A summary of China's minor metals exports for December 2020.In brief China's exports of indium surged in December due to an uptick in restocking by overseas consumers who did not purchase much of the material in the preceding month. China's exports of silicon declined last month after many...Read More
Chinese exporters of silicon grade 5-5-3 continued to lower their offers last week amid scant interest from buyers abroad. Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for silicon export 98.5% Si min, fob China was $1,850-1,880 per tonne on Friday January 15, down by $50-70 (3.1%) from $1,900-1,950 per tonne a week earlier. The price had been assessed at $2,000-2,020 per tonne at the beginning of last mon...Read More
China's leading stainless steel producer, Taiyuan Iron & Steel (Tisco), has set its ferro-chrome tender price for February delivery at 8,000 yuan ($1,237) per tonne, the highest tender price issued by a major stainless steel mill since October 2017. The latest tender issued by the northern China-based mill is up by 2,200 yuan ($340) per tonne from 5,800 yuan per tonne offered for January. This mar...Read More
A drop in scrap bid prices from a major South Korean steelmaker led to a weakening in the Japan steel scrap export market in the week to Wednesday January 20, market participants told Fastmarkets. The South Korean mill released bids on Wednesday at ?39,500 ($381) per tonne fob for H2, ?44,000 per tonne fob for plate and structural (P&S), ?45,000 per tonne fob for Shindachi and ?44,000 per tonn...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange were for the most part down on Friday January 22, after having been up across the board a day earlier, while markets generally seem to be taking a breather after the enthusiasm the US presidential inauguration brought.Republicans in US Congress are thought to be willing to work with President Joe Biden on his $1.9 trilli...Read More
Honeywell (HON), a Dow Jones Industrial Average stock moved below $204.85 completing a double top pattern. IBM ((IBM) moved below support at $121.72 after reporting lower than consensus fourth quarter revenues. Raytheon Technologies (RTX), an S&P 100 stock moved below $67.78 completing a double top pattern. Pre-opening Comments for Friday January 22ndU.S. equity index futures were lower this m...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday January 20 that are worth another look.Brazil-based miner Vale said its sales have not been affected by a fire that impacted one of its piers at the Ponta do Madeira port...Read More
The price of tin rose by more than 2% and copper rose to more than $8,000 per tonne on Wednesday January 20, with the London Metal Exchange base-metals complex bullish at the start of the Biden presidential administration in the United States."Risk sentiment was positively skewed on January 20 on the official inauguration of the newly elected President of the United States, Joe Biden," Fastmarkets...Read More
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday January 20.Please click...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday January 20 that are worth another look.Brazil-based miner Vale said its sales have not been affected by a fire that impacted one of its piers at the Ponta do Madeira port...Read More
European ferro-chrome prices rose strongly in the week to Tuesday January 19, with China and other destinations drawing in material than would normally be destined for Europe.Demand for feedstock from consumers and traders also rose, sources said.Fastmarkets' price assessment for ferro-chrome high carbon 6-8.5% C, basis 60-64.9% Cr, max 3% Si, cif Europe gained 2-6 cents (or 4.4%) to $0....Read More
Lead premiums in the United States continue to firm on supply shortages and consistent demand, while big deals being done in Indian and European markets are also starting to pick up, sources said.US lead premium hits an over three-year highGravita seals deal in IndiaEuropean physical zinc market fires upUS lead premium most since 2016, zinc premium holdsIn the United States, the 99.97% lead ingot...Read More
Restricted supply of material has sent domestic ferro-chrome and imported charge chrome prices higher in China during the week to Tuesday January 19, according to market sources.Fastmarkets assessed ferro-chrome, spot, 6-8% C, basis 50% Cr, ddp China at 7,500-8,000 yuan ($1,157-1,234) per tonne on Tuesday, up by 800-1,000 yuan (13%) from 6,700-7,000 yuan per tonne a week earlier, and at their high...Read More
The price of standard-grade cobalt has hit a fresh high, reaching numbers not seen in nearly two years after non-Chinese consumers stepped into the market in the week to Wednesday January 20, with enough strength to help a two-week price rally continue after buying interest from China dipped.Trading volumes were now at "normal" levels, according to one trader, after two weeks of furious activity w...Read More
An overview of the consumer electronics markets and their latest price moves.Ewa Manthey, Dalila Ouerghi and...Read More
Falling Turkish deep-sea scrap import prices have continued with the latest Baltic Sea transaction heard on Wednesday January 20.A steel mill in the Marmara region booked the Baltic Sea cargo, comprising HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $440 per tonne, shredded at $445 per tonne and bonus at $450 per tonne cfr. The cargo composition was not clear.The previous deep-sea deal, which was from the United...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday January 20.Key drivers European titanium scrap markets jumped for low tin and higher tin-content material over 20% and 10%, respectively, amid a severe shortage of feedstock, which has worsened this year due to the cumulative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on end-user industries, particularly aerospace.This is the third consecutive...Read More
German automaker Audi has gained recognition for its sustainable and responsible sourcing of aluminium by attaining the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) "Chain of Custody Standard" (CoC). The certification applies to Audi's press-shop operations at two auto body plants in Germany - at Neckarsulm and Ingolstadt. The two plants produce automotive body parts&n...Read More
A summary of Antofagasta's production results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2020, as stated in its quarterly production report published on Wednesday January 20.Chilean copper miner Antofagasta's copper production dropped by 4.7% to 733,900 tonnes in 2020 from a year earlier, due mainly to lower grades at the Centinela mine in...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange were once again mixed this morning, Wednesday January 20, but the likelihood of plentiful US fiscal stimulus in the days ahead is likely to underpin markets at least for a while, although any new measures to tackle Covid-19 may well become a headwind. US Dollar Index heads lower again Market full of expectations as Joe B...Read More