Chinese domestic spot battery-grade lithium carbonate prices moved up slightly on Thursday December 13 on reduced producer stocks near the end of the year whilst lithium hydroxide prices softened week on week on slow demand. Lithium carbonate prices moved slightly up due to lower availability near the end of the year. Lithium hydroxide prices dropped on slow demand and lower offers from prod...Read More
Tianqi's recent purchase of a stake in SQM is the latest in a series of deals showing how participants at different stages of the supply chain are opting to strengthen their position through vertical partnerships. Meanwhile, consumers are keen to lock in feedstock supply through offtake agreements. The global lithium industry is growing rapidly, but at the same time competition is consolidating, w...Read More
Major steel mills in China have concluded their ferro-silicon tenders for December at levels similar to those in November, Fastmarkets MB has learned. Both Hebei Steel, the country's largest mill, and Jiangsu Shagang last week released their tender purchase prices for ferro-silicon this month. Hebei Steel's latest tender price is 7,010 yuan ($1,013) per tonne for December, for 5,100 tonnes of ferr...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 27 points in pre-opening trade.Index futures were virtually unchanged following release of November Retail Sales at 8:30 AM EST. Consensus was an increase of 0.2% versus an upwardly revised gain of 1.1% in October. Actual was an increase of 0.2%.The Shanghai Composite Index dropped 40 points to 2,594 after China's Nov...Read More
There was little activity in the pig iron market in the United States this week because buyers were cautiously optimistic about the possibility of a price reduction.Fastmarkets' import price assessment for pig iron in the US was $370-380 per tonne cfr on Friday December 14, down from $375-385 per tonne cfr a week earlier. The most recent booking of CIS-origin material in the US was hear...Read More
Turkish steel producers have ended another week without making any deep-sea purchases because of the continued lack of demand for finished steel in the country's domestic and export markets, sources said on Friday December 14.Domestic mills have been holding back from scrap purchases for three weeks now, with only one cargo booked since November 23, which was a European cargo at an average price o...Read More
The price of shredded ferrous scrap imported into India fell this this week, reflecting lower offer prices to entice buyers, market participants said on Friday December 14.Fastmarkets MB's weekly index for containerized imports of shredded scrap into India was $337.50 per tonne cfr Nhava Sheva on December 14, down from $342.78 per tonne cfr Nhava Sheva on December 7.Offers ranged from $330 to $345...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices surged above the $70 per tonne cfr mark on Friday December 14 amid bullish trading in both physical and futures markets.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $70.74 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $3.09 per tonne.MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $70.54 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $3.62 per tonne.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $72.17 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $1.29 per tonne.MB 58%...Read More
Interest in Singapore Exchange's (SGX) high-grade iron ore derivative was robust in the second week of trading, with 7,000 lots traded and cleared by 5.53pm Singapore time on Friday December 14.This accounts for 700,000 tonnes traded and cleared this week as of 5.53pm Singapore time, according to SGX data.Trading was done in each calendar month from January 2019 to June 2019 this week, in line wit...Read More
The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for iron ore, pig iron, direct-reduced iron and other steelmaking raw materials. Latest transactions: iron oreIron oreRio Tinto, Beijing Iron Ore Trading Center (Corex), 170,000 tonnes of 61% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, sold at $69.40 per tonne cfr China,...Read More
The divide between cfr China and fob Australia prices widened further on Friday December 14 amid persistent concerns over potential supply disruptions.A cargo of a top Australian brand was traded at $208.20 per tonne cfr China during the day, various sources told Fastmarkets. A cargo of a similar brand had changed hands at $230 per tonne fob Australia just a day earlier.The Abbot Point Coal Termin...Read More
“Is there a real estate bubble?” That’s the question I’m asked repeatedly. When I reply honestly, “I hope so," the person asking me will sometimes get angry.“You want the market to crash?” asked one young man incredulously, at an event where I was a featured speaker.“Yes,” I replied. “I love market crashes.”Apparently not wanting to...Read More
China's domestic hot-rolled coil prices continued to rise on Friday December 14, capping a week of gains that appears to have led to a drop in trading activity in the export market. DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,820-3,830 yuan ($555-557) per tonne, up 30-50 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,620-3,630 yuan per tonne, up 10-20 yuan per tonnePrices rose further due to buyers constantly...Read More
“Sorry, your card was declined.”What the….!?!?I was at the hospital cafeteria picking up some food for my little man who broke his arm this weekend. And for some reason my card wouldn’t go through. Was I really out of money?The holidays can be stressful trying to make sure you cross everyone off on your shopping list. And then if you throw in some unexpected expenses like a...Read More
The following Fastmarkets minor metals prices changed on Friday December 14:Bismuth MB free market, $/lb: $3.40-3.80 per lb from $3.60-4.00Bismuth MB China domestic, yuan/tonne: 48,000-50,000 yuan per tonne from 48,500-51,000 yuanCobalt MB free market high grade, $/lb: $28.60-30.60 per lb from $29.90-31.40Cobalt...Read More
An overview of the Chinese minor metals markets and the reasons for any price moves. Read More
Disappointing Chinese economic data has weighed on the three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange this morning, Friday December 14, with all the metals in negative territory and showing average losses of 0.4%.The three-month zinc price led the way with a drop of 1%, copper was off by 0.5% at $6,121 per tonne, while the rest were off by between 0.1% and 0.3%.Volume across the compl...Read More
Manganese ore exports from South Africa during 2018 will increase to almost 17 million tonnes by the end of December, according to data that also shows monthly export volumes soared in November. Shipping trends show the total exported volume of manganese ore from South Africa in 2018 will be up by about 14% compared with the 14.7 million tonnes it exported in 2017, when...Read More
Stainless steel prices in Europe fell in the week to Friday December 14, with slow trading increasing the competition between distributors, sources told Fastmarkets."Distributors still have high stocks, and destocking did not go as fast as planned for the majority of the buyers, so competition has been rather strong," a trader said.From the end of next week until the first week...Read More
Colorado School of Mines celebrated its midyear commencement Dec. 14, conferring a total of 226 bachelor's, 187 master's and 55 doctoral degrees during undergraduate and graduate ceremonies at Lockridge Arena. Special recognition was given to students of high scholastic achievement, active university involvement and innovative research at both ceremonies. Undergraduate awards and recognitions...Read More