Brazilian aluminium producer Companhia Brasileira de Alum?-nio (CBA) recorded sales volumes of 101,000 tonnes during the third quarter of 2018, up from 97,900 tonnes in the corresponding period a year before.Volume growth came from the company achieving a higher share of downstream products and exports in the sales mix, according to an earnings report published by parent group Votorantim.Consumpti...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their price moves from the past week. Read More
The current conditions in the zinc concentrate market are the biggest challenge to operating Noranda Income Fund's (NIF) processing facility profitably, the company said. NIF, which owns the Canadian Electrolytic Zinc (CEZ) facility in the Canadian province of Quebec, said that the supply tightness in the zinc concentrate market was the result of several large mine closures in recent years and str...Read More
An overview of the minor metals markets and the reasons for any price moves.Read More
Austenitic steel scrap prices in the UK decreased this week on the back of persistently poor demand and a negative outlook for early 2019, with lower nickel prices also a factor.Demand has been poor since October, when a substantial fall in the stainless steel market resulted in more cautious scrap purchasing from stainless mills. Scrap prices have gradually eased off during this time, although mu...Read More
Scrap prices in the major global markets softened slightly during the working week from Monday November 5 to Friday November 9, with the exception of the United States.Export scrap prices out of the US were firm, with a number of sales heard out of the country's East Coast, although demand for material from the West Coast was limited.Meanwhile, the prices of scrap in Turkey, India and Asia mostly...Read More
Prices for light iron scrap in the United Kingdom were steady this week, consolidating a rise of ?5 ($7) per tonne over the week before, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday November 9.This increase reflected the fundamental pattern of domestic business conditions and a similar pattern in key export destinations, they added.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for UK grade-5C ferrous scrap on an in...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their price moves from the past week. Read More
Global lithium prices have stabilized ahead of 2019 contract price negotiations after 10 months of a downward price trajectory. The domestic Chinese spot market has become static ahead of 2019 contract price negotiations, with market participants spoken to by Fastmarkets expecting stable spot prices to continue into the following week. Battery-grade lithium carbonate and hydroxide spot prices in C...Read More
Domestic prices for coated steel coil products in Turkey were stable in the week ended Friday November 9, with demand increasing slightly.The local market has been slow for a long time but some bookings were heard this week, even if the market cannot be described as very active.Market participants were not expecting any sharp movement in demand or prices before the end of the year, because buying...Read More
Sentiment in Turkey's flat steel market remained negative in the week ended Friday November 9, with some prices going down, sources told Fastmarkets.Market participants did not expect local demand to improve until at least the end of 2018, because of the unwillingness to restock before the year-end.In addition, some buyers are having payment problems because sellers will not accept long-term payme...Read More
China's domestic prices for hot-rolled coil fell further on Friday November 9, marking a 14th day of decreases, and a few exporters have started lowering their prices in an attempt to secure orders in falling market.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,900-3,930 yuan ($562-567) per tonne, down 10-20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,920-3,930 yuan per tonne, down 20 yuan per tonnePrices fel...Read More
Fastmarkets MB reviews the major stories that have affected the steel market during the week ended November 9.Raw Materials Japanese H2 scrap continued to lead price falls in the Asia markets amid weak demand from end users and bearish sentiment among traders.It is unlikely that there will be any spot-market activity in 2019 for direct-reduction (DR) grade iron ore pellets, according to...Read More
Rebar producers in Poland have slightly decreased domestic prices over the past week, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday November 9.The decline reflected the expected seasonal slowdown that was anticipated by distributors, market participants said.Fastmarkets' price assessment for domestic 12mm B500B-grade rebar in Poland was 2,320-2,350 zloty ($617-625) per tonne ex-works on November 9, down from...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices were unchanged on Friday November 9, with sellers keeping prices steady despite a pick-up in trading activity in a bid to secure more sales. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 4,480-4,520 yuan ($646-652) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Beijing): 4,350-4,400 yuan per tonne, unchangedBuyers in Shanghai raised their procurement rates slightly ahead of the weekend ami...Read More
Scrap prices in the major global markets softened slightly during the working week from Monday November 5 to Friday November 9, with the exception of the United States.Export scrap prices out of the US were firm, with a number of sales heard out of the country's East Coast, although demand for material from the West Coast was limited.Meanwhile, the prices of scrap in Turkey, India and Asia mostly...Read More
Prices for light iron scrap in the United Kingdom were steady this week, consolidating a rise of ?5 ($7) per tonne over the week before, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday November 9.This increase reflected the fundamental pattern of domestic business conditions and a similar pattern in key export destinations, they added.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for UK grade-5C ferrous scrap on an in...Read More
The Turkish steel producers went through Friday November 9 without making any deep-sea scrap market transactions but were still expected to continue their purchases next week, Fastmarkets has heard.The mills in the country had booked a number of cargoes so far this week. The latest transaction from the United States included HMS 1&2 (80:20) priced at $338 per tonne cfr on November 8.But news...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices were unchanged on Friday November 9, with sellers keeping prices steady despite a pick-up in trading activity in a bid to secure more sales. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 4,480-4,520 yuan ($646-652) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Beijing): 4,350-4,400 yuan per tonne, unchangedBuyers in Shanghai raised their procurement rates slightly ahead of the weekend ami...Read More
European stainless steel market participants were losing confidence that the market will recover early in the New Year, they told Fastmarkets on Friday November 9, with transaction prices falling further this week.Transaction prices for grade-304 cold-rolled (CR) stainless sheets were assessed at ?,?2,150-2,200 ($2,454-2,511) per tonne delivered on Friday, down by ?,?30-60 per tonne from ?,?2,180-...Read More