Brazilian rebar prices rose in February after producers questioned whether an increase was sustainable amid a downturn in international markets.Fastmarkets assessed the price of steel reinforcing bar (rebar) domestic monthly, delivered Brazil at 4,720-4,860 Reais ($877-903) per tonne on Friday February 12, up from 4,495-4,575 Reais per tonne on January 8.In late January, steel mills were pushing f...Read More
A shortage of containers to ship commodities around the world and the consequent soaring in associated freight rates have led to a revival of interest in breakbulk cargoes. Producers and physical traders of metals, agricultural, chemical and timber products have been starting to book shipments in breakbulk vessels, which cost far less and doesn't require vast amounts of equipment in port. On the m...Read More
Zinc's price rose the most in the London Metal Exchange base-metals complex in the week to Friday February 12, with all metals showing weekly increases of 2% or more, and with new year-to-date highs for copper, lead, aluminium and tin during the day.Zinc's three-month price rose by 7% throughout the week, closing at 5pm on Friday at $2,834.50 per tonne, its highest since January 8.The galvanizing...Read More
Zinc and lead prices continued on their upward trajectories on the morning of Friday February 12, which the nickel price fell by 1.3% on a day that is likely to see little trading due to the Chinese New Year. The three-month zinc price rose to $2,795 per tonne at 9am from Thursday's closing price of $2,789.50. It rose 2.4% on Thursday from the previous day, and its weekly gain is of around 6%. It...Read More
With Greater China on holiday, base metals trading on the London Metal Exchange has been quiet this morning, Friday February 12, with prices little changed and trading volumes light - but so far prices are holding up in high ground.The outlook for metals demand is strong, but could it be derailed by the global semiconductor shortage?Base metalsThree-month base metals prices on the L...Read More
Murphy wants to know if he can sponsor this article? He keeps jumping up and down, hootin' & hollerin' something about some stinkin' law!(by Half Dollar) I know, right?Silver's technical indicator can't be wrong, and it's telling us that silver is about to rocket launch to unfathomable heights!And the squeeze is on!Everybody sees it, everybody knows it, and everybody agrees!Everybody, well, except...Read More
All indications suggest that silver should now be refreshed for a sustainable physically-driven catch-up rally into the thirties, at least...Samuel Briggs via KinesisSamuel Briggs via Kinesis MoneyAndrew Maguire reports insiders' pushback against Reddit silver traders defended by an unknown market entity:Watch this week's Live from the Vault for:Watch out COMEX Wall Street Silver are coming: 1:33?...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key North American steel forecast highlights:US hot-rolled coil prices moved in line with our forecasts in January, with actual prices modestly exceeding our forecasts for the month. Fastmarkets' US HRC index averaged $1,099 per ton in January, slightly above our forecast price of $1,075 per ton for the month. W...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.The uptrend in European flat steel prices continued in January 2021 as expected, with the prices for hot-rolled coil in the North and South of the region averaging ?,?698 and ?,?686 ($840 and $826) per tonne respectively, within 1% of the Fastmarkets research forecasts.With European HRC prices climbing to their highest level...Read More
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The export market for pig iron from the Commonwealth of Independent States was soft during the week to Thursday February 11, but sentiment improved in the middle of the week on stronger scrap. Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for high-manganese pig iron, export, fob main port Black Sea, CIS was $495-510 per tonne on Thursday, widening upward from $495-500 per tonne a week before."Buyers are ra...Read More
The import pig iron import market in the United States was firm during the week to Friday February 12 on new bookings of Russian and Brazilian material. Fastmarkets' price assessment for pig iron, import, cfr Gulf of Mexico, US was $510 per tonne on Friday, narrowing from $500-520 per tonne a week earlier.One large pig iron buyer purchased a...Read More
The aluminium primary foundry alloy (PFA) premium in the United States climbed to an 18-month high on Friday February 12, while the premium in Eastern Europe also firmed on tight supply despite thin liquidity.United StatesFastmarkets assessed the aluminium primary foundry alloy silicon 7 ingot/T-bar premium, dlvd dup over P1020A Midwest at 9-11 cents per lb on Friday, up by 8.1% from 8.5-10 cents...Read More
Chile-based producer Mantos Copper has secured a total of $846.6 million to finance its Mantoverde project in the South American country into production.The finance package includes $275 million in equity from Mitsuibishi Materials, in return for a 30% shareholding in the project, which is scheduled to produce 110,000 tonnes per year of copper from 2023 to 2030.Read More
An overview of the new energy materials markets and their price moves from the past week. Read More
Zinc's price rose the most in the London Metal Exchange base-metals complex in the week to Friday February 12, with all metals showing weekly increases of 2% or more, and with new year-to-date highs for copper, lead, aluminium and tin during the day.Zinc's three-month price rose by 7% throughout the week, closing at 5pm on Friday at $2,834.50 per tonne, its highest since January 8.The galvanizing...Read More
China's copper traders did not want to wait until after the week-long holidays to buy the metal.Wednesday February 10 saw a raft of orders in the London Metal Exchange overnight market, sending volumes well over regular levels as Chinese institutions and traders sought to lock positions ahead of the Lunar New Year.The injection saw copper's price trade at fresh eight-year highs over $8,300 per ton...Read More
Fastmarkets will publish inferred low-carbon midpoint calculations for some aluminium P1020A and value-added product (VAP) markets in line with the launch of the low-carbon aluminium differentials. The low-carbon aluminium differentials are being launched following a two-month market consultation. An inferred number is a calculation using existing Fastmarkets numbers. The new inferred prices will...Read More
Copper concentrate treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) dropped further into Fastmarkets' record lows, with the market pricing spot cargoes at slimmer discounts to London Metal Exchange prices ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays. Fastmarkets' benchmark copper concentrates TC/RC index, cif Asia Pacific settled at $36.20 per tonne / 3.62 cents per lb on Friday February 12, down from $37 per...Read More
Import prices for flat-rolled steel products edged upward in South America during the week to Friday February 12 with deals settled at prices a little higher than previously, in the absence of Chinese exporters from the market.Offers from China were scarce ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, February 11-17. But some traders were still trying to sell a remainder of April-shipment cargoes from the...Read More