Prices of most base metals rose slightly on the London Metal Exchange on Wednesday July 7 but with aluminium bucking the trend, going down by 1.2%.The LME three-month copper contract ended the trading session at $9,455 per tonne at 5pm, up by 1.5% from Tuesday.Investors in the red metal were dip-buying on Wednesday after its price dropped on Tuesday in a knee-jerk reaction to negative macro-econom...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday July 7 that are worth another look.Automotive production in Brazil rose by 69.58% in June over the corresponding month in 2020, on the industry's recovery from stoppages called during the Covid-19 pandemic last year, automakers' association Anfavea said on July 7....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
Technology entrepreneur Elon Musk once described the ongoing use of fossil fuels and their generation of a vast carbon footprint as "the dumbest experiment in human history."Not everyone will agree with his assessment of the petroleum, gas and coal sectors, which have powered the world's growth for decades. Nonetheless, the twin goals of supply chain security and sustainability are now driving a t...Read More
Europe's third-quarter steel import quotas opened on Thursday July 1, but already some suppliers have absorbed a large proportion of the long steel allocation, repeating a similar scenario from the previous quarter.As a result, European independent traders and downstream steel users are once again left with no alternative to domestically produced steel and surging prices, sources told Fastmarkets....Read More
China's new trend pf setting out unwritten rules for its commodities industries and communicating them verbally will be a key method to watch out for in the future, market sources told Fastmarkets."Unofficial communications to steel mills are increasingly [coming] via provincial and township authorities [and are], not written out clearly as announcements," an iron ore trader in eastern China told...Read More
Spot prices for standard and alloy grade cobalt have continued to trend higher since the beginning of this week, driven by aggressive offers and a pickup in end-user demand in Europe and the United States, Fastmarkets heard on Wednesday July 7.Available spot units remained in tight hands, with producers' availability low and traders holding back their offers in expectation of further price increas...Read More
Turkish steel mills returned to the deep-sea scrap import markets with a flurry of bookings from the Baltic Sea and the United States, market participants told Fastmarkets on Wednesday July 7.A steel mill in the Izmir region booked a cargo from the US, comprising 30,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $498 per tonne cfr.And in the Marmara region, a steel mill also booked a US cargo, comprising HMS 1&...Read More
China's new trend pf setting out unwritten rules for its commodities industries and communicating them verbally will be a key method to watch out for in the future, market sources told Fastmarkets."Unofficial communications to steel mills are increasingly [coming] via provincial and township authorities [and are], not written out clearly as announcements," an iron ore trader in eastern China told...Read More
China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) issued the country's 14th five-year development plan for a circular economy on Wednesday July 7, according to a notice published on the commission's website.The plan highlights the importance of promoting economical and intensive use of resources, and building a circular industrial system as well as a recycling system of waste materials in...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were up across the board this morning, Wednesday July 7, suggesting dip buying after Tuesday's weakness that saw copper, aluminium and nickel fall by 2%, or more.Tuesday's drop in the ISM services purchasing managers index (PMI) to 60.1, from 64, was partly blamed for the day's weaker markets......as was the jump in the US Dollar IndexBase metalsLME...Read More
Spot prices for standard and alloy grade cobalt have continued to trend higher since the beginning of this week, driven by aggressive offers and a pickup in end-user demand in Europe and the United States, Fastmarkets heard on Wednesday July 7.Available spot units remained in tight hands, with producers' availability low and traders holding back their offers in expectation of further price increas...Read More
Domestic prices for steel hot-rolled coil in Northern Europe and in Italy were largely stable on Wednesday July 7 at high levels, despite a market slowdown and increased availability of the material, sources told Fastmarkets.Buyers have been holding back from making new deals, preferring instead to take the time to assess the price trend before making orders for material that would be delivered at...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday July 7 that are worth another look.Automotive production in Brazil rose by 69.58% in June over the corresponding month in 2020, on the industry's recovery from stoppages called during the Covid-19 pandemic last year, automakers' association Anfavea said on July 7....Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday July 7 that are worth another look.Automotive production in Brazil rose by 69.58% in June over the corresponding month in 2020, on the industry's recovery from stoppages called during the Covid-19 pandemic last year, automakers' association Anfavea said on July 7....Read More
Prices of most base metals rose slightly on the London Metal Exchange on Wednesday July 7 but with aluminium bucking the trend, going down by 1.2%.The LME three-month copper contract ended the trading session at $9,455 per tonne at 5pm, up by 1.5% from Tuesday.Investors in the red metal were dip-buying on Wednesday after its price dropped on Tuesday in a knee-jerk reaction to negative macro-econom...Read More
Premiums in the United States and Europe continued to rise in the week ending Tuesday July 6 with news that the Russian government will impose export duties continuing to fuel bullish sentiment.US Midwest at new all-time highRussian export tax pushes Rotterdam up againWait and see approach in AsiaUS Midwest premium sets new high againFastmarkets assessed the aluminium P1020A premium, ddp Midwest U...Read More
The strong ferro-chrome market in Asia and high consumption rates in Europe continued to support Europe's ferro-chrome markets in the week ending July 6.Indian ferro-chrome producers preferred to ramp up their offer prices into Europe rather than compete for sales, which supported prices.Fastmarkets' price assessment for ferro-chrome high carbon 6-8.5% C, basis 60-64.9% Cr, max 3% Si, cif Europe r...Read More
Xinfa group's alumina refinery in Xiaoyi city, Shanxi province closed an operation line with a capacity of 1.2 million tonnes per year last week due to a bauxite shortage, several sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday July 7.The refinery has a total capacity of 3.6 million tonnes and has run at full capacity since May.Xin'an Chemical alumina refinery, a subsidy of Hangzhou Jinjiang group located i...Read More
Prices in the China ferro-chrome market rose further during the week to Tuesday July 6, as a result of higher alloy tender prices being released and indications the market is tightening under electricity restrictions in key producing regions.Stainless steel producer Tsingshan Group raised its tender price for July-delivery high-carbon ferro-chrome by 950 yuan ($146.80) per tonne, or 12.76%, to 8,3...Read More