Turkish steel mills remained out of deep-sea scrap markets on Tuesday December 11 because of continued uncertainty in the Chinese steel market, sources told Fastmarkets MB.Market pessimism weighed on China's rebar prices in both the domestic and the export market again on Tuesday December 11.Buyers kept procurement rates low amid bad weather in China, with work suspended at many construction sites...Read More
Turkish steel mills started the trading week without any deep-sea bookings because of uncertainty prevalent across Asian markets, sources told Fastmarkets MB.The mills were mostly watching the situation in Chinese steel market for clues to market direction, sources said on Monday December 10."The phone did not ring... Everybody is watching China and is not willing to buy scrap until the situation...Read More
Comex copper prices hit a one-week high in the US morning on Tuesday December 11 with the continued trade actions between China and the United States guiding the market. The copper price for March settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange jumped 5.15 cents to $2.7715 per lb today. Earlier, the contract traded at $2.7805, the highest since December 4. Trade tensions betwe...Read More
Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were for the most part firmer this morning, Tuesday December 11, with average gains of 0.2%. This after they again tested support levels on Monday, when support held to varying degrees.Copper led on the upside this morning with a 0.6% gain to $6,133 per tonne, while aluminium dipped 0.1% to $1,945 per tonne. Volume across the complex has...Read More
Comex copper prices softened on Monday morning in the United States amid weak Chinese data and continued equity market weakness.The copper price for March settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange dipped 2.25 cents to $2.7370 per lb."We expect copper prices to strengthen in the coming days," Fastmarkets analyst Boris Mikanikrezai said. "Although there is plenty of uncert...Read More
The outlook for the steel market in the Middle East is improving because of improved oil prices, Abu Bucker Husain, chief executive officer of United Arab Emirates-based Al Ghurair Iron and Steel (AGIS) said in his presentation on Tuesday December 11 in Dubai.2017 had been the worst year for contracts being awarded in the Middle East since 2012 but now investment in construction, infrastructure pr...Read More
Flat steel import prices in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have remained stable over the past week due to limited demand near year-end, sources said on Tuesday December 11. Demand was subdued because buyers do not want to build up inventories before finalizing their year-end accounting procedures, they told Fastmarkets. UAE Chinese offers for hot-rolled coil (HRC) into the UAE wer...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices dropped on Tuesday December 11 amid sparse trading both domestically and in the export market.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,710-3,720 yuan ($537-538) per tonne, down 10-30 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,530-3,560 yuan per tonne, down 50 yuan per tonnePrices were lower due to sparse trading today, a Zhejiang-based trader said.The...Read More
The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Wednesday December 12.Base metal prices rose on the London Metal Exchange by the close on Tuesday December 11, with copper surging after market sentiment was boosted by positive news of easing tensions between China and the United States. Read more in our live futures report.Here are how prices looked at the close of trading:Saudi Arabia ha...Read More
Saudi Arabia has not imported rebar in 2018 and cannot utilize its full production capacity due to weak domestic demand, Ahmed Al-Hussain, rebar director of Saudi National Committee for Steel Industry said at Fastmarkets MB's Middle East Iron and Steel Conference in Dubai on Tuesday December 11.Saudi Arabia has a combined rebar and wire-rod production capacity of 13.5 million tonnes per year, yet...Read More
Brazilian imports of flat steel products dropped year on year in November, while long steel shipments increased in the same period, according to figures from the country's foreign trade ministry, MDIC. Imports of flat steel fell by 8.78% year on year in November to 93,615 tonnes, compared with 102,626 tonnes in the corresponding month of 2017. China was the largest provider of flat steel to Brazil...Read More
Turkish steel mills remained out of deep-sea scrap markets on Tuesday December 11 because of continued uncertainty in the Chinese steel market, sources told Fastmarkets MB.Market pessimism weighed on China's rebar prices in both the domestic and the export market again on Tuesday December 11.Buyers kept procurement rates low amid bad weather in China, with work suspended at many construction sites...Read More
Physical iron ore prices stayed rangebound on Tuesday December 11 while steel markets weakened further. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $65.97 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $0.15 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $65.24 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $0.15 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $69.68 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $0.18 per tonne. MB 58% Fe Premium Index: $59.67 per ton...Read More
China's ferrous futures moved in different directions during morning trading on Tuesday December 11, with steel and coke futures prices moving up while that of coking coal fell.Futures closing prices - morning session Shanghai Futures Exchange May rebar: 3,306 yuan ($478.70) per tonne, up 17 yuan per tonneMay hot-rolled coil: 3,281 yuan per tonne, up 23 yuan per tonneDalian Commodity Exc...Read More
Import prices for rebar and billet in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) went down this week due to the weak demand caused by high stocks levels, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday December 11.Domestic rebarThe country's largest producer, Emirates Steel, was still offering rebar at 2,016 dirhams ($549) per tonne ex-works for December production, while Conares Steel was offering rebar at 1,990 dirhams...Read More
Market pessimism weighed on China's rebar prices in both the domestic and the export market on Tuesday December 11. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,770-3,800 yuan ($546-550) per tonne, down 20-30 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,470-3,500 yuan per tonne, down 30 yuan per tonneBuyers kept procurement rates low amid bad weather, with work suspended at many construction sites in no...Read More
China's ferrous futures moved in different directions during morning trading on Tuesday December 11, with steel and coke futures prices moving up while that of coking coal fell.Futures closing prices - morning session Shanghai Futures Exchange May rebar: 3,306 yuan ($478.70) per tonne, up 17 yuan per tonneMay hot-rolled coil: 3,281 yuan per tonne, up 23 yuan per tonneDalian Commodity Exc...Read More
Chinese exporters of ferro-vanadium and vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) have significantly cut offer prices to stir up some buying interest overseas, while European traders continued to take profits, applying further pressure on ferro-vanadium prices. Chinese exporters slash offers to promote buying interest Europe FeV market continues to suffer from profit-taking Europe V2O5 market plummets following F...Read More
China's largest steel mill, Hebei Steel, has cut its monthly purchase price for silico-manganese, reversing the rise seen in last month's tender. The mill has offered to buy silico-manganese at 8,950 yuan ($1,296.81) per tonne for December delivery. The price includes delivery costs and payment through an acceptance draft, according to market sources in China. The latest tender is about 150 yuan l...Read More
UG2 chrome ore suppliers are cutting offer prices to attract year-end business in China. UG2 prices drop in ChinaChinese domestic ferro-chrome prices slide, import prices steadyAlloy prices unchanged in Japan, South KoreaAlloy prices tick up in EuropeAlloy prices flat in the US UG2 chrome ore prices continued to soften in China in the week ended Friday December 7 due to suppliers cutting offer pri...Read More