As a Boy Scout and long-distance hiker, I considered myself an environmentalist growing up. My family camped in national parks around the country. The last thing I do when leaving a campsite is make sure the fire is cold and pick up any trash, including tiny scraps and cigarette butts left by the last campers.Heck, I'll even put aluminum cans and sometimes even plastic in recycling. Though I do th...Read More

Flat steel import prices in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have increased over the past week, although buying activity remained limited, Fastmarkets heard on Tuesday February 26.Deals were scarce because market participants were waiting to see whether the price increases would be permanent, sources told Fastmarkets.The buyers were doubtful because raw material prices have started to dro...Read More

We have just published our third edition of Canadian Insider Insights, Bullish signal flashing as insider index winning streak continues. This week we draw on an upbeat theme for our weekly market report, while also highlighting an important shift in the marijuana space.INK's Insider of the weekYou can read this week's edition via our Insights archive page. If you have a Canadian Insider account,...Read More

China's hot-rolled coil prices strengthened further on Tuesday February 26 despite moderate trading activity, with gains in the futures market in the afternoon providing a boost to the spot market.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,800-3,830 yuan ($567-572) per tonne, up 10-20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,740-3,770 yuan per tonne, widening upward by 20 yuan per tonneSellers in Shangh...Read More

Export prices for Chinese cold-rolled coil (CRC) and hot-dipped galvanized coil (HDG) increased again over the past week, with some mills continuing to raise their offers amid bullish sentiment and a stronger domestic market.Cold-rolled coilFastmarkets MB's weekly export price assessment for Chinese SPCC 1.0mm CRC was $545-555 per tonne fob on Tuesday February 26, up $5 per tonne from $540-550 per...Read More

Prices for steel rebar and billet imported into the United Arab Emirates have increased slightly this week because of higher offers and deal prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday February 26.The reason for the rise in the billet import price was that producers in Oman and Bahrain raised their prices for the commodity.But demand for rebar was moderate in the country, and with local supply bei...Read More

China's domestic rebar prices retreated on Tuesday February 26 after supply pressures led sellers to destock.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,740-3,780 yuan ($558-564) per tonne, down 10-20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,730-3,770 yuan per tonne, widened downward by 10 yuan per tonneSelling interest among stockists picked up due to an increase in inventory levels, which led to them...Read More

The Mexican government has decided to renew a 15% safeguarding duty on imports of steel from countries with which it does not have free trade agreements.The safeguard is expected to be signed this week, and it will be valid for another six months, according to the country's economy secretariat.It will apply also on imports of products...Read More

In contrast to the clear skies outside, a cloud hung over discussions among Indian scrap traders attending the opening session of the annual conference of the Material Recycling Association of India (MRAI) earlier this month in Kochi, southern India.Secretary-general Amar Singh praised the superior air quality in the host city, compared with the metropolises of New Delhi and Mumbai. But delegates...Read More

Turkish steel producers continued holding back from the deep-sea scrap markets on Tuesday February 26 because of the weak demand for their finished steel products in the country's domestic and export markets.The steel producers in the country went quiet at the end of last week after booking a Baltic Sea cargo, which sent prices down by $20 per tonne week on week."Turkish producers are not in very...Read More

From Tuesday February 26, Fastmarkets will update the normalization coefficients of the Turkey and Rotterdam ferrous scrap indices once per month instead of once per quarter. The indices to which this proposed change relates are the HMS 1&2 (80:20), Northern Europe-origin material, cfr Turkey index; the HMS 1&2 (80:20), USA-origin material, cfr Turkey index; and the HMS 1&2 (80:20), Nort...Read More

By: Stefan GleasonMore than a decade after the 2008 financial crisis, U.S. monetary policy continues to operate in crisis management mode.Despite a long, drawn out rate-hiking campaign - now paused - the Federal Reserve has yet to bring its benchmark interest rate up to normal levels historically.It has yet to unwind the vast majority of the nearly $4 trillion in emergency asset purchases added...Read More

1. The biggest driver of major markets right now is the possibility of a US-China trade deal.2. On that note, please click here now. The US government's wild launch of tariff taxes caused global markets to swoon in the first half of 2018. Gold and the Chinese stock market were hurt more than a lot of other markets.3. Gold has done well with QE, QT, falling rates, and rising...Read More

By: Dave KranzlerI don't know if it was the intent of the Fed, but Jerome Powell has managed to trigger a rush into stocks more frenzied than the one that engulfed the last days of the dot.com/techbubble. The vertical ascent since Christmas in the Dow/SPX is unprecedented on a percentage basis over an 8-week period of time. All sense of logic, sound analysis and fear of risk has disappeared. I d...Read More

Dear Friend of GATA and Gold:Financial letter writer Mark Hulbert never offers a good word about gold, which is fine, but then never offers a relevant one either. This practice has turned him into a mere propagandist.In his essay today at MarketWatch, headlined "Why Gold Won't Save Your Portfolio from Inflation's Bite" --https://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-gold-wont-save-your-portfolio-from......Read More

In my last article, "The Bears Have it Right: Economy went Polar Opposite of Bullish Predictions," I laid out my first prediction for 2019 a recession by summer. I don't want the following revelations and facts that I have since come across to get lost in comments I recently posted to that article, so I'm bringing them all together here.How bad was 2018?The Wall Street Journal just said it wa...Read More

Gold Resource Corporation (NYSE American: GORO) (the "Company") updated its annual reserve estimates as of December 31, 2018, increasing its proven and probable reserve tonnes at both its Oaxaca Mining Unit and Nevada Mining Unit by a combined total of 18% gold ounces and 14% silver ounces. Gold Resource Corporation is a gold and silver producer, developer and explorer with operations in Oa...Read More

By: IRA EPSTEINGold Price action consolidating in narrowing ranges. 18 day average is key (~1322.70$)Read More

The recent plunge in Heinz-Kraft shares reminds us that even Warren Buffett can make a mistake. A couple of years ago, it might have seemed as though the Sage's portfolio was impervious to downturns, given its heavy focus on the basics: food chain, railroads and insurance companies. As it happens, his bet on such time-tested brands as Oscar Mayer, Jell-o, Kraft Singles, Kool Whip and Cheez-Whiz...Read More

The correction in industrial metals was a case of "buy the rumour and sell the fact". The rumour was a trade deal between USA-China. Now that the trade deal is more or less a done deal, there was profit booking. There can be more corrections in industrial metals and thereafter a period of consolidation. The next big move will be next week around the release of various US jobs numbers. Once detai...Read More