(IDEX Online) - De Beers has warned staff in Botswana of possible job losses when the country's Covid-related state of emergency (SoE) lapses at the end of October.The SoE, introduced in April, prevents employers from laying off workers.Botswana, the world's top diamond-producing country by value, saw Q2 sales fall by almost two-thirds because of coronavirus.  It relies on diamonds...Read More

The Brazilian aluminium industry association, Abal, expects to propose a new duty-free import quota to national foreign trade chamber Camex in a month's time, its president, Milton Rego, told Fastmarkets on Tuesday August 25.Market participants have been apprehensive for more than a month now about the possibility of filling quota volumes before the year-end. Imports of primary aluminium are free...Read More

Primary aluminium stocks at the three main Japanese ports (MJP) of Osaka, Nagoya and Yokohama fell by 1.7% year on year at the end of July, according to data released by major Japanese trading house Marubeni Corp. Total aluminium stocks at the three ports stood at 341,400 tonnes on July 31, down by 5,900 tonnes from 347,300 tonnes at the end of June, figures released on Monday August 24 showed. Th...Read More

China's imports of unwrought aluminium and aluminium products soared by more than sixfold on a year-on-year basis in July, while copper shipments also increased, but to a lesser degree, Chinese customs data, seen by Fastmarkets on Monday August 24, shows.AluminiumJuly imports: 391,237 tonnes, up by 570% year on year, up...Read More

Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were predominantly up during morning trading on Tuesday August 25, with price action consolidating higher against news of a reaffirmed commitment to trade talks between the United States and China, while zinc futures led the way in a 1% morning uptick.Zinc's outright price on the LME was recently trading at $2,481.50 per tonne on Tuesday...Read More

Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States have topped $24.50 per hundredweight ($490 per short ton) for the first time in nine weeks on longer mill lead times and limited spot availability at some producers.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $24.58 per cwt ($491.60 per ton) on Tuesday August 25, up by 1.7% from $24.16 per cwt on Monday August 24 and up...Read More

Artemis all set thanks to unique approachSPONSOREDartemis resourcesIt was previously planning to construct a fit-for-purpose mill.The company, which recently reported seven straight quarters of positive cash flow from ongoing underground bulk sampling at Farellon, said it had reached a promissory agreement over the assets with SBX Chile.Artemis all set thanks to unique approachSPONSOREDartemi...Read More

ArcelorMittal has restarted its blast furnace (BF) No3 at its Dunkirk flat steel plant in France, the company told Fastmarkets on Tuesday August 25."We have restarted BF No3 in Dunkirk and it is currently in its ramp up phase," the company's spokesman said.ArcelorMittal announced its plans to resume production in the middle of July after the equipment was idled from March 23 this year, when steel...Read More

Artemis all set thanks to unique approachSPONSOREDartemis resourcesWire services reported workers blocked access to the site on Monday after PT Freeport Indonesia stopped a bus service, which allowed workers to visit their families, due to coronavirus concerns.Police chief Eduard Edison told AFP the protest, which was continuing today, was peaceful "and so far everything is under control".Artemis...Read More

Flat steel import prices in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia continued to edge up this week, despite demand still being weak, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday August 25.No deals were heard during the week because of liquidity problems in the UAE, as well as buyers preferring to wait for prices to fall.UAEOffer prices for hot-rolled coil from Japan were heard in the UAE at $540-550 per...Read More

Prices for steel rebar and billet in the United Arab Emirates decreased slightly this week because of weak demand, market sources said on Tuesday August 25.Domestic rebarRebar producers in the UAE have been offering the product at 1,800-1,830 dirhams ($490-498) per tonne ex-works for orders with September-production  since August 17, with deals heard over the week at 1,750 dirhams per tonne e...Read More

Artemis all set thanks to unique approachSPONSOREDartemis resourcesBMO Capital Markets noted the operation remained a cash burner, however KGHM's VP of international assets Pawel Gruza said on a conference call the operation might not need financial support from its JV partners from 2021, a year later than planned due to COVID-19.KGHM had reported second quarter EBITDA of PLN1 billion for its Poli...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.August 2020 has seen the prices of most steel products move up in tandem around the world, in contrast to recent months when steel prices have moved in different directions depending on the market.This dynamic has been seen in most coated steel markets as well, with the prices for hot-dipped galvanized coil (HDG), pre-painted...Read More

Artemis all set thanks to unique approachSPONSOREDartemis resourcesThe mill restarted last week and has 160,000 tons of stockpiled material on hand for processing. More development ore and subsequent stope ore will be hoisted through the East North Ventilation Shaft until final outfitting work on the main shaft is completed, which is expected by year end.The operation is expected to produce up to...Read More

88 Energy (ASX:88E) Prepares for Billion Barrel Farm OutSPONSORED88 energyScoped for growth: Nevada Copper shifts into production modeSPONSOREDnevada copper corp.Element 25's Butcherbird on songSPONSOREDelement 25Lithium no quiet place for AVZSPONSOREDavz mineralsThe US Army Corps of Engineers sent a letter to Northern Dynasty subsidiary the Pebble Limited Partnership on Monday, asking for the...Read More

CME Group's Midwest No1 busheling ferrous scrap futures traded a total of 186 lots (3,720 gross tons) on Monday August 24, according to the exchange's daily report.The front month September contract remained the most active with 62 lots sold; 209 lots traded on that contract on Friday August 21. After opening at $289 per ton, up by $3 from the Friday close, the price slid by $6 day on day to settl...Read More

Turkish steel producers resumed deep-sea scrap purchasing on Tuesday August 25 after more than two weeks out of the market, sources told Fastmarkets.A steel mill in the Marmara region booked a Baltic Sea cargo, comprising 38,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $283 per tonne, 1,500 tonnes of bonus scrap at $293 per tonne and 1,500 tonnes of busheling at $298 per tonne cfr.The same mill booked a...Read More

Brazilian miner Vale has inaugurated an iron ore grinding hub at a terminal owned by the China-based Ningbo-Zhoushan Port Group (NZP), with three production lines and capacity for as much as 3 million tonnes per year, the company said on Tuesday August 25.The first product to be designed at the grinding hub will be GF88, high-grade fines made from iron ore produced in Caraj??s (IOCJ), the top-tier...Read More

Honeywell (HON) moved above $164.79 extending an intermediate uptrend. The stock was added to the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Brookfield Infrastructure Properties (BIP/UN), a TSX 60 stock moved above $60.63 extending an intermediate uptrend. Pre-opening Comments for Tuesday August 25thU.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 14 points in pre-opening tr...Read More

Prices for iron ore fines went down on Tuesday August 25, with market sources saying that the restrictions on sintering in the Tangshan area of northern China have affected demand expectations.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $122.99 per tonne, down by $2.24 per tonne.62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $121.20 per tonne, down by $3.58 per tonne.58% Fe fines high-grade pre...Read More