SHANGHAI, Mar 8 (SMM) – Nonferrous metals fell across the board in the afternoon with SHFE nickel leading the loss with a 2% drop. Copper and zinc were down over 1%, aluminium slid almost 1%, and other metals edged down.The ferrous complex also saw a weak performance, with iron ore and rebar leading the slump and closing 4% lower. Coke and coking coal dropped over 3%, and hot-rolle...Read More
SHANGHAI, Mar 8 (SMM) – Nonferrous metals fell across the board in the afternoon with SHFE nickel leading the loss with a 2% drop. Copper and zinc were down over 1%, aluminium slid almost 1%, and other metals edged down.The ferrous complex also saw a weak performance, with iron ore and rebar leading the slump and closing 4% lower. Coke and coking coal dropped over 3%, and hot-rolle...Read More
Metal Bulletin's London office brings you the latest news and pricing stories on Thursday March 8.The London Metal Exchange three-month copper price was over $100 per tonne lower in morning trading today, while nickel price dropped 2.8% from yesterday's 5pm close. A firmer dollar and geopolitical concerns over a potential trade war have led to the sustained weakness. Meanwhile, aluminium was...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 8 points in pre-opening trade. Index futures were virtually unchanged following release of Weekly Jobless Claims at 8:30 AM EST. Consensus was an increase to 220,000 from 210,000 last week. Actual was 231,000.The Canadian Dollar was virtually unchanged following release of Canada's February Housing Start report. Consen...Read More
SHANGHAI, Mar 8 (SMM) – This is a roundup of global macro-economic news last night and what is expected today.Last nightThe base metals fell across the board as US dollar rebounded and as the trade war brews. SHFE aluminium and lead slid over 1%, copper dropped close to 1%, while LME lead lost over 2% and aluminium fell close to 2% to a three-month low.China's foreign-exchange reserves i...Read More
SHANGHAI, Mar 8 (SMM) – The copper spot market in Shanghai was less active on Thursday March 7 than a day earlier with the red metal trading at a discount of 130-70 yuan/mt. As the SHFE copper edged down today with resistance at the five-day moving average, spot prices faced pressure with reluctant buyers.At noon, higher-grade copper traded at 51,720-51,800 yuan/mt, SMM learned. Fo...Read More
SHANGHAI, Mar 8 (SMM) – This is a roundup of global macro-economic news last night and what is expected today.Last nightThe base metals fell across the board as US dollar rebounded and as the trade war brews. SHFE aluminium and lead slid over 1%, copper dropped close to 1%, while LME lead lost over 2% and aluminium fell close to 2% to a three-month low.China's foreign-exchange reserves i...Read More
Good morning from Metal Bulletin's office in Singapore as we bring you the latest news and pricing stories on Thursday March 8.Base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were mostly lower during Asian morning trading on Thursday, influenced by the weak performance of prices on the London Metal Exchange overnight. Only nickel prices managed to post any gains, supported by the bullishness s...Read More
SHANGHAI, Mar 8 (SMM) –Copper: LME copper touched a low of $6,900/mt with resistance from moving averages. We expect it to trade at $6,900-6,970/mt and the SHFE 1805 contract to trade at 52,000-52,600 yuan/mt today. In the physical market, spot discounts are seen smaller at 100-40 yuan/mt. Aluminium: LME aluminium edged down overnight and is set to test support...Read More
SHANGHAI, Mar 8 (SMM) –Copper: LME copper touched a low of $6,900/mt with resistance from moving averages. We expect it to trade at $6,900-6,970/mt and the SHFE 1805 contract to trade at 52,000-52,600 yuan/mt today. In the physical market, spot discounts are seen smaller at 100-40 yuan/mt. Aluminium: LME aluminium edged down overnight and is set to test support...Read More
SHANGHAI, Mar 8 (SMM) – China's imports of unwrought copper and copper products in February stood at 352,000 mt, down 20% month on month while up 3.5% year on year, according to China Customs.The month-on-month drop was mainly due to the Chinese New Year holiday. However, losses made in copper imports last month also put a cap on the overall volumes.Imports for the first two months of th...Read More
Base metals traded on the London Metal Exchange are split into two camps this morning, Thursday March 8, with copper ($6,924 per tonne), nickel, zinc and tin prices all down by an average of 0.6%, while aluminium and lead prices are up by an average of 0.3%.Volume has been average with 7,370 lots traded as of 06.43am London time. This follows a day of weakness on Wednesday when prices were down by...Read More
The United States is expected to announce the official Section 232 import tariffs in the next five hours - keep up to date with all the 232-related news.To see...Read More
SHANGHAI, Mar 8 (SMM) – This is a roundup of global macro-economic news last night and what is expected today.Last nightThe base metals fell across the board as US dollar rebounded and as the trade war brews. SHFE aluminium and lead slid over 1%, copper dropped close to 1%, while LME lead lost over 2% and aluminium fell close to 2% to a three-month low.China's foreign-exchange reserves i...Read More
SHANGHAI, Mar 8 (SMM) –Copper: LME copper touched a low of $6,900/mt with resistance from moving averages. We expect it to trade at $6,900-6,970/mt and the SHFE 1805 contract to trade at 52,000-52,600 yuan/mt today. In the physical market, spot discounts are seen smaller at 100-40 yuan/mt. Aluminium: LME aluminium edged down overnight and is set to test support...Read More
And so it begins. The United States will impose import tariffs on steel and aluminium, and with depressing inevitability other nations and trading blocs will cry "foul" and reach for the drawer marked "retaliation", almost certainly leading to a wider and broader trade war.It is not difficult to imagine how this will pan out for the wider global economy, geopolitics, overall trade flows and even t...Read More
Copper product manufacturers are already suffering from the growing trend for protectionism, panelists at the Metal Bulletin Copper Conference said, and prices could suffer if global trade founders in the coming years.The physical steel and aluminium markets are reeling after the United States said it intends to introduce tariffs on imports of 25% and 10% respectively.The LME three-month copper pr...Read More
Aluminium's three-month price recovered above $2,100 per tonne at the 5pm close on Thursday March 8, with all eyes on the United States' expected tariff announcement. President Donald Trump is expected to announce the official Section 232 import tariffs after 8pm London time, which held the aluminium three-month price steady throughout the day. It closed $8 higher at $2,106 per tonne. Tin was the...Read More
Comex copper prices softened to the lowest point since mid-February on Thursday March 8 amid ongoing uncertainty relating to US steel and aluminium tariffs. Copper for May settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange dipped 5.20 cents or 1.7% to $3.0820 per lb. Earlier today, the contract touched $3.0795, the lowest since February 12. Questions over US trade policy and poss...Read More
China's coke export offers have risen to track domestic price increases after the country's Chinese New Year break, but trading activity has yet to pick up.Metal Bulletin's price assessment for Chinese coke exports with 65% coke strength after reaction (CSR), 12.5% ash, and in physical sizes of 30-90mm, was $355-365 per tonne fob China for the week ended Tuesday March 6.This has widened upward fro...Read More