The past 12 months have served as a reality check for the battery raw materials markets.While 2017 was a year of soaring prices and investor interest, 2018 has seen supply responses, substitution debates, and at times, plummeting prices. It's not that the fundamentals aren't still strong. By 2025, Fastmarkets' forecast is for plug-in electric vehicle (EV) sales to grow at a compound annual growth...Read More
Comex copper prices recovered during mid-week trading, with shallow trading temporarily benefiting the base metals complex.The copper price for March settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 3.75 cents to $2.6985 per lb.Markets are expected...Read More
Chinese battery materials producer GEM has signed a memorandum with South Korea's Ecopro to supply the latter with 170,000 tonnes of nickel-rich nickel-cobalt-aluminium (NCA) precursor materials in the next five years, according to an announcement on Sunday December 23. Nickel-cobalt-manganese and NCA are the primary materials used to produce lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles (EVs).Ecopr...Read More
The electric vehicle (EV) industry has undergone rapid development this year, with a rise in global EV sales volumes prompting continuous growth in demand for China's spherical graphite. This demand, coupled with tightening supply in the country, has kept prices for the material well supported.Rising demand from EV sector pushes China's graphite exports upChinese exports of spherical graphite, inc...Read More
The past 12 months have served as a reality check for the battery raw materials markets.While 2017 was a year of soaring prices and investor interest, 2018 has seen supply responses, substitution debates, and at times, plummeting prices. It's not that the fundamentals aren't still strong. By 2025, Fastmarkets' forecast is for plug-in electric vehicle (EV) sales to grow at a compound annual growth...Read More
Export prices for Chinese cold-rolled coil (CRC) and hot-dipped galvanized (HDG) coil edged up during the week ended Wednesday December 26 following a two-week decline, with most mills no longer in a rush to secure overseas sales.Major mills in China generally lowered their asking prices for both products, but only accepted smaller discounts on their offers for confirmed bookings, in contrast to t...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil prices were little changed on Wednesday December 26 both domestically and in the export market amid sparse trading.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,720-3,750 yuan ($540-544) per tonne, down 10-20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,650-3,660 yuan per tonne, narrowing downward 10 yuan per tonneWhile prices in Shanghai were as high as 3,740-3,750 yuan per...Read More
China's ferrous futures stayed rangebound in morning trading on Wednesday December 26 amid a lingering holiday atmosphere.Futures closing prices - morning session Shanghai Futures Exchange May rebar: 3,407 yuan ($494) per tonne, up 5 yuan per tonne May hot rolled coil: 3,366 yuan per tonne, unchanged Dalian Commodity Exchange May iron ore: 490 yuan per tonne, up 1 yuan per tonne May coking coal: 1...Read More
China's rebar prices were unchanged on Wednesday December 26 both in the domestic and the export market, aslower billet charges offset higher futures prices. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,740-3,780 yuan ($543-548) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Beijing): 3,610-3,650 yuan per tonne, unchangedTangshan billet prices decreased 40 yuan per tonne to 3,350 yuan per tonne on weak dem...Read More
The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for rebar, wire rod, steel beams and other long steel products. Latest transactions: rebarRebar East China, domestic, grade...Read More
China's ferrous futures stayed rangebound in morning trading on Wednesday December 26 amid a lingering holiday atmosphere.Futures closing prices - morning session Shanghai Futures Exchange May rebar: 3,407 yuan ($494) per tonne, up 5 yuan per tonne May hot rolled coil: 3,366 yuan per tonne, unchanged Dalian Commodity Exchange May iron ore: 490 yuan per tonne, up 1 yuan per tonne May coking coal: 1...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices were rangebound on Wednesday December 26 amid conservative trading activity.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $71.39 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $0.19 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $71.22 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $0.19 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $73.60 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $0.08 per tonne. MB 58% Fe Premium Index: $63.67 per tonne cf...Read More
China's ferrous futures stayed rangebound in morning trading on Wednesday December 26 amid a lingering holiday atmosphere.Futures closing prices - morning session Shanghai Futures Exchange May rebar: 3,407 yuan ($494) per tonne, up 5 yuan per tonne May hot rolled coil: 3,366 yuan per tonne, unchanged Dalian Commodity Exchange May iron ore: 490 yuan per tonne, up 1 yuan per tonne May coking coal: 1...Read More
China's rebar prices were unchanged on Wednesday December 26 both in the domestic and the export market, aslower billet charges offset higher futures prices. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,740-3,780 yuan ($543-548) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Beijing): 3,610-3,650 yuan per tonne, unchangedTangshan billet prices decreased 40 yuan per tonne to 3,350 yuan per tonne on weak dem...Read More
China's leading stainless steel mills - Tsingshan Group, Taiyuan Iron & Steel (Tisco) and Baosteel - have lowered their January tender prices for high-carbon ferro-chrome, pressured by declining stainless steel prices and relatively high steel stocks at plants. Early on Monday December 24, Tisco announced that its January tender price for high-carbon ferro-chrome was 6,650 yuan ($963) per tonne, a...Read More
Ferro-chrome and chrome ore prices in China were unchanged in the week ended Friday December 21 amid low liquidity while market participants awaited January ferro-chrome tender prices from major Chinese stainless steel mills. Ferro-chrome, chrome ore prices in China unchangedJapanese, South Korean ferro-chrome prices stallHigh-carbon ferro-chrome prices decline in EuropeUS high-carbon ferro-chrome...Read More
Turkey produced 3.10 million tonnes of crude steel in November 2018, a 2.1% decrease compared with November 2017, according to the Turkish Steel Producers Association (T???oeD).In January-November 2018, crude steel production in the country was 34,429,000 tonnes, a 0.51% year-on-year rise compared with 34,256,000 tonnes produced in January-November 2017, T???oeD said last week.The country produced...Read More
Brazil's apparent steel consumption increased by 6.90% year on year in November, to 1.70 million tonnes, mostly due to an improved performance in the flat steel sector, according to the national steel association A??o Brasil.Apparent consumption of flat steel products grew by 11.70% in the same comparison, to 1.10 million tonnes, while long steel use declined by 0.80% year-on-year, to 606,000 tonn...Read More
Fastmarkets MB hosted the 22nd Middle East Iron & Steel conference in Dubai last week. Here are five things we learned...1 High-grade iron ore derivative will be an important tool for Middle East DRI industry A world-first 65% iron ore derivative launched by the Singapore Exchange in early December was hailed as an important hedging tool for the Middle East direct-reduced ironmaking (DRI) industry...Read More
Chinese battery materials producer GEM has signed a memorandum with South Korea's Ecopro to supply the latter with 170,000 tonnes of nickel-rich nickel-cobalt-aluminium (NCA) precursor materials in the next five years, according to an announcement on Sunday December 23. Nickel-cobalt-manganese and NCA are the primary materials used to produce lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles (EVs).Ecopr...Read More