Precious metals mining company Sibanye-Stillwater is going to buy the Sandouville nickel hydrometallurgical processing facility from French mining group Eramet SA in a move to build on its strategy to diversify into the battery metals supply chain, the company said.The current Sandouville facilities, located in Normandy, France, include a hydrometallurgical nickel refinery with a capacity of 12,00...Read More
A surge in raw material prices, principally for direct-reduced iron (DRI), over the week ended Friday July 30 has led to Indian secondary billet prices rising by about 800 rupees ($11) per tonne.Fastmarkets assessed the price of steel billet, domestic, ex-works India, at 43,000-43,200 rupees ($579-582) per tonne on Friday, up by 800 rupees per tonne from last week's assessment at 42,200-42,400 rup...Read More
Negotiations in the United States' pig iron import market became more active during the week ended Friday July 30, although buyers have insisted on much lower prices than suppliers offered.Fastmarkets' price assessment for pig iron, import, cfr Gulf of Mexico, US, was at $620-635 per tonne on Friday, down by 0.79% from $625-640 per tonne a week...Read More
Turkish steel mills continued to book deep-sea scrap cargoes at a slow pace on Friday July 30, sources told Fastmarkets.A steel mill in the Marmara region booked a European cargo, comprising 25,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $465 per tonne, 15,000 tonnes of shredded and 5,000 tonnes of a mixture of HMS 1 and plate and structural (P&S) at $480 per tonne cfr....Read More
Most base metals registered declines in inventories at Shanghai Futures Exchange-registered warehouses during the week to Friday July 30, although lead was up by 6.5% and nickel rose by 1.5%.Out of the base metals complex, lead stocks gained the most in the week, rising to 168,421 tonnes, up by 10,348 tonnes - or 6.5% - from 158,073 tonnes one week ago. Lead stocks have now logged six straight wee...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices increased in the cfr market on Friday July 30 with more buying interest and fewer tradable resources, sources told Fastmarkets. The fob market was broadly stable on the last workday of the week.Prices for seaborne pulverized coal injection (PCI) rose in the cfr market in the week to July 30 following a strong domestic market. The fob market stayed largely stable during...Read More
The new infection cases in Eastern China's Nanjing city made some construction sites in a few districts slowing work, but didn't cause major influence in a large range and the rebar prices kept the upward trend on Friday July 30.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,340-5,370 yuan ($827-831) per tonne, up by 40 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing) weekly assessment: 5,250-5,320 yuan per tonne, up...Read More
China's domestic hot-rolled coil prices rose on Friday July 30, while export prices held stable after tax authorities announced the cancellation of more steel export rebates.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 6,000-6,010 yuan ($929-930) per tonne, up by 60-80 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tangshan): weekly assessment: 5,880-5,920 yuan per tonne, up by 160-190 yuan per tonne The most-traded HRC cont...Read More
An overview of the aerospace materials markets and the latest price moves.Jessica Long, Ruby Liu and Carrie...Read More
The three-month aluminium contract on the London Metal Exchange hit a new year-to-date high of $2,615 per tonne in morning trading on Friday July 30, while zinc moved back above the $3,000-per-tonne psychological level.Aluminium gained 0.9% from Thursday's closing price of $2,591 per tonne and is set for a 4.3% increase this month. It started the month at $2,507.50 per tonne on July 1. Sentiment i...Read More
A summary of Brazilian flat steel and iron ore producer Usiminas' results for the first quarter of its financial year to the end of June.Adjusted earnings at Usiminas reached a record high of 5.07 billion Reais ($996 million) in the second quarter, an increase from 192 million Reais a year earlier, mainly because of higher volumes and prices in the company's main segments, it said.In briefHigher p...Read More
Iron ore prices drop drastically on Friday July 30 with market sentiment depressed by worsening demand.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $181.57 per tonne, down by $14.49 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $182.80 per tonne, down by $14.66 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $146.61 per tonne, down by $14.26 per tonne65% Fe Brazil-origin fines,...Read More
A summary of ArcelorMittal's financial results for the April-June quarter of 2021, according to its financial results statement published on Thursday July 29.In brief"On the financial side, the second quarter has seen a continued strong recovery backdrop alongside a sustained lean inventory environment," chief executive officer Aditya Mittal said."This resulted in even healthier spreads in our cor...Read More
Former schoolteacher and union leader Pedro Castillo said it was not his intention to nationalize Peru's economy and pointed that the country needed a "new way of doing mining in its territory" in his inaugural speech as president on July 28. Castillo was elected Peru's new president after a contested second round of elections held in June. His left-wing party, Peru Libre, won 50.13% of valid vote...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday July 29 that are worth another look.Industrial group Thyssenkrupp has agreed the sale of its mining business to Danish engineering company FLSmidth, the German company said on July 29.Former schoolteacher and union leader Pedro Castillo...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key North American steel forecast highlights:?EUR? US sheet prices hit record highs again in May, with upward momentum persisting into June. Actual US hot-rolled coil prices averaged $1,553 per ton in May, largely in line with our forecast of $1,540 per ton. Prices remain supported by strong underlying sup...Read More
Demand for steel rebar and billet in Egypt was low during the week ended Thursday July 29 due to market participants' expectations of changes in import duties, sources told Fastmarkets.Activity in the market resumed this week after the Eid al-Adha holiday celebration last week, and buyers preferred to hold off on placing orders.Egyptian rebar producers normally announce new prices at the begi...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices inched up in both the cfr and fob markets on Thursday July 29 amid supply tightness and firm buying interest, sources said.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $216.04 per tonne, up $0.49 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $317.22 per tonne, up $1.46 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $183.25 per tonne, up $0.84 per tonneHard coking coa...Read More
London Metal Exchange ring dealing members have a decision to make - whether to remain one or not.The LME has just announced it will reopen the open outcry trading floor, which was temporarily closed due to Covid-19, on September 6.Its plan, however, comes with a twist; some ring dealers say, a knife.The official prices - which the global trade and industry use as the global reference for physical...Read More
The prices of billet in Turkey have weakened in the week to July 29 due to falling scrap import values, sources told Fastmarkets.The Turkish deep-sea scrap import prices fell in the week because steel mills resisted for lower prices amid limited steel trade. Fastmarkets' daily index for steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), US origin, cfr Turkey was calculated at $475.96 per tonne on July 28, down by...Read More