The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Iron ore remains the most bullish commodity of the year, with prices fuelled by Chinese demand and supply disruptions in Brazil, along with bullish sentiment. But prices are expected to come down because Brazilian exports have begun to recover, and have reached their highest level since the Brumadinho dam disaster in 2019. W...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Fastmarkets analysts were invited to present our outlook for the coking coal market at Coaltrans Asia, held online on November 23-25. One of the key topics at the event was the trade tensions between China and Australia, which overtook Mongolia to become the largest coking coal exporter to China this year...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key ferro-alloy forecast highlights:?EUR?In a strong start to the year, January saw ore and alloy pricing gains across all markets priced by Fastmarkets - with the exception of Chinese silicon metal export prices, which retreated slightly last month after posting impressive gains in December 2020.The combination...Read More
The upward momentum in cobalt spot prices continued on Thursday June 17 with prices rising for the second consecutive day, and traders becoming aggressive in the market after sensing a return of demand.Fastmarkets' price assessment for cobalt, standard grade, in whs Rotterdam, was $20.20-20.95 per lb on Thursday. This was up from $20.10-20.70 per lb the previous day.https://www.metalbulletin.com/M...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.We spoke in our previous tracker of stainless steel prices ending 2020 on a high. That trend has continued during early 2021 and, in fact, the upward rally in prices has increased its momentum.Compared with the monthly price increase of some 5% seen at the end of 2020, prices for grade-304 stainless steel in al...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.With nickel prices down by almost 20% over the space of around ten days during late February and early March, one might have been expecting us to be reporting sharply-lower prices of stainless steel, at least for the most common nickel-containing grades of stainless steel.This is not the case, at least in Europe and the Unite...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices and margins for stainless steel producers have risen notably over the past few months in both Europe and the United States, but there are now signs that the rally is petering out.A clear reason for the halt to rising prices comes from the near 20% drop in nickel prices seen in late February/early March,...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Recent weeks have brought two key developments with regard to trade policy on stainless steel products that will be to the detriment of consumers.In China, the country's stainless steelmakers no longer enjoy a 13% export rebate as of May 1, reducing greatly their incentive to export and instead leading them to focus on supply...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Chinese blast furnace (BF) utilization rates have stagnated and iron ore port stock volumes are rising, reaching their highest levels since March, which suggests that iron ore supply is becoming excessive while demand is not growing. Unsurprisingly, prices dropped last week and we expect the trend to continue. The market has...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.In the iron ore market, supply issues including heavy rains at the start of the year, followed by staffing problems during the Covid-19 pandemic, have affected exports from Brazil. This has helped Australia gain a larger market share, but since June, Brazilian export volumes have returned to levels last seen before the...Read More
Fastmarkets is inviting feedback from the industry on the pricing methodology for its cobalt hydroxide index as part of its annual methodology review process and compliance with the International Organization of Securities Commissions (Iosco) principles for price reporting agencies.This consultation, which begins on Wednesday June 16 and will end on July 13, seeks to ensure that our methodologies...Read More
Steel scrap import prices into China remained stable on Wednesday June 16 despite reports of a new transaction for Shindachi busheling from Japan to China.A deal for 3,000 tonnes of Shindachi, the prime scrap grade traded in Japan, was heard at $550 per tonne cfr China. The deal was believed to have been done on Tuesday.There were mixed views about whether there was any price difference between Sh...Read More
Turkish steel mills remained silent in the scrap markets on Wednesday June 16, with market participants mulling the likely direction of price movements.The mills did not book any new cargoes on Wednesday, having agreed two deals the day before at lower prices, marking a potential change in direction for the market, which had become more positive so far in June.One market participant said, however,...Read More
Fastmarkets is inviting feedback from the industry on the pricing methodology for its cobalt hydroxide index as part of its annual methodology review process and compliance with the International Organization of Securities Commissions (Iosco) principles for price reporting agencies.This consultation, which begins on Wednesday June 16 and will end on July 13, seeks to ensure that our methodologies...Read More
An overview of the consumer electronics markets and their latest price moves.Dalila Ouerghi and Cristina Belda...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday June 16 that are worth another look.European non-integrated steel traders and wire rod processors strongly oppose the European Commission's proposal to extend import safeguard measures for three more years, claiming that the decision neglects the interests of...Read More
Nickel premiums in the United States rose again in the seven days to Tuesday June 15 on the back of continued strikes at Vale's Sudbury mine, while premiums in Asia and Europe remained stable in a week of low liquidity.US briquette premium rises 16.7%, surpassing 20 cents per lb for the first time since 2019 Arbitrage losses continue in China, although spot market quiet due to national holidayEuro...Read More
Deteriorating shipping conditions and a continuing lack of production from the giant Malaysia Smelting Corp pushed Western tin premiums to new peaks in the week to Tuesday June 15.US premiums routinely surpass $3,000 per tonneEuropean traders foresee further rises from MSC, soaring shipping costsCovid-19 pandemic factors into subdued trade in Taiwan.US buyers shocked by premiumsTin premiums in the...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday June 16 that are worth another look.European non-integrated steel traders and wire rod processors strongly oppose the European Commission's proposal to extend import safeguard measures for three more years, claiming that the decision neglects the interests of...Read More
Rio Tinto has announced it will conduct a study into whether hydrogen can replace natural gas in alumina refineries to reduce emissions, it said on June 15.Rio Tinto has partnered with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena) for the $1.2 million feasibility study, which will be equally funded with Arena through a $580,000 grant.The study will look into using clean hydrogen to repl...Read More