Turkish steel producers took a break from purchasing deep-sea scrap on Thursday August 5 after booking at least five cargoes earlier this week, market sources told Fastmarkets.The most recent deal was recorded on Wednesday August 4, when a steel mill in the Izmir region booked a US cargo comprising 15,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $464 per tonne, and 14,000 tonnes of shredded and 2,000 tonnes o...Read More
Iron ore prices decreased on Thursday August 5 with reduced market expectations of looser steel production restrictions in China, sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $171.55 per tonne,down $12.14 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $172.76 per tonne,down $11.63 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $136.28 per tonne,down $11.63 per tonn...Read More
Seaborne coking coal stayed strong in both the fob and cfr markets on Thursday August 5, with limited tradable resources and high offers in both markets, sources said.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $216.79 per tonne, up $1.28 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $328.54 per tonne, up $1.05 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $186.41 per tonne, up $1.50 per tonn...Read More
The three month price of zinc outperformed the rest of the London Metal Exchange complex with a 1.8% rise on Thursday August 5 and most other prices advanced despite limited traded volumes. The metal rose to $3,028.50 per tonne on Thursday, its highest close since Monday, when it reached $3,050.50 per tonne. Top Canadian miner Teck Resources announced late on Wednesday that its Trail Ope...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-dipped galvanized coil were fairly stable in Northern Europe in the week to Wednesday August 5 despite falling import offers, sources have told Fastmarkets.In Southern Europe, however, prices declined due to seasonally weaker demand, cheaper import offers and increased availability, according to market participants.Northern EuropeFastmarkets' weekly price assessment for ste...Read More
Prices for export billet originating from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) softened in the week to August 5 due to multiple low bids from Turkish and Chinese customers.Earlier in the week, information about a 20,000 tonne shipment of 3sp Ukraine-origin billet sold to Libya at $690 per tonne cfr was heard. The price nets back to $645 per tonne fob Black Sea, the source said.According to...Read More
The release of new regulations for anti-seismic management of construction projects in China, which is expected to stimulate demand for anti-seismic rebar, failed to shake domestic rebar prices on Thursday August 5.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,200-5,240 yuan ($804-811) per tonne, unchangedThe Chinese government published the regulations Wednesday and plans to implement them from September 1...Read More
All London Metal Exchange prices barring copper had small upticks on the morning of Thursday August 5, while 5,200 tonnes of zinc and 2,500 tonnes of lead were booked for removal from LME inventories. Copper's three-month price was down a slight $33 to $9,433 per tonne at 9am, while aluminium's price increased $12.50 per tonne to $2,579 per tonne after a 1.2% fall on Wednesday to $2,566.50 per ton...Read More
China's domestic hot-rolled coil prices were largely unchanged on Thursday August 5, with market participants weighing poor demand against shrinking production following the release of a raft of industry data.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,770-5,820 yuan ($893-901) per tonne, narrowing upward by 10 yuan per tonneThe China Iron & Steel Association (Cisa) said on Thursday that its member mills'...Read More
China's domestic stainless steel prices widened downward during the week to Wednesday August 4 amid concerns of an easing of anticipated production cuts in the second half of 2021.The Politburo of the Communist Party of China said at a meeting last Friday that a national action plan to enable the country to have carbon emissions peak by 2030 would be issued, though it did not specify when. It made...Read More
The Cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets assessed Cobalt standard grade,...Read More
The Cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lbtrade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets assessed Cobalt alloy grade, in-whs...Read More
The domestic markets for hot-rolled coil across Europe were seasonally quiet on Thursday August 5, with prices holding stable, Fastmarkets heard.European buyers have replenished their HRC stocks and were largely holding back from trading while evaluating the market situation. Regular trading activity was expected to revive toward September, following the traditional market activity cycle in Europe...Read More
US hot-rolled coil import prices dropped in Fastmarkets' latest assessment, while prices for imported cold-rolled coil and galvanized sheet simultaneously climbed to record highs. "It seems that every country wants to sell to the US right now," an East Coast trading source said. "Of course the Turks, but also Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc. Furthermore, a few of these countries have material fo...Read More
Brazil has joined other major commodity producers in South America, such as Chile and Peru, in a debate about whether to increase mining royalties because of soaring prices - and it can be no surprise that the industry is fiercely against such a move.Amid discussions of personal and corporate tax reform in Brazil's lower house of Congress, there was a possibility of higher taxes being imposed on t...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mixed this morning, Thursday August 5, and those on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were mainly weaker.Generally, LME base metals seem to be boxed in between scale-up selling when prices are near the highs and dip-buying into pullbacks. This is perhaps not surprising given that we are in the middle of the summer lull.Shanghai base metals are gener...Read More
Cobalt hydroxide prices rose recently despite weakness in downstream salt prices in the domestic Chinese market, as ongoing disruptions and delays at port operations in South Africa have prompted sellers to keep their offers firm and take advantage of spot sales where buyers need prompt availability.Fastmarkets' assessment for the cobalt hydroxide payable indicator, min 30% Co, cif China was 88-92...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-dipped galvanized coil were fairly stable in Northern Europe in the week to Wednesday August 5 despite falling import offers, sources have told Fastmarkets.In Southern Europe, however, prices declined due to seasonally weaker demand, cheaper import offers and increased availability, according to market participants.Northern EuropeFastmarkets' weekly price assessment for ste...Read More
Bangladeshi steelmakers have showed only limited interest in buying imports of steel scrap over the last week amid a continuing strict lockdown in the country, sources said on Thursday August 5.The country's strict Covid-19 lockdown was extended until Tuesday August 10, government officials announced on August 3. A feature of this latest lockdown is that most heavy industry such as steel productio...Read More
(Updates prices) LONDON, Aug 5 (Reuters) - A bullish mood on U.S. marketspushed copper slightly higher on Thursday, ending a four-daylosing run triggered by concerns over the demand outlook fromtop consumer China.Benchmark copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME)was up 0.3% at $9,492.50 a tonne at 1600 GMT.The metal used in power and construction, which is expectedto benefit from a global move fr...Read More