The Shanghai Futures Exchange has allowed Glencore's Nikkelverk nickel brand to be physically deliverable as a registered brand against its nickel futures contracts as of May 21, the exchange said.Nikkelverk is a branded electrolytic nickel (Ni 99.80, electrowinning) produced by Glencore Nikkelverk, a wholly owned subsidiary of Glencore Canada, which has registered capacity of 80,000 tonnes, the S...Read More
The current bullish commodities market is mainly driven by a supply-demand mismatch during a pandemic instead of a super cycle, panelists said at the LME Asia Metal Seminar 2021 on Tuesday May 25.An energy transition is also driving demand and price momentum for some metals, they said."The [increased] metals price resulted from a disconnect between supply and demand, because demand for metals is r...Read More
A combination of tight supply and strong demand was keeping the European hot-rolled coil market bullish, with the situation unlikely to change any time soon, market participants told Fastmarkets on Tuesday May 25.Some sources, however, were growing concerned that recent price falls in China might put an end to the rapid increases in Europe.Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil ind...Read More
Selenium prices in Europe have risen in the past two pricing sessions, against the backdrop of limited spot material availability and higher prices in China.Fastmarkets most recently assessed the price of selenium, 99.5% Se min, in-whs Rotterdam, at $8.20-9.20 per lb on Friday May 21, up from $7.90-9.00 per lb in the previous session two days earlier. The price was up by 10.2% from $7.40-8.30 per...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil export prices fell significantly on Tuesday May 25, following the recent sharp decline in domestic prices and the resulting uptick in sales.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,430-5,440 yuan ($848-850) per tonne,down by 10 yuan per tonneSellers cut domestic HRC prices slightly on Tuesday to encourage higher sales volumes following futures losses, sources said.Stockists plan...Read More
The Cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lbtrade 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...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 Cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb at 20.00-20.50...Read More
China-based Do-Fluoride Chemical Co will invest 300 million yuan ($46.67 million) to build a lithium-ion battery plant in the city of Nanning, Guangxi province, in southern China, it said on Tuesday May 25.The project will be led by Do-Fluoride, the Nanning municipal government, and the government of the Qingxiu district of Nanning, and will have an estimated annual production capacity of 20GWh.Th...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange were mainly positive on the morning of Tuesday May 25, with only SHFE lead showing significant weakness. Broader markets seem to have become more risk on again after US central bankers stuck to their dovish guidance.Asia-Pacific equities were firmer this morning, especially in China where government action has calmed inf...Read More
A summary of China's minor metals exports for April 2021.In brief China's exports of antimony declined in April amid weak overseas demand; buyers abroad were hesitant to place orders amid a downtrend in the material's price, according to market sources. Chinese shipments of gallium surged in April...Read More
Import prices for steel scrap in China were unchanged on Tuesday May 25, with the country's finished steel market crashing in response to a meeting held by the Chinese government on Sunday May 23 that put more emphasis on stability in the commodities sector.Fastmarkets' daily price assessment for steel scrap, heavy recycled steel materials, cfr China, which takes into account prices at ports in ea...Read More
Recycled aluminium could meet 50% of demand for the metal by 2050, according to the International Aluminium Institute (IAI).In new data released on Tuesday May 25, the IAI reported a record 20 million tonnes of post-consumer scrap intake in 2019, representing nearly 60% of total scrap intake and equivalent to saving 300 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions."Aluminium demand is expected to in...Read More
Chilean copper producer Codelco has agreed a 36-month labor deal with unions representing management and employees at its headquarters in Santiago the state-run company said on Monday May 24.The world's largest copper producing company had offered no pay rises, but a bonus of 1.5 million Chilean pesos ($2,068) for those agreeing to the labor deal."The successful negotiation adds to [other] deals r...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday May 24 that are worth another look.Demand for ferrous scrap imported to South Korea has shown a notable recovery in recent months amid healthy steel demand and rising steel output in the East Asian nation.Key Chinese commodities companies have been warned that they...Read More
Some base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange bounced back on Monday May 24 aided by elements of short-covering after the sell-off towards the end of last week that took copper and aluminium prices down by over 5%. The three-month nickel price had the biggest boost on Monday, of 1.9% to $17,118 per tonne, from Friday's $16,791 per tonne price. On Friday, the price had declined by 6% over th...Read More
The Chinese government held a meeting with the biggest iron ore, steel, copper and aluminium producers on Sunday May 23 to call for them to rein in commodity price hikes. Commodity leaders were told at the meeting to "proactively fulfill their social responsibilities" and make business decisions "for the benefit of the entire economy as a whole." "The key message is that we ought to obey our paren...Read More
Any imposition by Europe of import duties on stainless steel products from Indonesia and India would spur the domestic market, create additional demand for alloy and boost the ferro-chrome market - but the effects on prices may only be short-lived, according to Fastmarkets' senior analyst.It has been expected for some time that the EU will impose import duties on Indonesian and Indian stainless st...Read More
The seaborne low and high-grade manganese ore markets were quiet in the week to Friday May 21, while the portside market remained stable against strengthening silico-manganese prices, sources said.Fastmarkets' manganese ore index 37% Mn, cif Tianjin edged down by 1 cent (0.20%) to $4.50 per dry metric tonne unit (dmtu) on Friday, from $4.51 per dmtu a week earlier.The semi-carbonate market was lar...Read More
The Chinese government held a meeting with the biggest iron ore, steel, copper and aluminium producers on Sunday May 23 to call for them to rein in commodity price hikes. Commodity leaders were told at the meeting to "proactively fulfill their social responsibilities" and make business decisions "for the benefit of the entire economy as a whole." "The key message is that we ought to obey our paren...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday May 24 that are worth another look.Demand for ferrous scrap imported to South Korea has shown a notable recovery in recent months amid healthy steel demand and rising steel output in the East Asian nation.Key Chinese commodities companies have been warned that they...Read More