There is no short-term fix for the container shortage that has sent freight cost to record highs, nor is there a need for regulatory authorities to put a lid on freight rates, Lars Jensen, chief executive officer of SeaIntelligence Consulting, said in an interview with Fastmarkets. "We are now seeing the consequences of carrier cancellations several months ago that led to a shortage of empty conta...Read More

Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Tuesday December 8 that are worth another look.There is no short-term fix for the container shortage that has sent freight cost to record highs, nor is there a need for regulatory authorities to put a lid on freight rates, Lars...Read More

Ferrous scrap prices in Mexico's main markets continued to rise in the week ended Friday December 4, with both regions assessed by Fastmarkets registering increases after clients accepted higher offers in order to maintain supply.Market participants reported price increases in a wide range of 50-600 pesos per tonne ($2-30 per tonne), depending on the customer.Fastmarkets assessed the steel sc...Read More

A summary of base metals premiums from across the globe for the week to Tuesday December 8.Please click...Read More

The price of domestic hot-rolled coil in Northern Europe inched further upward day-on-day on Tuesday December 8, due to scarce supply from both domestic and overseas producers, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, at ?,?577.50 ($700.04) per tonne on Tuesday, up by ?,?0.83 per tonne from ?,?576.67 per tonne on December...Read More

Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Tuesday December 8 that are worth another look.There is no short-term fix for the container shortage that has sent freight cost to record highs, nor is there a need for regulatory authorities to put a lid on freight rates, Lars...Read More

Glencore chairman Tony Hayward was not understating matters when he described the company's succession transition as coming "at a time of huge change." Glencore's share price has risen 3% since its announcement on Friday December 4 that 18-year chief executive officer Ivan Glasenberg would be retiring from his role next year and coal assets head Gary Nagle would stepping up to the plate. The...Read More

The base metals complex on the London Metal Exchange showed mixed fortunes at the 5pm close on Tuesday December 8, with zinc, lead and nickel holding on to gains while aluminium fell below the $2,000 per tonne psychological mark.Lead showed the biggest increase of the day, rising by 0.98% to $2,099.50 per tonne by the close from Monday's price of $2,076 per tonne.Sister metal zinc also showed a sm...Read More

Seaborne coking coal prices across the board were flat day on day on Tuesday December 8 due to a lack of transactions, sources said.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $103.08 per tonne, up $0.01 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $169.52 per tonne, unchangedHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $92.68 per tonne, unchangedHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $154.11 per tonne, un...Read More

The base metals remain upbeat this morning, Tuesday December 8, and the underlying story remains the same, infrastructure spending, economic recovery, a mass of liquidity and the potential for more US stimulus.Although there are some potential headwinds - political tensions between the United States and China, a no-deal Brexit and a correction in equity prices as harder lockdowns are forced on pop...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Chinese domestic and export flat steel prices surged in November 2020, with the export hot-rolled coil index rising to $592 per tonne during the month from $519 per tonne previously, and the monthly average increasing by 7.5% over October.Economic activity in China continued to expand, with manufacturing output rising by 7.5...Read More

What we see in gold & silver is not the start of a new, powerful upleg...by Przemyslaw Radomski via Sunshine ProfitsSilver is like gold's cheaper and more volatile little brother. The smaller market size of the white metal relative to gold makes it susceptible to wilder price swings. So how has it been performing relative to gold's corrective actions since November? And finally, where do the miner...Read More

On an inflation-adjusted basis, silver also looks dirt cheap...by Peter Krauth via Streetwise ReportsIt's getting harder with every passing day to find cheap assets.Stocks, bonds, real estate, they're all pretty pricey. And yet, no one seems to care.Instead, the masses, and asset managers, appear determined to keep pushing them higher.In recent days, the S&P 500, the Dow 30 and the Nasdaq all...Read More

The base metals complex on the London Metal Exchange showed mixed fortunes at the 5pm close on Tuesday December 8, with zinc, lead and nickel holding on to gains while aluminium fell below the $2,000 per tonne psychological mark.Lead showed the biggest increase of the day, rising by 0.98% to $2,099.50 per tonne by the close from Monday's price of $2,076 per tonne.Sister metal zinc also showed a sm...Read More

Monthly Chinese custom data compiled by Fastmarkets showed lithium carbonate imports in China for October were at their highest level in at least seven years.The spike in Chinese imports of lithium carbonate reflected the uptrend in the country's spot market as well as stock building by key suppliers in the country in preparation for a price recovery and increased demand, Fastmarkets understands....Read More

Peruvian mine output went up on an annual basis of comparison in October, with copper, zinc and tin recovering to pre-pandemic levels and production units aiming for higher capacity usage, data from the country's ministry of energy and mines, Minem, showed on Monday December 7.The country produced 207,034 tonnes of copper during October, a 1.4% year-on-year increase from 204,139 tonnes. But in the...Read More

RAPAPORT... The December edition of the Rapaport Research Report, published on Monday, presents an in-depth analysis of how Covid-19 has impacted Botswana's diamond industry and, by extension, its economy. As the poster child for the diamonds-do-good story, Botswana has been particularly vulnerable during the pandemic. Its heavy reliance on the diamond sector means its economy gains when the marke...Read More

Hindalco plans to build a 34,000-tonne-per-year aluminium extrusion plant in Silvassa, India, it said on Monday December 7. The company, which expects commercial production at the plant to start in 24 months, said the new plant will be part of the company's long-term downstream value-added product (VAP) strategy. Hindalco plans to build a larger VAP portfolio over the next few years. "We are seein...Read More

Glencore chairman Tony Hayward was not understating matters when he described the company's succession transition as coming "at a time of huge change." Glencore's share price has risen 3% since its announcement on Friday December 4 that 18-year chief executive officer Ivan Glasenberg would be retiring from his role next year and coal assets head Gary Nagle would stepping up to the plate. The...Read More

RAPAPORT... Bonhams sold a Kashmir sapphire and diamond brooch for $1.1 million at its New York Jewels auction, bringing in more than double its low valuation and surpassing its high estimate.The cushion-shaped mixed-cut, 17.21-carat sapphire, flanked by marquise- and pear-shaped table-cut diamonds, was created in 1910. It led the December 7 sale, which achieved a total of $3.8 million, Bonhams sa...Read More