Canadian diamond miner Star Diamond shared the results of a recent survey of its Star and the Orion South kimberlites, confirming the relative abundance of type IIa diamonds at these projects in central Saskatchewan. Across the board, type IIa diamonds make up less than three percent of a diamond mine's production. Therefore, the results of this study conducted which estimate that 26.5 percent of...Read More
Zimbabwe will scrap a law that denies foreign platinum mining companies control of their operations in the country, the mines minister said on Thursday.It's part of continued review of (the) Zimbabwe is open for business mantra."Foreign platinum and diamond miners have been restricted to only 49 percent ownership of their Zimbabwe operations by the black economic empowerment law introduced during...Read More
Turkish billet prices have remained firm over the past week with moderate demand in the export markets. But the domestic and import markets were comparatively weaker, sources said on Thursday March 7.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for billet exports was unchanged week on week at $450-460 per tonne fob on Thursday.The Turkish mills were heard to sell a number of billet cargoes for export this...Read More
JOHANNESBURG – Zimbabwean Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said a rule requiring local investors to control platinum mines will be scrapped and foreigners will be allowed to own 100% in a bid to revive investment.“We are removing that indigenization rule, which is discouraging foreign direct investment,” Ncube said in an interview with Bloomberg Television in Washington. “We s...Read More
Neiman Marcus Group Ltd. reported that it is in discussions with bondholders to extend its repayment deadline to 2023. In case an agreement is finalized, Neiman Marcus would be able to avert a possible default of $5 billion of debt that would be due for payment during the coming two years. As part of the agreement, the company offered bondholders a share in MyTheresa, Neiman Marcus' international...Read More
The Turkish long steel export market remained weak over the past seven days on sluggish demand, while increasing raw materials costs continued to squeeze mill margins, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday March 7.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for rebar exports out of Turkey remained unchanged at $470-480 per tonne fob on an actual weight basis.Steel producers in Turkey continued to offer re...Read More
RAPAPORT... Phillips has hired Geoffrey Hess as a consultant for itswatch department, to support the division's collaborations, events, sourcingand new business initiatives. Hess - an aficionado of vintage sports watches - was previously the CEOof vintage-timepiece platform Analog/Shift, the auction house said Monday. He was also CEO of Ivanka TrumpFine Jewelry and senior adviser to former New Yor...Read More
Steel billet import prices in Egypt have increased over the past seven days with higher offers and deal prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday March 7.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel billet imported into Egypt was $470-475 per tonne cfr on Thursday, rising from $465-470 per tonne cfr last week.The rise can be attributed partly to a decree issued by Egypt's ministry of trade an...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil exporters were insisting on higher offer prices on Thursday March 7 despite the slight drop in the domestic spot market, with most sellers feeling little need to export.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,820-3,840 yuan ($569-572) per tonne, down 20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,750-3,770 yuan per tonne, down 20 yuan per tonneShanghai sellers began the...Read More
Turkish steel producers continued to replenish low stock levels by booking more deep-sea scrap at firm prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday March 7.A steel mill in the Marmara region booked a US cargo comprising 32,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $322 per tonne, 5,000 tonnes of shredded at $327 per tonne and 3,000 tonnes of bonus at $332 per tonne cfr.This was...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 transaction: iron oreIron oreVale, Beijing Iron Ore Trading Center (Corex), 100,000 tonnes of 65% Fe Iron Ore Carajas, traded at $99.70 per tonne cfr China, laycan February 27-March 8.BHP, Global Ore, 80,000 tonnes of 62% Fe Jimblebar fines, traded at...Read More
"Tshisekedi would be a relatively positive figure for mining investment"SPONSOREDverisk maplecroftAlkane maps own path to world-class critical metals producerSPONSOREDalkane resourcesWestern Atlas drill-ready in NunavutSPONSOREDwestern atlas resourcesGlobal Atomic's 'transformational discovery' changes everythingSPONSOREDglobal atomic corpAt Las Bambas in Peru, outbound coppe...Read More
Iron ore prices rose on Thursday March 7 in line with futures market gains following data releases showing a decline in steel inventories in the market. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $87.61 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $0.56 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $87.01 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $0.56 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $90.01 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $0.93 per ton...Read More
Eastern promise for PolarXSPONSOREDpolarxAltech ticks boxes on path to production SPONSOREDaltech chemicalsFriedland has been wowing audiences with latest pre-feasibility numbers for a proposed US$1.1 billion, six million tonnes per annum underground mine and plant producing up to 360,000 tonnes of copper a year at Kalula on the Central African Copperbelt. He has also been speaking regularly about...Read More
The seaborne coking coal spot market moved sideways on March 7 following trades that concluded at similar levels compared with previous trades in the week.A cargo of premium mid-vol hard coking coal cargo changed hands at $210.75 per tonne fob Australia, up $0.75 per tonne from a similar cargo that traded earlier in the week, sources said.Meanwhile, there was talk in the market that rail operation...Read More
Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were for the most part weaker again this morning, Thursday March 7.With the exception of tin that was up by 0.5% and aluminium that was little changed, the rest of the complex were down between 0.2% for lead and 1.4% for nickel. Copper was off by 0.4% at $6,428 per tonne, compared with $6,455 per tonne at Wednesday’s close, while nic...Read More
Domestic stainless steel prices in China maintained their upward trend over the past week on higher nickel prices and strengthening demand.Fastmarkets MB's domestic price assessment for benchmark 304 stainless cold-rolled coil in the major market of Wuxi was 15,100-15,500 yuan ($2,249-2,309) per tonne including value-added tax for the week ended Wednesday February March 6, up 400 yuan per tonne fr...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 3 points in pre-opening trade.Index futures turned positive after the European Central Bank announced additional funding for European banks. Index futures were virtually unchanged following release of economic news at 8:30 AM EST. Consensus for Weekly Jobless Claims was 225,000 versus 226,000 last week. Actual was 223,...Read More
Base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange dipped slightly during morning trading on Thursday March 7, with nickel leading the losses. However, copper bucked the trend amid a positive outlook for the red metal.SHFE base metals prices showed slight losses this morning, pressured by the stronger dollar, which was at 96.86 this morning at 10.20am Shanghai time.This compares with the dol...Read More
Global zinc premiums have been little changed over the past week with a worsening Chinese import arbitrage distorting the marketplace for the world's largest base metals consumer, Fastmarkets heard on Wednesday March 6. European zinc premiums near October 2010 lowUS markets stable with lead and zinc demand healthyChinese markets suffering from arbitrage window. Northern European zinc premiums stay...Read More