Domestic hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices in China edged lower on Tuesday August 31; futures prices pulled back due to the latest factory activity data prompting concerns over the country's economic recovery.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,700-5,730 yuan ($881-886) per tonne, down by 20 yuan per tonneThe most-traded HRC contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange came down from its highest leve...Read More
With Italian steelmaker AFV Beltrame Group's recently announced investment in a new green steel plant in Romania, chief executive Carlo Beltrame is looking to futureproof the company ahead of the upcoming green steel revolution. In discussion with Fastmarkets' Carrie Bone, he outlined the changes and challenges anticipated for decarbonizing the steel industry."Why green? Because when we started on...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices increased across the board in both the cfr and fob markets on Tuesday August 31 amid ongoing tight supply, sources said. Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $421.85 per tonne, up by $7.30 per tonneHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $392.81 per tonne, up by $2.60 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $255.70 per tonne, up by ...Read More
Flat steel imports into the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia were mostly at decreased offer prices during the week ended Tuesday August 31, while the uncertainty about the direction of prices continued, sources have told Fastmarkets.The uncertainty came because China has still not announced the level of an expected export duty to be applied to hot-rolled coil.Some buyers believed that new dut...Read More
The Cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lbtrade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets assessed Cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb...Read More
Domestic hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices in China edged lower on Tuesday August 31; futures prices pulled back due to the latest factory activity data prompting concerns over the country's economic recovery.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,700-5,730 yuan ($881-886) per tonne, down by 20 yuan per tonneThe most-traded HRC contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange came down from its highest leve...Read More
With Italian steelmaker AFV Beltrame Group's recently announced investment in a new green steel plant in Romania, chief executive Carlo Beltrame is looking to futureproof the company ahead of the upcoming green steel revolution. In discussion with Fastmarkets' Carrie Bone, he outlined the changes and challenges anticipated for decarbonizing the steel industry."Why green? Because when we started on...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices were down on Tuesday August 31 amid suggestions in the local media that steel production cuts would be imposed in China's Guangxi province, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $153.67 per tonne, down by $2.99 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $154.44 per tonne, down by $2.75 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium,...Read More
Manganese markets were quiet in the week ended Friday August 27, with buyers expecting miners to reduce their offer prices for October shipments to match the port markets."[Miners] must at least offer at a level equal to the port markets to attract buying interest, otherwise smelters will just buy from the spot market," a manganese ore buyer said. "And traders would further lower their purchase am...Read More
Steel billet and rebar prices in the United Arab Emirates decreased on Tuesday August 31 while demand for rebar improved, sources told Fastmarkets.Demand for rebar improved after a long period of poor demand due to low stock levels, sources said.The country's biggest producer, Emirates Steel, was offering rebar at 2,610 dirhams ($710.46) per tonne, and Conares Steel's rebar price was 2,574 dirhams...Read More
Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States drifted lower - but still held above $96 per hundredweight ($1,920 per short ton) for a fourth straight business day - after service centers reported better availability and some shorter lead times. Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $96.17 per cwt ($1,923.40 per ton) on Tuesday August 31, down by 0.78% from $96...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mainly firmer on the morning of Tuesday August 31, while those on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were more mixed.This comes despite the release of some weaker-than-expected Chinese manufacturing numbers. The US dollar index was, however, weaker. China's manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) fell to 50.1 in August from 50.4 in July. China'...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange were generally weaker on the morning of Wednesday September 1, in the face of further evidence of a slowdown in manufacturing activity.* Chicago’s manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) fell to 66.8 in August from 73.4 in July* China’s Caixin manufacturing PMI also showed contraction with a fall to 49.2...Read More
A summary of Chinese lithium producer Ganfeng Lithium's financial results for the six months ending June 30, 2021, released by the company on Tuesday August 31.In briefGanfeng Lithium's revenue for the first half of 2021 totalled 4.06 billion yuan ($627.45 million), up by 70.27% year...Read More
China's biggest metals conglomerate, Minmetals, has hired Julio Cesar Rojas Ramirez to develop its copper concentrates blending business and the utilitization of its copper smelting capacity, Fastmarkets has heard.Prior to joining Minmetals, Rojas was director for primary raw materials with Aurubis, Europe's biggest copper smelter.His previous roles include head of global sales at Nyrstar and seni...Read More
Aluminium's three-month price had the strongest growth in the complex this month, trading at $2,726.50 per tonne on Tuesday August 31, while most other prices on the London Metal Exchange were lower than on August 2. Aluminium closed at $2,718 per tonne on Tuesday, a rise of 2.6% from last Friday's price of $2,649.50 per tonne and up from $2,615 per tonne at the start of August. Bullish funda...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Tuesday August 31 that are worth another lookWith Italian steelmaker AFV Beltrame Group's recently announced investment in a new green steel plant in Romania, chief executive Carlo Beltrame is looking to futureproof the company ahead of the upcoming green steel revolution. In...Read More
Firmer Chinese steel markets have been supporting sentiment in the Chinese scrap market, keeping buyers optimistic about September and October, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday August 31.Prices in China inch up amid buyer optimismTaiwanese buyers could start paying moreChinaSpot prices for steel scrap imported into China edged up on Tuesday August 31 amid improving sentiment in the steel market...Read More
China's spot indium price climbed to a more than two-and-a-half-year high amid an uptick in buying activity last week while participants looked to take advantage of strong price gains in the futures market.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for indium, 99.99%, exw China, was 1,350-1,700 yuan ($209-263) per kg on Friday August 27, an increase of 90-400 yuan per tonne (19.1%) from 1,260-1,300 yuan...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 16 points in pre-opening trade.Index futures were virtually unchanged following release of the August ADP Non-farm Employment report at 8:15 AM EDT. Consensus was an increase to 500,000 from 330,000 in July. Actual was an increase of 374,000.WTI crude oil added $0.16 to $68.66 per barrel after OPEC increased its foreca...Read More