A summary of Swedish state-owned iron-ore producer LKAB's financial results for the fourth-quarter and the full year 2020. In brief Improved demand for both steel and for iron ore in the fourth quarter 2020 in the EU and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) had a positive effect on LKAB's deliveries to Europe.EU steelmakers have increased production and brought back idled capacity, although the ma...Read More
The price range for UK-origin light iron scrap fell for the fourth week in a row in the period to Friday February 12, with British scrap export prices having been persistently low in the past few weeks.But a market bottom may have been reached because European export prices to the key destination of Turkey recovered late in the week, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday.The consistent fall in the UK...Read More
Zinc and lead prices continued on their upward trajectories on the morning of Friday February 12, which the nickel price fell by 1.3% on a day that is likely to see little trading due to the Chinese New Year. The three-month zinc price rose to $2,795 per tonne at 9am from Thursday's closing price of $2,789.50. It rose 2.4% on Thursday from the previous day, and its weekly gain is of around 6%. It...Read More
With Greater China on holiday, base metals trading on the London Metal Exchange has been quiet this morning, Friday February 12, with prices little changed and trading volumes light - but so far prices are holding up in high ground.The outlook for metals demand is strong, but could it be derailed by the global semiconductor shortage?Base metalsThree-month base metals prices on the L...Read More
An overview of the aerospace materials markets and their latest price moves.Ewa Manthey and Michael...Read More
An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price moves.Charlotte Radford, Cristina Belda...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....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...Read More
The Cobalt hydroxide payable indicator, min 30% Co, cif China, % payable of Fastmarkets' standard-grade cobalt price (low-end) 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...Read More
Norway-based silicon and ferro-silicon producer Elkem has signed an agreement to acquire a new plant near Lyon, France, to produce highly specialized organo-functional silicones, the company said on Wednesday February 10.The exact purchase price has not been disclosed, although the final price 'is in the low double-digit millions of euros,' Elkem said.The company expects the plant to start product...Read More
The price of flat-rolled stainless steel in Europe continued to surge higher in the week to Friday February 12 on high raw materials costs and long delivery times, market sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for stainless steel cold-rolled sheet, 2mm, grade 304, transaction domestic, delivered North Europe, was ?,?2,600-2,650 ($3,153-3,214) per tonne on Friday, up by ?,?10...Read More
Turkish steelmakers continued to purchase deep-sea scrap for March shipment at largely stable prices on Friday February 12, sources told Fastmarkets.A steel mill in the Marmara region booked a United States cargo comprising 15,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $410 per tonne and 15,000 tonnes of shredded at $415 per tonne cfr late on Thursday.A steel mill in the Iskenderun region was heard booking...Read More
The prospects for the global long steel market in 2021 remain rather optimistic despite some fluctuations, the International Rebar Producers & Exporters Association (Irepas) said on Wednesday February 10. "2021 looks very likely to be a year of rebound, a year of multilateral boosts to the global resurrection, with less political uncertainty. It is highly likely that demand will be good this year,...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday February 11 that are worth another look.Luxembourg-based steelmaker ArcelorMittal has decided to resume its galvanizing capacity expansion project in southern Brazil in response to fast-growing demand in the country, the company stated in its fourth-quarter earnings report published on Thursday. The project aims to increase col...Read More
The zinc futures contract had the biggest increase among base metals on the London Metal Exchange, and lead surpassed the $2,100-per-tonne mark at the close on Thursday February 11.The rest of the base metals held around their recently established highs.Zinc's three-month price climbed 2.4% on Thursday to $2,789.50 per tonne from its closing price of $2,725 per tonne on Wednesday February 10. Its...Read More
A steady stream of unfunded yet highly prospective opportunities in the battery minerals space led Sir Mick Davis to form investment company Vision Blue Resources (VBR) earlier this year. After raising $60 million in the first few weeks, it has already made its first investment and more will soon follow, Davis told Fastmarkets. The former chief executive of Xstrata Plc said in an interview that ma...Read More
A steady stream of unfunded yet highly prospective opportunities in the battery minerals space led Sir Mick Davis to form investment company Vision Blue Resources (VBR) earlier this year. After raising $60 million in the first few weeks, it has already made its first investment and more will soon follow, Davis told Fastmarkets. The former chief executive of Xstrata Plc said in an interview that ma...Read More
World manganese ore supply fell by 6.6% year-on-year to 20.38 million tonnes of manganese units in 2020 while the Covid-19 pandemic took hold, according to the latest data from the International Manganese Institute (IMnI).All global regions reported lower production, with the largest regional output being from Africa and the Middle East at 11.68 million tonnes, down by 4% year-on-year.Supply cuts...Read More
Fastmarkets rounds up the latest logistical issues affecting supplies of metal, ores and alloys from African countries, in the period ended Thursday February 11.February 4Fastmarkets reports that South32 has declared force majeure on some manganese shipments after rail lines to its Hotazel Manganese Mines consortium were suspended under state transportation provider Transnet's force majeure notice...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday February 11 that are worth another look.Luxembourg-based steelmaker ArcelorMittal has decided to resume its galvanizing capacity expansion project in southern Brazil in response to fast-growing demand in the country, the company stated in its fourth-quarter earnings report published on Thursday. The project aims to increase col...Read More