London Metal Exchange members are considering a multitude of ways to continue to service their EU clients in the event that a financial services deal is either not forthcoming or does not go far enough when the UK finally leaves the European Union. Some companies have even told their LME sales teams they need to be prepared to move to another major European city to be able to legally service their...Read More
Base metals on the London Metal Exchange were collectively higher during morning trading on Thursday November 1, with most metals recovering from Wednesday's dip amid a softer US dollar index and a continued drawdown in LME inventories. Pushing back above $11,500 per tonne, the three-month nickel price gathered support over the morning session, hitting an intraday high of $11,645 per tonne after f...Read More
World silico-manganese supply edged up to 1.47 million tonnes in September, with the largest monthly increase recorded in the Commonwealth of Independent States, according to the International Manganese Institute (IMnI). Production was up 2.7% from August and 7.4% year on year globally, while year-to-date production rose 25.3% year on year. Supply from the CIS reached 138,000 tonnes, up 9% from Au...Read More
Spot copper concentrate treatment and refining charges (TCs/RCs) fell 1.8% toward the end of October while a rapidly widening backwardation reduced market liquidity.Fastmarkets MB's assessment of the TC/RC index was lower by $1.60 per tonne/0.16 cents per lb at $87.40 per tonne/8.74 cents per lb on October 31. The previous assessment of $89 per tonne/8.9 cents per lb on October 15 was a one-year h...Read More
Benchmark international prices for cobalt stabilized last month, but salts and metal prices fell in China amid weak demand and falling local futures prices, triggering a physical sell-off.Price moves: Benchmark low-grade cobalt traded in the remarkably stable range of $33.50-34.45 per lb in October, where the assessment also ended the month. Tightness continued in the low-grade market, which takes...Read More
Turkish steel producers made no purchases in the deep-sea scrap market on Thursday November 1, with a fresh offer of material from the Baltic Sea region failing to find a taker, according to market participants.A scrap merchant in the Baltic Sea region was heard offering 30,000-35,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (95:5) at $345 per tonne cfr on Thursday. No mill had accepted the cargo at...Read More
Copper prices on the Comex exchange in New York maintained their recovery in the morning of Thursday November 1, with a weaker dollar providing support to the base metals complex.The copper price for December settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange rose day on day by 2.60 cents per lb to $2.6850 per lb."After a largely down session across a number of commodity complexe...Read More
Benchmark international prices for cobalt stabilized last month, but salts and metal prices fell in China amid weak demand and falling local futures prices, triggering a physical sell-off.Price moves: Benchmark low-grade cobalt traded in the remarkably stable range of $33.50-34.45 per lb in October, where the assessment also ended the month. Tightness continued in the low-grade market, which takes...Read More
Huaqing Nickel & Cobalt (Huaqing), a wholly owned subsidiary of Huayou Cobalt (Huayou), plans to invest in a joint venture called Huayue Nickel & Cobalt (Huayue) in Indonesia with four other companies, Huayou announced on the Shanghai Futures Exchange on Tuesday October 30. The Huayue joint venture will build a laterite ore hydrometallurgy project producing intermediate products of nickel in Morow...Read More
As competition in the global steel markets remains fierce, Fastmarkets provides an update on the new, progressing and closed ferrous trade cases from around the world in October 2018.The case list below includes only updates. For other continuing cases this year, see the updates for January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August and September.1. EU: seamless steel pipes and tubes from Ru...Read More
A 1% increase in China's export rebate rate for hot-rolled coil will have a minimal impact on the spot market, traders in the country told Fastmarkets on Thursday November 1.The increase in the export rebate for HRC, from 9% to 10%, is just one of 3,449 product rebates announced by China's State Administration of Taxation on Thursday.Existing 9% rebates were increased to 1...Read More
AM Investco Italy, a consortium led by the world's largest steelmaker, ArcelorMittal, completed the transaction to acquire Italian steelmaker Ilva on Thursday November 1, the company said today.Following completion of the transaction, ArcelorMittal has assumed full management control of Ilva, which will form a new business cluster within ArcelorMittal Europe - Flat Products and be known as Arcelor...Read More
Turkish domestic rebar and wire rod prices went down this week because the value of the country's lira strengthened against the dollar, even though demand remained moderate, sources said on Thursday November 1.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic rebar on Thursday was TRY3,300-3,450 ($596-623) per tonne ex-works, including 18% VAT, down from last week's TRY3,380-3,520 per tonne.The lo...Read More
Turkish long steel export prices have remained stable over the past week on soft demand and despite the firm input costs, sources said on Thursday November 1.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for rebar exports out of Turkey was unchanged week on week on November 1 at $500-505 per tonne fob on an actual weight basis.The mills in the country were trying to keep their...Read More
Steel billet import prices in Egypt fell in the week to Thursday November 1, on continuing limited demand in the country. Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel billet imported into Egypt was $477-480 per tonne cfr on Thursday, compared with $480-490 per tonne cfr last...Read More
Pig iron export prices from the Black Sea region were largely stable this week, with sellers maintaining offers at the upper end of last week's price range, Fastmarkets learned on Thursday November 1.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for high-manganese pig iron was $365-375 per tonne fob Black Sea on Thursday, narrowing upward by just $5 per tonne.Cargoes intended for Italy originating in the B...Read More
Turkish steel producers made no purchases in the deep-sea scrap market on Thursday November 1, with a fresh offer of material from the Baltic Sea region failing to find a taker, according to market participants.A scrap merchant in the Baltic Sea region was heard offering 30,000-35,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (95:5) at $345 per tonne cfr on Thursday. No mill had accepted the cargo at...Read More
Ukrainian steelmaker Metinvest increased its output of sellable semi-finished products by 18% year on year, to 2.3 million tonnes over the first nine months of 2018, supported by favorable market conditions.In particular, Metinvest's sellable pig iron output increased by 21% year on year in January-September 2018, to 1.2 million tonnes against 989,000 tonnes.Fastmarkets' assessment for the CIS exp...Read More
Turkish billet prices increased over the past week due to the latest uptick in imported scrap values in the country, sources said on Thursday November 1.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for billet imports into Turkey was $465-470 per tonne cfr on November 1, up from $455 per tonne last week.Suppliers in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) were offering billet in Turkey at around $470-...Read More
Steel billet import prices in Egypt fell in the week to Thursday November 1, on continuing limited demand in the country. Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel billet imported into Egypt was $477-480 per tonne cfr on Thursday, compared with $480-490 per tonne cfr last...Read More