Slow demand and cheaper imports have quashed attempts by steel rebar producers in Poland to boost prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday November 19.Trading activity in the Polish rebar market has been slow this week, those sources said - because local distributors and stockholders have enough material in stock, they have not been looking to make bookings.As well, end-user demand from the cons...Read More
Crude steel output in Germany increased by 7% year on year in October, the German steel federation, WV Stahl, said on Friday November 19.German crude steel production totaled 3.66 million tonnes in October, up from 3.42 million tonnes in October last year.Steel output from Germany's basic oxygen furnaces - mainly used in the production of flat steel - rose by 13.2% year on year to...Read More
Although sentiment in the US carbon steel plate market has grown less decidedly bullish in recent weeks, the price has held steady at its all-time high - surpassing hot-rolled coil for the first time in more than a year.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel cut-to-length plate carbon grade, fob mill US held at $90 per hundredweight ($1,800 per short ton) on Friday November 19, unchanged for two...Read More
An overview of the aerospace materials markets and the latest price moves.Jessica Long, Zihao Li and...Read More
The United States pig iron import market remained at a standstill in the week to Friday November 19, but suppliers remained bullish and prices edged up, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for pig iron, import, cfr Gulf of Mexico, US was at $575-580 per tonne on Friday, up from $570-575 per tonne a week earlier.Neither buyers no suppliers were heard to be active in the market du...Read More
Eastern China's rebar prices increased slightly on Friday November 19 following futures' gains due to heightened market expectations that banks will loosen loans to housing companies.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 4,670-4,710 yuan ($732-738) per tonne, up by 10-20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing) weekly assessment: 4,440-4,480 yuan per tonne, down by 80-120 yuan per tonneMarket participa...Read More
European automotive producers are driving the demand for steel grades involving reduced generation of carbon dioxide, in their attempts to reduce supply-chain emissions, and are teaming-up with steelmakers to explore the emerging green steel prototypes.Pressure to meet climate targetsAn estimated 20% of the automotive industry's emissions come from the manufacturing stage, according to CDP - forme...Read More
The price of stainless steel in the European domestic market remained unchanged this week, but ongoing tightness could see prices move up before the end of the year, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday November 19.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for stainless steel cold-rolled sheet 2mm grade 304 base price domestic, delivered Northern Europe was unchanged week on week at ?,?1,850-1,900 ($2,09...Read More
Importers of ferrous scrap were lured back to market in the week ended Friday November 19 by lower prices, which were precipitated by a period of lackluster buying activity.?EUR?Turkish mills' import prices rebounded by the week's end after deals at lower prices?EUR?US sales halted with exporters reluctant to reduce their selling prices?EUR?Vietnamese buyers were actively seeking more material aft...Read More
An overview of the new energy materials markets and their price moves in the week to Friday November 19.Susan Zou, Yingchi Yang and...Read More
The price of stainless steel in the European domestic market remained unchanged this week, but ongoing tightness could see prices move up before the end of the year, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday November 19.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for stainless steel cold-rolled sheet 2mm grade 304 base price domestic, delivered Northern Europe was unchanged week on week at ?,?1,850-1,900 ($2,09...Read More
China's Ministry of Industry & Information Technology (MIIT) is conducting a public consultation on its proposed standards of the lithium-ion battery industry. The proposed standards - released on Thursday November 18 - detail the requirements for battery energy density and specific capacity.In the proposal, the energy density for consumer electronics batteries need to stay above 260 watt hour (Wh...Read More
Prices for shredded steel scrap imported into Pakistan and India moved down after both markets weakened in the seven days to Friday November 19, sources told Fastmarkets.PakistanFastmarkets calculated its weekly steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Port Qasim, Pakistan at $560.18 per tonne on Friday, compared with $564.21 per tonne a week earlier.Deals were heard at $563-565 per tonne this we...Read More
Aluminium billet premiums were steady across the globe on Friday November 19, remaining close to all-time highs.EuropeEuropean billet premiums are unchanged this week at record highs but liquidity is low, with most buyers covered until the end of the year.Fastmarkets assessed the aluminium 6063 extrusion billet premium, ddp North Germany (Ruhr region) at $1,450-1,500 per tonne on November 19, unch...Read More
Eastern China's rebar prices increased slightly on Friday November 19 following futures' gains due to heightened market expectations that banks will loosen loans to housing companies.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 4,670-4,710 yuan ($732-738) per tonne, up by 10-20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing) weekly assessment: 4,440-4,480 yuan per tonne, down by 80-120 yuan per tonneMarket participa...Read More
Prices for cold-rolled and galvanized steel sheet in the United States tumbled, partially catching up with the accelerating downturn in pricing for hot-rolled coil substrate, which has declined by more than 8% from its peak two months ago. Fastmarkets' weekly pricing assessment for steel cold-rolled coil, fob mill US skidded to $104 per hundredweight ($2,080 per short ton) on Thursday Novembe...Read More
Importers of ferrous scrap were lured back to market in the week ended Friday November 19 by lower prices, which were precipitated by a period of lackluster buying activity.?EUR?Turkish mills' import prices rebounded by the week's end after deals at lower prices?EUR?US sales halted with exporters reluctant to reduce their selling prices?EUR?Vietnamese buyers were actively seeking more material aft...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in London on Friday November 19. Key-drivers ?EUR?The European ferro-tungsten edged higher for the second consecutive session on increased spot market interest and rising offers from producers, both in China and in Russia. Tighter concentrates supply from China was also supporting higher prices. The price started the week at $36-38 per kg and has moved u...Read More
Sellers of physical copper are holding out for a higher premium for 2022 contracts in the United States.No major deals were reported by the end of the American Copper Council (ACC) fall meeting in Miami, Florida this past week, although there was talk of a US copper premium in the 10-cents-per-lb range.In the US, Fastmarkets assessed the copper grade 1 cathode premium, ddp Midwest US at 8-9 cents...Read More
The risks that the Chinese government will introduce export duties on steel products will increase if export volumes surge when prices stabilize again after the recent decline, market sources told Fastmarkets over the week to Friday November 19."A sharp rebound in export volumes will draw attention from the central authorities," a Shanghai-based trader said.Fears have emerged that the Chinese gove...Read More