US flat steel import prices were flat to down in Fastmarkets' latest assessment, reversing course after hitting record highs two weeks ago."Import prices seem to be dropping," a trader source said. Fastmarkets' assessment for steel hot-rolled coil, import, ddp Houston was at $1,620-1,640 per short ton ($81-83 per hundredweight) on Wednesday July 21, down by 2.09% from $1,650-1,700 per ton on July...Read More
Much higher supplies of natural gas, hydrogen, 'green' electricity, and steel scrap will be needed for the development of Direct Reduction Iron-Electric-arc Furnace (DRI-EAF) steelmaking processes in China,Baowu Group said on Thursday July 22."Developing the DRI-EAF steelmaking technologies is an important and inevitable step for the Chinese steel sector to achieve carbon neutrality," Xu Wanren, t...Read More
Domestic and export prices for Chinese stainless steel prices rose sharply over the week ended Wednesday July 21 on tight supply, which led to increased expectations of an export tariff to ease the shortage.DomesticStainless steel cold-rolled coil 2mm grade 304 domestic (Wuxi): 19,000-20,100 ($2,939-3,109) per tonne, up by 1,000-1,300 yuan per tonne from a week earlierPrices have risen to their hi...Read More
The world's largest carbon trading market is slowly gaining momentum and will eventually be a key component of China's ferrous industry, market sources told Fastmarkets this week.China kicked off nationwide carbon trading on July 16, with mostly thermal coal-fired power plants participating on the first day. Companies can buy carbon emission quotas from the market, while those with lower emissions...Read More
The Brazilian steel institute A??o Brasil increased its forecast for apparent steel consumption in 2021, predicting a growth of 24.10% from the previous year.Apparent steel use is now estimated to reach 26.61 million tonnes this year, compared with 21.45 million tonnes in 2020, the association said on Thursday July 22. The figure is also higher than May's forecast of 24.66 million tonnes.Main stee...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices were unchanged on Thursday July 22 amid a confluence of opposing factors, but market participants expect them to regain their upward momentum soon.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,230-5,250 yuan ($809-812) per tonne, unchangedEnd-user demand for rebar continued to decline due to heavy rain in Henan province and high temperatures in other parts of China.But some res...Read More
A large-scale expansion at Freeport-McMoRan's El Abra copper mine in Chile is still being evaluated, although potential changes to the country's fiscal regime could lead to its deferment, the US copper producer said.The expansion would see the plant in northern Chile process additional sulfide material and achieve higher levels of copper recovery. According to Freeport, El Abra's large sulfide res...Read More
Iron ore prices fell on Thursday July 22 amid a weak short-term demand outlook, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $202.63 per tonne, down $12.16 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $204.62 per tonne, down $11.55 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $166.88 per tonne, down $9.56 per tonne65% Fe Brazil-origin fines, cfr Qin...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 21 points in pre-opening trade. The Canadian Dollar was virtually unchanged at US 79.59 cents following release of May Canadian Retail Sales at 8:30 AM EDT. Consensus was a drop of 3.0% versus a decline of 5.7% in April. Actual was a drop of 2.1%. Twitter added $3.93 to $73.50 after reporting higher than consensus seco...Read More
Domestic and export prices for Chinese stainless steel prices rose sharply over the week ended Wednesday July 21 on tight supply, which led to increased expectations of an export tariff to ease the shortage.DomesticStainless steel cold-rolled coil 2mm grade 304 domestic (Wuxi): 19,000-20,100 ($2,939-3,109) per tonne, up by 1,000-1,300 yuan per tonne from a week earlierPrices have risen to their hi...Read More
Fastmarkets has corrected its alumina index, fob Australia, which was published incorrectly on Tuesday July 20 and Wednesday July 21 due to an index calculation error.On July 20, the alumina index, fob Australia, should have been $289.74 per tonne but was incorrectly published as $289.62 per tonne.On July 21, the alumina index, fob Australia, should have been $291.11 per tonne but was incorrectly...Read More
United States copper producer Freeport-McMoRan reiterated its 2021 consolidated sales target of around 3.85 billion lbs (1.75 million tonnes) of copper while its ramp-up to underground mining at its Grasberg mine in Indonesia continues.This is an increase from 3.2 billion lbs - or 1.4 million tonnes - in 2020, and comes after the company reported lower second quarter copper sales than previously e...Read More
Iron ore prices fell on Thursday July 22 amid a weak short-term demand outlook, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $202.63 per tonne, down $12.16 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $204.62 per tonne, down $11.55 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $166.88 per tonne, down $9.56 per tonne65% Fe Brazil-origin fines, cfr Qin...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...Read More
Premiums for copper cathodes in Shanghai's bonded zone traded in the week to Tuesday July 20 at their highest levels since May, while market sources in the United States speculated about possible rises.Premiums in Shanghai rise on strong domestic marketFresh pandemic concerns damp Southeast Asia demandUS premiums steady at high levels.China premium rebounds stronglyChina's import appetite for copp...Read More
Base metal futures dipped in morning trading on the London Metal Exchange on Wednesday July 21, as markets globally took pause after a whipsaw start to the week.Nickel three-month futures led the pack down, dropping 1.31% against Tuesday's 5pm close to $18,420 per tonne.Three-month zinc was the second-biggest faller, down 0.83% at $2,938 per tonne.Overall volume was muted, with copper three-month...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were broadly stable on Wednesday July 21, with minimal reaction to China's announcement to sell more state reserve metal during the day. The three-month zinc price closed 1.1% lower than the previous day at $2,929 per tonne, while the three-month aluminium price was down 0.5% to close at $2,453.5 per tonne from a day ago,...Read More
A weaker United States ferrous scrap export market is stoking fears that prices could retreat in the August domestic trade after recyclers on the East Coast lowered their selling prices by $10-25 per gross ton in a tell-tale sign.International steel mills have lowered their import prices for US ferrous scrap grades - including heavy melt - this week, citing inflation, higher oil prices and th...Read More
Domestic prices for ferro-chrome in the spot market in China surged in the week ended Tuesday July 20 following production cuts in the province of Inner Mongolia.Fastmarkets' price assessment for ferro-chrome, spot, 6-8% C, basis 50% Cr, ddp China, jumped by 17.3% to 10,000-10,300 yuan ($1,541-1,587) per tonne on Tuesday, from 8,500-8,800 yuan per tonne one week earlier, and was now at its highest...Read More
An overview of the consumer electronics markets and their latest price moves.Janie Davies, Cristina Belda and...Read More