarkets MB index in a basket. The contract will be settled against Fastmarkets MB's benchmark daily fob Australia alumina index and CRU's alumina price index - equal weighting given to each index. Click on the image above to download the LME contract specifications. The index move...Read More
The new London Metal Exchange cash-settled aluminium duty-unpaid European contract will be settled against Fastmarkets MB's benchmark Rotterdam premium.The settlement price for the monthly contract, to be launched on March 11, will be an arithmetic average of the daily Rotterdam duty-unpaid premium - the midpoint of the range - in the expiring contract month. Fastmarkets achieved ty...Read More
The London Metal Exchange has announced it will launch seven of its new cash-settled futures products on March 11, and has selected Fastmarkets to be the price provider for three of the new contracts.In total, there will be two new ferrous contracts, three new contracts into the LME's aluminium suite and two minor metals contracts. "The introduction of new contracts is a strategically important gr...Read More
Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange exhibited mixed movements whileconsolidating this morning, Thursday January 17. Copper, nickel, lead and zinc were down by between 0.1% and 0.5%, while aluminium and tin prices were up by 0.3% and 0.4% respectively. The three-month copper price was off by 0.1% at $5,973 per tonne.Volume across the LME base metals complex was above average...Read More
Import prices for stainless steel in East Asia moved up over the past week amid increased buying activity and costlier nickel, while talk also emerged in the market about a major Indonesian mill's plans to reduce its stainless steel supply to Taiwan.Fastmarkets MB's import price assessment for 304 stainless 2mm trimmed cold-rolled coil in East Asia was $1,880-1,970 per tonne cif for the week ended...Read More