As of March 23, it has been a full year since US President Donald Trump's administration imposed tariffs against imported steel and aluminium under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which allows the president to place restrictions on imports on national security grounds.Trump's trade measures have drawn criticism from several US trading partners who argue that these actions violate e...Read More

An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Read More

Fastmarkets' alumina index fob Australia moved to its highest level since early December due to unrelenting market tightness. The daily fob Australia alumina index rose to $412.94 per tonne on Friday March 22, up from $403.58 per tonne the previous day and 6.7% higher month on month from $386.90 per tonne on February 22. Key drivers  Tightness in the market continues to...Read More

A conflict between Norwegian aluminium group Norsk Hydro and the Brazilian federal prosecutors' office, MPF, could put the company's bauxite production in the Northern state of Par?? at risk.MPF is claiming Minera????o Paragominas' operational license for an ore pipeline and a power transmission line expired in 2014. This would mean the bauxite producer is illegally operating the assets, according...Read More

Trading on AIM under the new ticker, ARK, started on March 22. All new share certificates issued for ordinary shares will reflect the new name, although existing share certificates with the old name will remain valid.   The company has also changed its Twitter handle and website address to reflect its new name. The name 'Arkle' was taken from the Irish race horse who...Read More

U.S. manufacturing activity eased to the lowest level in nearly two years this month, according to a private reading published Friday, pulling Wall Street lower and piling more pressure on the Treasury yield curve, which inverted for the first since in more than ten years. IHS Markit's flash reading of overall activity in the world's biggest economy was pegged at 54.3 points, well above the 50 m...Read More

An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Read More

By: IRA EPSTEINYield curve inversion on the treasury bond markets, market issuing warning signs. Gold gained on the day as the stock market went down. People ran to safe havens:Read More

Gold COT Report - Futures Large SpeculatorsCommercialTotal LongShortSpreadingLongShortLongShort 204,325115,92968,691186,704302,363459,720486,983 Change from Prior Reporting Period -925-10,502-6,520-5,3251,860-12,770-15,162 Traders 19368815256280176 Small Speculators LongShortOpen Interest 54,44327,180514,163 -3,097-705-15,867 non reportable position...Read More

So much for the 2858.75 print in the E-Mini S&Ps earlier this week that I'd said might mark an important top. Thursday's muscular short squeeze impaled this 'Hidden Pivot' resistance, leaving the futures above it at the close. It also put in play an alternative scenario I'd mentioned i.e., a move above 3,000. The chart shows a 'secondary pivot' at 3005.63 that can serve for now as a minimu...Read More

An overview of the minor metals markets andthe reasons for any price moves.An overview of...Read More

Global scrap prices have gone up slightly except in Vietnam during the working week from Monday March 18 to Friday March 22, with demand being seen in Turkey only later in the week. Turkish steel producers returned to the market at the end of the week US ferrous scrap export prices up Vietnam ferrous scrap prices fall on weak demand Taiwanese prices rise on higher offers India on holidayTurkey imp...Read More

Excellon's La Platosa silver mine in Durango, north-central Mexico. Source: Excellon Resources Inc.Excellon Resources Inc. [EXN-TSX; EXLLF-OTC] has revealed that a portion of the concentrates produced at its Miguel Auza processing facility in Mexico was recently stolen while in transit to the port of Manzanillo, Mexico.Details of the alleged theft are reported in a March 21, 2019 news release co...Read More

Austenitic alloy steel scrap prices edged higher in Europe this week in reaction to more stable nickel costs. The three-month official bid/offer spread for nickel on the London Metal Exchange was $13,010/13,020 per tonne on Friday March 22, compared with $12,945/12,960 per tonne on March 15.This...Read More

The Ularring Hematite Project located 450 km east-northeast of Perth, Western Australia. Source: Macarthur Minerals Ltd.Macarthur Minerals Ltd. [MMS-TSXV; MMSDF-OTCQB] shares rallied sharply Friday March 22 after the company moved to clarify certain statements contained in a March 21, 2019 release entitled Macarthur Minerals Signs 10-year iron ore off-take agreement for the Lake Giles Iron Project...Read More

Prices for light iron steel scrap in the United Kingdom have been rolled over this week amid steady trading while regular inter-merchant business and firm demand from major shredders support the market, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday March 22.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for UK grade-5C ferrous scrap on an inter-merchant basis was ?90-110 ($118-145) per tonne on March 22. The current...Read More

The Turquoise Ridge Mine in Nevada, owned as to Barrick 75%/Newmont 25%. Source: Barrick Gold Corp.Paulson & Co. Inc., a substantial shareholder in Newmont Mining Corp. [NEM-NYSE], said it will not support the U.S. gold mining giant's proposed US$10 billion acquisition of Goldcorp Inc. [G-TSX; GG-NYSE] in its current form.However, Paulson said it would back a revised deal where Goldcorp shareh...Read More

The Friday Market Minute Stocks slide after European manufacturing PMI falls to lowest level since 2013, while a new orders index hits a 2012 trough, as trade disputes hammer exports in the world's biggest economic bloc.US Treasury Department sanctions on two Chinese shipping firms accused of helping North Korea evade restrictions on its nuclear weapons program rattle nerves ahead of next week's...Read More

With three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange having come off their weekly highs, most metals remained under selling pressure and have continued to consolidate this morning, Friday March 22.The initial weakness seen in the dollar index following the surprisingly dovish tone struck by the US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) at the conclusion of their meeting on Wednesday prov...Read More

Ontario's government is working for the people by supporting tourism in Sault Ste. Marie through an investment in new Paper Mill district attractions, creating eight new full- and part-time jobs.Today, Ross Romano, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, announced the provincial government is investing $5 million to help the Sault Ste. Marie Economic Deve...Read More