Vanadium prices will find a much higher base than their 2015 lows when they inevitably fall, due to a structural shift in the global vanadium market, according to Amy Bennett, principal consultant at Fastmarkets MB. "Ferro-vanadium will not stay above $100 per kg for eternity [and] at some point there will be less of a panic to get material," delegates heard at Fastmarkets' 34th International Ferr...Read More
Prices for hollow steel sections in Northern Europe were flat this week amid stable market conditions, Fastmarkets heard on Wednesday November 14.Fastmarkets' domestic price assessment for commodity-size, grade-S235 square hollow sections made in Northern Europe was ?,?640-660 ($720-743) per tonne delivered on November 14, unchanged week on week.Last week, hollow section prices widened by ?,?10 pe...Read More
Turkish steel pipe export prices continued to weaken amid limited interest for the material in the country's major export markets, sources said on Wednesday November 14.Steel pipe producers in Turkey were offering 2mm wall thickness EN10219-standard, grade-S235 tube at around $600-610 per tonne fob, compared with last month's offers at $640-650 per tonne.Fastmarkets' monthly...Read More
Special steelmaker Voestalpine attributed an 11% fall in its earnings for the first half of 2018 to continuing global trade conflicts, it said late last week.The Austrian company reported a decline of 11.2% in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) over April-September 2018, the first half of its financial year, to ?,?860 million ($969 million). This compared with...Read More
Primary aluminium stocks at the three main Japanese ports (MJP) of Osaka, Nagoya and Yokohama slipped 1% month on month in October, according to the latest data from major Japanese trading house Marubeni Corp. The data, which was published on Wednesday November 14, also shows that total aluminium stocks at the three ports came to 317,300 tonnes at the end of last month. On a y...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil (HRC) are down over the past week in Southern Europe, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday November 14.The decrease was the result of slow trading and competitive import offers from Turkey, market participants said.Southern EuropeFastmarkets' domestic price assessment for HRC in Southern Europe was ?,?480-525 ($540-591) per tonne ex-works on November 14, down f...Read More
European prices for mesh-quality wire rod rose across the Northern and Southern parts of the continent on Wednesday November 14, with the volume available in the EU's import quota continuing to go down.Fastmarkets' weekly domestic price assessments for mesh-quality wire rod in both Southern and Northern Europe narrowed upward to ?,?540-560 ($608-630) per tonne delivered on Wednesday, from ?,?535-5...Read More
Nickel premiums in China, the United States and Europe remained unchanged over the week amid limited activity, an unstable import window in Shanghai and participants' absence from the market. An open but unstable import window kept premiums in Shanghai flat Subdued activity in the US nickel market maintains premiums European nickel market quiet with long-term in focusShanghai nickel premiums uncha...Read More
The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Thursday November 15.Base metal prices on the London Metal Exchange were predominantly higher at the close of trading on Wednesday November 14, boosted by a steady rebound in global benchmark crude oil futures and a marginal retreat in the United States' dollar index. Read more in our live futures report.Here are how prices looked at the cl...Read More
The latest metal markets news and price moves to start the North American day on Wednesday November 14. Base metals on the London Metal Exchange were mostly lower during morning trading, with prices weakened by a prolonged sell-off in crude oil markets while continued strength in the US dollar index increased downward pressure. Falling by just under 1% over the morning, the three-month nickel...Read More
Good morning from Fastmarkets MB's offices in Asia as we bring you the latest news and pricing stories on Wednesday November 14.Base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange weakened during Asian morning trading on Wednesday, with the release of lackluster Chinese data failing to offset the downward pressure being exerted by a strong dollar.Check Fastmarkets MB's live futures report here.Opt...Read More
Primary aluminium stocks at the three main Japanese ports (MJP) of Osaka, Nagoya and Yokohama slipped 1% month on month in October, according to the latest data from major Japanese trading house Marubeni Corp. The data, which was published on Wednesday November 14, also shows that total aluminium stocks at the three ports came to 317,300 tonnes at the end of last month. On a y...Read More
Nickel premiums in China, the United States and Europe remained unchanged over the week amid limited activity, an unstable import window in Shanghai and participants' absence from the market. An open but unstable import window kept premiums in Shanghai flat Subdued activity in the US nickel market maintains premiums European nickel market quiet with long-term in focusShanghai nickel premiums uncha...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were predominantly higher at the close of trading on Wednesday November 14, boosted by a steady rebound in global benchmark crude oil futures and a marginal retreat in the dollar index.Following a decline in the oil price this morning due to increasing concerns over a global slowdown economic growth, it bounced 1.47% over the course of the...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were predominantly higher at the close of trading on Wednesday November 14, boosted by a steady rebound in global benchmark crude oil futures and a marginal retreat in the dollar index.Following a decline in the oil price this morning due to increasing concerns over a global slowdown economic growth, it bounced 1.47% over the course of the...Read More
The first deals for special high-grade zinc supply in 2019 in Europe point to a decline in annual zinc premiums compared with this year's levels, but Nyrstar's financial troubles are complicating negotiations and raising concerns that supply may turn out to be tighter than anticipated."Not much has been done yet, but [the premium] seems to be lower than last year by at least $10-15 per t...Read More
The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Thursday November 15.Base metal prices on the London Metal Exchange were predominantly higher at the close of trading on Wednesday November 14, boosted by a steady rebound in global benchmark crude oil futures and a marginal retreat in the United States' dollar index. Read more in our live futures report.Here are how prices looked at the cl...Read More
Tin trades on the Indonesia Commodity & Derivatives Exchange (ICDX) have completely halted because of significant supply disruptions in the country, Fastmarkets heard on Wednesday November 14.The country is the world's second-largest producer of the metal, but the price of tin on the London Metal Exchange continued to show little reaction to the interruption to trading.A joint statement on October...Read More
The tin premium in Europe remains at a 21-month high amid continued uncertainty over Indonesian supply, while thin spot activity and a closed import arbitrage window kept premiums firm in the United States and China. European participants seek direction amid Indonesian supply outage US traders at odds with buyers in 'dull' market Chinese premiums flat on rising SHFE stocksEuropean premiums hold st...Read More
Comex copper prices moved higher on Wednesday November 14 despite a stronger dollar due to growing optimism that a bilateral trade agreement between the United States and China could be reached in the next few months. The copper price for December settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange gained 1.25 cents to $2.6995 per lb. Markets have seen chaotic price movement in th...Read More