Mining company Vedanta and its Zambian unit Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) said they were seeking urgent talks with the Zambian president following a high court order on Tuesday to appoint a provisional liquidator.The news has rattled foreign investors already nervous governments in central African countries are seeking a much bigger share of resource revenues, which they say will discourage investmen...Read More
Zambia's Eurobond yields rose to record highs after the government of the cash-strapped copper producer said it's planning to seize Vedanta Resources Ltd.'s mining assets.The yield on the southern African nation's $750 million of securities maturing in September 2022 climbed 81 basis points to 19.74% as of 10:43 a.m. in London. Rates on notes due in April 2024 rose 51 basis points to 19.02%. No ot...Read More
An indigenous Peruvian community has imposed a new road blockade on Chinese miner MMG Ltd's Las Bambas mine, one of Peru's largest copper producers, after talks with the company over compensation broke down, a representative of the public ombudsman office said on Tuesday.The community started the blockade at midnight (0500 GMT) on Tuesday, the representative, Americo Contreras, said by phone, citi...Read More
Oil-to-metals conglomerate Vedanta Ltd said on Tuesday it had been declared the preferred bidder for two copper blocks in the India's western state of Maharashtra.The blocks require extensive exploration, Vedanta said, adding that this would start in due course.The copper blocks have total area of 1584.9 hectares, and are located in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district, the company said.The news come...Read More
The import price for steel billet in the United Arab Emirates has widened upward in new deals over the past week, but the price of rebar has decreased, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday May 21.Domestic rebarLocal demand was weak in the country because of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which started earlier in May, and the expectation that prices could fall further.The observance of Ramadan i...Read More
The iron ore market is on a surge, the price last week punching up through the $100-per tonne level for the first time in five years.Copper, by contrast, is under pressure, with the London Metal Exchange (LME) price for three-month delivery sliding 10 percent over the last month and currently struggling to hold the $6,000-per tonne level.The fortunes of two commodities are beholden to China, the w...Read More
The world's largest miner, BHP (ASX, NYSE: BHP), has lifted its forecasts for the global adoption and sales of electric vehicles (EVs), but warns the electrification of the transport sector will proceed only as fast as the development of charging infrastructure does.BHP now estimates that at least 132 million EVs will be on the world's roads in 2035, and at least 561 million by the middle of the...Read More
The Turkish deep-sea scrap market remained quiet on Tuesday May 21, while steel mills continued to negotiate rebar sales to the United States and scrap merchants awaited signs of a clearer market direction.The US reduced its tariff on steel imports from Turkey to 25%, from 50%, on May 17, bringing the country back in line with other prospective suppliers to the US market.F...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Tuesday May 21 that are worth another look.The United States' removal of Section 232 tariffs on Mexican steel products is likely to underpin a slow recovery in Mexico's ferrous scrap market, market participants said. News that Hydro's Alunorte alumina refinery will return to full capacity, after the production embargo was removed, did l...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were predominantly higher during morning trading on Tuesday May 21, ignoring an uptick in the dollar index, while trade war concerns continue to keep liquidity levels low. The three-month nickel price climbed by 0.5% this morning to edge back above the nearby $12,000 per tonne resistance level after settling below the mark at Monday's close. The pric...Read More
The global refined copper market recorded a surplus of 74,000 tonnes in February 2019, compared with a deficit of 33,000 tonnes in the prior month, according to preliminary data released by the International Copper Study Group (ICSG). World refined copper production totaled 1.83 million tonnes in February, down by 9.4% from 2.02 million tonnes in January, while usage amounted to 1.76 million tonne...Read More
Base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were on divergent paths during morning trading on Tuesday May 21, with the resumption of operations at the Alunorte refinery in Brazil putting pressure on aluminium prices, while nickel climbed after London Metal Exchange spreads moved into backwardation.Aluminium was amongst the underperformers on Tuesday morning, with its most-traded July contr...Read More
Companhia Sider??rgica Nacional (CSN) will increase its prices for steel by around 10% in June and other Brazilian flat steel producers are likely to follow its lead, the president of national distributors' association (Inda), Carlos Loureiro, said on Tuesday May 21.Domestic steel is being sold at a discount in comparison with imports, he added, while cost inflation has been hurting steelmakers' m...Read More
UK steel trade unions have renewed their calls for the government and British Steel's owners Greybull Capital to reach an agreement to save the troubled long steel producer."It is vital now that cool heads prevail and Greybull and the [British] government continue to focus on finding a solution that maintains employment and keeps the business trading," Alasdair McDiarmid, operations director for U...Read More
Export prices for Chinese cold-rolled coil and hot-dipped galvanized coil were down during the week to Tuesday May 21 after Chinese producers adjusted their offers to remain competitively priced amid declining domestic demand and the weakening Chinese currency, market sources said.The Chinese currency slid to 6.91 yuan to $1 on Tuesday May 21, compared with 6.73 yuan per $1 on Sunday May 6, one da...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil prices rose on Tuesday May 21 after trading turned more active following gains in the futures market.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 4,000-4,040 yuan ($578-584) per tonne, widening upward 30 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,900-3,920 yuan per tonne, widening upward 10 yuan per tonneWhile sellers started with prices of around 4,000 yuan per tonne in Shan...Read More
RAPAPORT... De Beers' sales fell to their lowest level in more than ayear and a half, as a slowdown in the Indian manufacturing sector hit roughdemand. Revenue dropped 25% to $415 million for the fourth salescycle of the year, which included last week's May sight in Botswana, thecompany reported Tuesday. Proceeds haven't been that low since October 2017, when De Beers garnered just $376 million am...Read More
RAPAPORT... A private collection of more than 800 luxury watches will gounder the hammer at four Sotheby's auctions in London, Geneva, New York andHong Kong over the coming year and a half. The Masterworks of Time sale series comprises pieces from the last500 years that have been out of the public eye for a long time, Sotheby's saidrecently. The collection also encompasses clocks from the past 400...Read More
RAPAPORT... Round diamonds have long been the most popular in the US, but fancy shapes also have a following in certain cities, according to a study by Blue Nile. Round-cut diamonds continue to be the most popular shape inmost states, accounting for 66% of nationwide orders, the jeweler said lastweek. However, when it comes to fancies, Blue Nile receives the most orders foremerald and princes...Read More
The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for hot-rolled coil, cold-rolled coil, hot-dipped galvanized coil, pre-painted galvanized iron, steel plate, steel sheet and other flat steel products. Latest transactions: hot-rolled coilHot-rolled coilEast China, domestic,...Read More