Good morning from Fastmarkets MB's offices in Asia as we bring you the latest news and pricing stories on Tuesday October 16. Base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were mixed during Asian morning trading on Tuesday, with the complex in consolidation mode after lackluster China data failed to inspire much-needed confidence in the market.Check Metal Bulletin's live futures report here....Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange made mixed movements at the close of trading on Tuesday October 16, broadly supported by a weaker US dollar index and a marginal recovery in global equity markets.Continuing to outperform the rest of the complex, the three-month lead price remains elevated, closing above $2,050 per tonne and up more than 10% from its fresh 2018 low of $1,876 per tonn...Read More
The price of copper on the Comex exchange in the United States was slightly lower on the morning of Tuesday October 16, with the market unable to sustain the momentum it gained after LME Week in London earlier this month.The copper price for December settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange dipped by 0.50 cents to $2.7880 per lb.Despite disruptions at key producing faci...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices were rangebound on Tuesday October 16, while premiums for Pilbara Blend fines were up slightly. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $71.50 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down by $0.16 per tonne.MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $70.53 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down by $0.16 per tonne.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $76.70 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up by $0.36 per tonne.MB 58% Fe Premium...Read More
The Turkish deep-sea scrap market remained silent again on Tuesday October 16, with volumes of billet being purchased instead of scrap, according to market participants.Appetite for scrap has been falling and demand remains low, with reports of mills choosing to purchase billet instead. Turkish domestic billet prices have been on a general downtrend since September 13.Many Turkish steel mills have...Read More
Rio Tinto lowered its 2018 guidance for aluminium by more than 4% on Tuesday October 16, to reflect the impact of the ongoing lock-out at the Becancour smelter in Quebec, Canada.The company's guidance figure for aluminium production has been revised to 3.4-3.5 million tonnes from 3.5-3.7 million tonnes previously, excluding any potential adjustment from the completion of the sale of the Aluminium...Read More
The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Wednesday October 17.Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange recorded mixed moves at the close of trading on Tuesday October 16, broadly supported by a weaker dollar index in the United States and a marginal recovery in global equity markets. Read more in our live futures report.Here are how prices looked at the close of t...Read More
Fastmarkets' Shanghai-London physical arbitrage calculation for copper was published incorrectly on Tuesday October 16 due to an error in inputting the data.The copper import arbitrage, which tracks the physical import arbitrage into the Shanghai market, was initially published as -$122.48 per tonne/-850.23 yuan per tonne.It has now been corrected -$118.42 per tonne/-822.04 yuan per tonne.Fastmark...Read More
The London Metal Exchange has suspended delivery of Sterlite Copper's STERLITE T copper cathode brands for delivery from January 16, 2019, it said today on October 16.The suspension, which can be indefinite but is not a de-listing, is attributed to Sterlite's Tuticorin 400,000 tonnes-per-year refined cathode...Read More
The price of copper on the Comex exchange in the United States was slightly lower on the morning of Tuesday October 16, with the market unable to sustain the momentum it gained after LME Week in London earlier this month.The copper price for December settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange dipped by 0.50 cents to $2.7880 per lb.Despite disruptions at key producing faci...Read More
The world's largest mining company, BHP, has increased its stake in Ecuador-focused copper junior miner SolGold to 11.2% from 6%, it said in a notice late on Monday October 15.BHP entered into a share subscription agreement whereby SolGold will issue 100 million shares to the company at 45 pence sterling ($0.59) per share, a 32% premium on the past 20-day average. The increase will give BHP the op...Read More
The government of Mexico will request an exemption from a 25% duty that Canada plans to impose on imports of steel products."The Mexican government will take all actions necessary to protect Mexican exporters in the near term," the country's economy secretariat said late in the week ended Friday October 12."It will also use all the available resources...Read More
The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for hot-rolled coil, cold-rolled coil, hot-dipped galvanized coil, pre-painted galvanized iron, steel plate, steel sheet and other flat steel products. Latest transactions: HRC, CRC, HDGHot-rolled coilChina, export, hot-rolled coil, offered at $560-590 per tonne cfr, to Saudi Arabia. China, export, hot-rolled coil, offered at $590-595 per ton...Read More
The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for rebar, wire rod, steel beams and other long steel products. Latest transaction: rebarRebarOman, export, rebar, traded at $525 per tonne cfr, theoretical weight,...Read More
Trading activity in the CIS export billet market remained quiet early in the week that began on Monday October 15 amid a mismatch between suppliers' offers and customers' bids.Some market participants expected that conditions in the regional steel market would improve because of the better diplomatic relations between Turkey and the United States, which could have a positive effect on CIS-origin s...Read More
Prices for rebar and billet in the United Arab Emirates were mostly stable in the week ended Tuesday October 16, and demand was moderate, sources told Fastmarkets.Local rebar producers rolled over their prices, and market activity now is better than in the previous week, when buying was very scarce.Domestic rebarLocal producers were offering rebar at 2,016-2,018 dirhams ($549) per tonne ex-works.A...Read More
Chinese export prices soared last week, supported by strength in the domestic market, while markets in Europe and the United States were slowed by subdued activity levels. Chinese export price rises on domestic strength upon emergence from holidays.European ferro-vanadium market steady at 13-year high, awaiting further demand.Vanadium pentoxide price sets new 13-year high in Europe, following Chin...Read More
Higher October tender prices for ferro-chrome in China have boosted prices for imported ore and alloy. Chinese mills' tender prices boost spot prices for imported ore, alloyDomestic spot prices stable in China Alloy prices steady in Japan, South Korea European alloy prices continue to slide Alloy prices stabilize in the United StatesChrome ore and ferro-chrome import spot markets strengthened agai...Read More
The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for iron ore, pig iron, direct-reduced iron and other steelmaking raw materials. Latest transaction: iron oreIron oreVale, Global Ore, 170,000 tonnes of 62% Fe...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices were rangebound on Tuesday October 16, while premiums for Pilbara Blend fines were up slightly. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $71.50 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down by $0.16 per tonne.MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $70.53 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down by $0.16 per tonne.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $76.70 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up by $0.36 per tonne.MB 58% Fe Premium...Read More