The latest forecasts and analysis of the ferrous scrap and iron metallics market from the Fastmarkets research team are ready to be viewed.Stifled automotive output this year, driven by a supply shortage of semiconductor chips used in vehicles, has tightened prime scrap availability and widened the spreads between this grade of steelmaking raw material and obsolete scrap.While wide prime-over-obso...Read More
Inner Mongolia, China's ferro-chrome production heartland, has imposed restrictions on its metallurgical sector in a move that has fueled the high-carbon ferro-chrome markets in China and Europe, and although this may ease off, the gains were unlikely to be lost while alloy ramp-ups continue, sources have told Fastmarkets.The decision to restrict energy consumption in Inner Mongolia since December...Read More
Stainless steel prices continue to register new highs around the end of the first half of 2021 and steelmakers continue to enjoy outsized margins.They have responded in recent months by increasing their output, which has now pushed above pre-pandemic levels and will eventually restore balance to the market.For now, though, supply gaps are still being filled and buyers find themselves competing aga...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.As we approach the end of the first half of 2021, steel markets in Europe and the United States continue to heat up. This six-month period is largely unprecedented, with both steel prices and steelmakers' margins hitting a number of new record highs throughout.The rally is likely nearing its end, however, with global steel ou...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key North American steel forecast highlights:?EUR? US sheet prices hit record highs again in May, with upward momentum persisting into June. Actual US hot-rolled coil prices averaged $1,553 per ton in May, largely in line with our forecast of $1,540 per ton. Prices remain supported by strong underlying sup...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.United States sheet prices hit record highs again in May, with upward momentum carrying into June. Actual US HRC prices averaged $1,712 per tonne in May, largely in line with our forecast of $1,698 per tonne. Strong underlying supply-and-demand conditions both in the US and globally are supporting prices as well as long lead...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices increased in the cfr China market following a strong domestic coking coal market on Wednesday August 25 and stayed largely firm in the fob Australia market amid low trading activities, market sources said.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $391.84 per tonne, up $5.01 per tonneHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $365.31 per tonne, up $8.63 per tonnePr...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Global welded pipe prices surged in May as strong demand and still-insufficient supply lifted flat steel prices.The biggest jumps were seen in China, which was hit by the unexpected announcement of the elimination of export rebates on welded pipes in April. Chinese seaborne prices reached $1,570 per tonne fob for longitudina...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Bulk ferro-alloy prices have shown impressive gains again this month, with ferro-silicon, silicon metal and manganese alloy prices all making significant increases. Noble alloy markets also enjoyed upward momentum, with both vanadium and molybdenum prices rising sharply.Recovering demand from steelmakers globally, together w...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices and margins for stainless steel producers have risen notably over the past few months in both Europe and the United States, but there are now signs that the rally is petering out.A clear reason for the halt to rising prices comes from the near 20% drop in nickel prices seen in late February/early March,...Read More
Iron ore prices mostly increased on Wednesday August 25 despite weaker trading activity in the physical market, especially at Chinese ports, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $148.66 per tonne, up by $2.53 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $148.95 per tonne, up by $0.99 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $116.96 per to...Read More
Chilean copper producer Codelco has initiated construction work on Rajo Inca, a $1.38-billion addition to its Salvador mine, which should begin operations in 2022, the state-owned company said on Tuesday August 24.Rajo Inca increases the mine life at Salvador by 47 years, to 2070, with copper capacity to reach 90,000 tonnes per year, from 60,000 tpy currently. Mineral exploration will move from an...Read More
Tsingshan Group has lowered its tender price for September-delivery ferro-chrome to 9,995 yuan ($1,543) per tonne, the Chinese stainless steelmaker said on Wednesday August 25.The tender price is 800 yuan per tonne (7.41%) lower than what the eastern Chinese mill - the country's largest ferro-chrome buyer - had sought for August-delivery material.While lower than the previous month's 13-year high,...Read More
An overview of the consumer electronics markets and their latest price moves in the week to Wednesday August 25.Fola Malomo, Cristina Belda and...Read More
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday August 25.Please click...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Recent weeks have brought two key developments with regard to trade policy on stainless steel products that will be to the detriment of consumers.In China, the country's stainless steelmakers no longer enjoy a 13% export rebate as of May 1, reducing greatly their incentive to export and instead leading them to focus on supply...Read More
Zinc producers in China's southwestern province of Yunnan should be able to fully resume their operations by mid-June, sources said.Yunnan will remove its power restrictions by the end of June that have stunted local zinc output, the provincial energy bureau said.A few zinc smelters in Yunnan have already resumed production, however, sources that spoke to Fastmarkets said.Production capa...Read More
The global markets for containerized freight have entered even deeper water in recent weeks, with closures at the key port of Ningbo-Zhoushan in China leading to worsening cargo delays, port congestion and a further cutback in free days.This latest setback to containerized shipping has led to greater difficulty for anyone involved in buying, selling and arranging containerized cargoes of metal in...Read More
Buyers in China and the Philippines have recently booked a handful of steel billet import cargoes, leading to a rise in offer prices in the past day, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday August 25.Demand for physical cargoes of imported billet in China has been hampered by volatile futures markets over the past week, while interest in Southeast Asia has been hurt by ongoing battles with Covid-19...Read More
Export prices for steel billet from the Commonwealth of Independent States continued to fall in the week to Wednesday August 25, with lower sales and bids heard.Latin American demand remained strong, with a 30,000-35,000 tonne Ukraine-origin cargo sold at $610 per tonne fob Black Sea, sources said. This is $20 per tonne cheaper than in bookings in the region in the first half of August.Other marke...Read More