A lack of sufficient alumina supply has caused European aluminium producer Trimet to cut alumina input at its plants in Germany and France by 10%, the company told Fastmarkets. "Trimet expects to resume to full capacity in early 2019," Thomas Reuther, member of the board at Trimet Aluminium SE, said in a statement, referring to primary production that uses alumina as a raw material. The company co...Read More
Chrome ore and ferro-chrome markets were subdued in China in the week ended Friday November 23 ahead of December ferro-chrome tender announcements. UG2 prices hold in ChinaCharge chrome import prices hold in China, domestic alloy prices edge lowerAlloy prices hold in Japan, weaken in South KoreaAlloy prices continue lower in Europe Chrome ore and ferro-chrome prices were largely stable in China o...Read More
Fastmarkets MB proposes to launch an assessment of chrome ore inventories at the main Chinese ports of Tianjin, Qinzhou, Lianyungang and Shanghai to monitor the changes to stock flows of this raw material and help market participants better understand supply and demand in the physical market. The rapid accumulation in Chinese chrome ore inventory this year put pressure on chrome prices as well as...Read More
A lack of sufficient alumina supply has caused European aluminium producer Trimet to cut alumina input at its plants in Germany and France by 10%, the company told Fastmarkets. "Trimet expects to resume to full capacity in early 2019," Thomas Reuther, member of the board at Trimet Aluminium SE, said in a statement, referring to primary production that uses alumina as a raw material. The company co...Read More
Europe's largest copper smelter Aurubis has shut three of its four copper smelters for unplanned maintenance, the company acknowledged today.The plants in Hamburg, Pirdrop and Luenen have a combined annual production capacity of 990,000 tonnes or 3.5% of world output.Shares in Aurubis are down by 16% since the smelting company announced yesterday that third-quarter profits would be materially affe...Read More
Chrome ore and ferro-chrome markets were subdued in China in the week ended Friday November 23 ahead of December ferro-chrome tender announcements. UG2 prices hold in ChinaCharge chrome import prices hold in China, domestic alloy prices edge lowerAlloy prices hold in Japan, weaken in South KoreaAlloy prices continue lower in Europe Chrome ore and ferro-chrome prices were largely stable in China o...Read More
Fastmarkets MB has discontinued the Indium Corp ingots min 99.97% $ per kg price. After a month-long consultation period, Fastmarkets MB has decided to cease the publication of the Indium Corp ingots min 99.97% $ per kg fob price owing to an understanding that the existing specifications no longer serve the market. Fastmarkets MB is committed to the indium market and will continue to track its evo...Read More
A lack of sufficient alumina supply has caused European aluminium producer Trimet to cut alumina input at its plants in Germany and France by 10%, the company told Fastmarkets. "Trimet expects to resume to full capacity in early 2019," Thomas Reuther, member of the board at Trimet Aluminium SE, said in a statement, referring to primary production that uses alumina as a raw material. The company co...Read More
The share of basic oxygen furnace (BOF)-based steel production in Asia may increase from 2019 onward, even as more integrated mills are commissioned in the region. There are at least six new BOF-based steelmaking projects in China and Southeast Asia which are either in development stages or will fire their blast furnaces between 2018 and 2023, according to World Steel Association head of technolog...Read More
Comex copper prices remained under-pressure Tuesday morning in the US amid reduced trading activity, a stronger dollar and anticipation over Chinese and US leaders' meeting in Argentina later this week.The copper price for December settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange in the United States declined 2.40 cents to $2.7315 per lb. Ahead of the G20 meeting in Argent...Read More
Flat steel import prices in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have decreased slightly over the past seven days due to weak demand and lower offer and deal prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday November 27.Demand remained poor because buyers did not wish to build inventory before finalizing their year-end accounting procedures. Prices could continue to fall, sources said, but th...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil prices continued to fall albeit at a slower pace on Tuesday November 27 both in the domestic and export markets amid soft demand.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,570-3,590 yuan ($514-517) per tonne, down 30 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,520-3,530 yuan per tonne, down 30 yuan per tonneHRC futures started declining since trading began during the day after peaki...Read More
The golden era of the Vietnamese steel markets is coming to an end.After a decade of rapid growth, market participants are expecting steel demand in Vietnam to continue to taper off next year after peaking in 2017."We do not expect to see the kind of phenomenal growth for downstream steel products in both the domestic and export markets from 2019," a director in charge of flat steel exports at a V...Read More
The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Wednesday November 28.Base metal prices on the London Metal Exchange were lower at the close of trading on Tuesday November 27, with the three-month tin contract hitting its lowest point since August 2016 due to strength in the dollar index. Read more in our live futures report.Here are how prices looked at the close of trading:BHP has foun...Read More
Steelmakers in Colombia requested that their government conduct a safeguarding investigation into imports of rebar from all origins earlier this month.The request for an investigation was submitted to the ministry of trade, industry and tourism on November 1. Interested parties were required to send in relevant comments by November 23. The request included only imports from countries with which Co...Read More
Rebar suppliers to Russia's Central Federal District, the major steel-consuming region in the country, have cut their prices because of a downtrend in the secondary market.Fastmarkets' weekly assessment of the domestic price for Russian 12mm A500C rebar, including 18% VAT, decreased to 36,500 roubles ($546) per tonne cpt Moscow on Monday November 26, compared with 38,000 roubles per tonne last wee...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices were rangebound on Tuesday November 27 after a rapid drop below $65 per-tonne cfr on Monday.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $65.19 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $0.94 per tonne.MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $64.46 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $0.94 per tonne.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $69.02 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $0.05 per tonne.MB 58% Fe Premium Index: $57.06 per...Read More
The share of basic oxygen furnace (BOF)-based steel production in Asia may increase from 2019 onward, even as more integrated mills are commissioned in the region. There are at least six new BOF-based steelmaking projects in China and Southeast Asia which are either in development stages or will fire their blast furnaces between 2018 and 2023, according to World Steel Association head of technolog...Read More
China's ferrous futures trended downward during morning trading on Tuesday November 27 with most contracts peaking the night earlier.Futures closing prices - morning session Shanghai Futures Exchange January rebar: 3,576 yuan ($515) per tonne, down 53 yuan per tonneJanuary hot-rolled coil: 3,406 yuan per tonne, down 44 yuan per tonneDalian Commodity Exchange January iron ore: 466 yuan per tonne, d...Read More
Domestic and import rebar prices in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were mostly stable this week but weak demand pressured billet import prices lower.Buying was weak again because of high stocks and the expectation of more price falls, sources told Fastmarkets MB on Tuesday November 27.Domestic rebarThe country's largest producer, Emirates Steel, is still offering rebar at 2,016 dirhams ($549) per...Read More