Fastmarkets' index of the 63% Fe Australia-origin lump ore premium, cfr Qingdao, hit a record-high on Wednesday June 9 amid strong activity on a trading platform.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $212.67 per tonne, up by $3.17 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $214.71 per tonne, up $2.90 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $187.88 per tonne, up...Read More
Turkish steel mills continued their deep-sea scrap purchases for July shipment at slightly higher prices on Wednesday June 9, having only just resumed buying activity on Tuesday after a near-two-week break, market participants told Fastmarkets.A steel mill in the Marmara region booked a Baltic Sea cargo, comprising HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $498 and bonus scrap at $508 per tonne cfr.The same mill also bo...Read More
Stainless steel scrap prices in the United States rose again over the past week amid big gains in the ferrous market and while nickel prices have continued to hover just above the $8-per-lb ($17,640-per-tonne) threshold."We can thank the iron market for the latest stainless price increase, especially since the London Metal Exchange nickel continues to struggle to move further to the upside," one d...Read More
Steel wire rod prices in the north of Europe were broadly stable at high levels during the week to Wednesday June 9, with more rises expected due to supply tightness, sources said.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh-quality), domestic, delivered Northern Europe was unchanged week on week at ?,?830-850 ($1,011-1,035) per tonne on Wednesday.Several bookings were reported in...Read More
European steel H-beam prices reached new highs on Wednesday June 9, with mills continuing to push through successful increases, sources have told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel beams, domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?970-1,000 ($1,181-1,218) per tonne on Wednesday, up from ?,?940-970 per tonne one week earlier.Some mills remained out of the market, with full...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday June 9. Key drivers Prices for both ferro-titanium and scrap have held in the past week despite quiet trading activity against expected renewed steelmaker demand and tight supplies respectively.Steelmakers are expected to fulfil their quotas of feedstock to meet their smelting schedules for the next quarter, with renewed demand for...Read More
Iranian steel billet export prices increased in week to Wednesday June 9, with several deals heard in the market, but slab export prices fell, sources told Fastmarkets.Last week, Iranian mills were waiting for some clearer price direction from China, and one order was even canceled in response to domestic billet prices in China dropping to 4,730 yuan ($747) per tonne on May 27.But domes...Read More
Prices for steel hollow sections in Europe were unchanged on Wednesday June 9 following recent stability of feedstock costs and uncertainty over the upcoming European Commission safeguard decision, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe was ?,?1,320-1340 ($1,607-1,631) per tonne on June 9, unchanged week on week...Read More
Rising storage and logistics costs sent the US lead premium to an all-time high on Tuesday June 8, while Chinese zinc market participants expect domestic supply to rebound when the Yunnan government ends the cap on power consumption for manufacturing in three weeks. The US 99.97% lead premium reached a new record high, supported by rising logistics costs. Power limits in China are due to en...Read More
Zinc producers in China's southwestern province of Yunnan should be able to fully resume their operations by mid-June, sources said.Yunnan will remove its power restrictions by the end of June that have stunted local zinc output, the provincial energy bureau said.A few zinc smelters in Yunnan have already resumed production, however, sources that spoke to Fastmarkets said.Production capa...Read More
Two Chinese investors into Kamoa Kakula copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have signed offtake agreements for phase 1 output, operator Ivanhoe Mines said on Wednesday June 9.CITIC Metal (HK) Limited and Zijin Mining's subsidiary Gold Mountains (HK) International Mining Co will each have access to 50% of Kamoa Kakula's copper concentrate and blister copper, Ivanhoe said The offta...Read More
US Midwest aluminium premiums were likely to stay at elevated levels on continuing strength in physical demand and the continuation of trade tariffs, the chief financial officer of Alcoa has said.According to William Oplinger, the Midwest premium was currently 27 cents per lb, a situation that was likely to continue provided the current factors bullish remained in place."Assuming strong demand and...Read More
A workers' strike at Vale's Sudbury nickel mine, in the eastern Canadian province of Ontario, is now in its second week, but would have to continue for at least a month before nickel premiums would rise in the United States, according to most market sources consulted by Fastmarkets this week.They were considering the effect on cut cathode premiums, especially.Vale Canada is North America's main pr...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices picked up on Wednesday June 9 as a result of futures gains leading to stronger demand, market sources said.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 4,960-5,000 yuan ($776-782) per tonne, up by 40-50 yuan per tonneRebar futures staged a slight rebound on Tuesday and Wednesday, following a large drop on Monday, which market participants said was a "reasonable price change".The...Read More
Copper cathode premiums fell even further for shipments into China, while US rates remained high in the latest assessments on Tuesday June 8. A firmly closed arbitrage window sent Fastmarkets premiums down further in China. US premiums are stable at high levels, supported by high costs and good demand. China's low premium dents spot activity; SEA market flat There was minimal spot interest...Read More
Several provinces in China have been hit by power cuts in the past two months due to electricity shortages and energy controls, resulting in reduced production and price fluctuations for metals and ferro-alloys, including aluminum, zinc, silicon metal, ferro-chrome and silico-manganese. Supply of thermal power, the major method of power generation in the country, has been affected after coal price...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Asia, Europe and the United States in the week to Tuesday June 8.ChinaRecent power cuts in Inner Mongolia and Guangxi provinces limited the availability of domestic ferro-chrome and supported the spot market.The spot market strength domestically and in other parts of Asia spurred positivity in the imported charge chrome market, although liquidity issues remain...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories from Tuesday June 8 that are worth another look.A rise in Covid-19 cases in China's Guangdong province in recent weeks has led to tighter controls and rigorous testing at the huge Yantian International Container Terminal (YICT), causing extended delays...Read More
Tin was the best performer on the London Metal Exchange on June 8 due to its constrained global supply situation being set to worsen amid disruption from MSC, while the rest of the complex finished positively on afternoon US trade despite a broader consolidation.LME tin's three-month price closed at $31,223 per tonne on Tuesday, jumping up by 2.3% from Monday's closing price of $30,525 per tonne,...Read More
Strong demand and tight supply supported aluminium premiums at recent multi-year highs across the globe on Tuesday June 8, although levels for those in South Korea were unchanged for two months.End-user interest and insufficient supply offset London Metal Exchange backwardation in Rotterdam Japanese premium holds at two-year high on fresh deals South Korea stable for eight weeks amid little market...Read More