Iron ore prices increased slightly on Friday August 6 after a slump on Thursday, although overall sentiment remains bearish, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $172.51 per tonne, up $0.96 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $173.53 per tonne, up $0.77 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $139.23 per tonne, up $2.95 per ton...Read More

The US Dollar Index was at its highest since July 27 and was weighing on London Metal Exchange base-metal prices in the afternoon of Friday August 6, with all metals ending the week below where they were on Monday.The US index touched a week-and-a-half high of 92.84 on Friday afternoon, following the release of positive employment data in the country.There were 943,000 jobs added to the US economy...Read More

An overview of the new energy materials markets and their price moves in the week to Friday August 6.Susan Zou, Yingchi Yang and...Read More

Spot buying appetite from Chinese copper smelters remained low in the week to Friday August 6, with standard tonnages being traded in the mid to high $50s per tonne range.Deals for blended cargoes of lower-grade copper concentrate were reported in the low $60s per tonne. Regional power restrictions in China have led to copper smelters bringing forward their maintenance plans which created reduced...Read More

Spot differentials for low-carbon aluminium in Europe were stable during July, but some deals and offers for 2022 supply were reported well above current spot levels.Fastmarkets assessed the aluminium low-carbon differential value-added product (VAP), Europe at $10-15 per tonne Friday August 6, unchanged from the previous assessment on July 2.Offers for 2022 VAPs were reported between $20 and abov...Read More

The tight Chinese domestic tin market may loosen after China's Yunnan Tin, the world's largest tin producer, resumed production in early August after its annual maintenance, sources said.Although a tin shortage remains in China, sources expect tightness to alleviate in the near future.Sources estimate that Yunnan Tin's maintenance reduced tin output by approximately 1,500-2,000 tonnes, althou...Read More

Future remains golden for Rox ResourcesSPONSOREDrox resourcesCashed-up Karora is doubling gold production at a blistering paceSPONSOREDkarora resourcesZinc-lead discovery helps Zenith double market capSPONSOREDzenith mineralsMining and the lack of external investmentSPONSOREDswannThe two uranium players on the program, Boss Energy and Paladin Energy, are looking to restart uranium mines in South A...Read More

Chinese copper smelter Guangxi Nanguo has brought forward its maintenance schedule because the local government has stepped up its measures to restrict power consumption by industrial facilities, Fastmarkets has learnt.The private smelter, which has capacity for 300,000 tonnes per year, will be shut for 45 days across August-September and therefore will not be procuring extra copper raw material o...Read More

Future remains golden for Rox ResourcesSPONSOREDrox resourcesCashed-up Karora is doubling gold production at a blistering paceSPONSOREDkarora resourcesZinc-lead discovery helps Zenith double market capSPONSOREDzenith mineralsMining and the lack of external investmentSPONSOREDswannBHP has made no secret of its desire to get more exposure to nickel, trumping Wyloo Metals' proposed offer for Noront l...Read More

Deliverable stocks of base metals diverged in the week to Friday August 6, with zinc leading the growth and tin topping the decline.Zinc inventories totaled 39,982 tonnes in the week to August 6, up by 3,758 tonnes (10.4%) from the previous week. R&S Logistics warehouse in Shanghai reported the largest inflow, with volumes rising by 1,490 tonnes (68.3%) week on week to 3,671 tonnes, according to t...Read More

Fastmarkets has identified a necessary clarification to the nickel sulfate specification with regard to delivery time.The delivery time for Fastmarkets' nickel sulfate ex-works China price assessment is seven days, which was not reflected in the specifications when the price was launched in July 2018.Fastmarkets confirms that the specifications read as follows, with the clarification in italics:MB...Read More

Brazilian slab export prices were stable in the week ended Friday August 6, with few deals booked.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel slab, export, fob main port Brazil was unchanged at $920-930 per tonne on Friday, though prices are down from $975-985 per tonne on July 23.Brazilian slab export prices have been affected by a similar drop...Read More

Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States slipped after touching $94 per hundredweight ($1,880 per short ton) for the second time ever on Thursday August 5, but remained above $93 per cwt for an eighth consecutive business day while buyers grumbled about the lack of spot material.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $93.46 per cwt ($1,869.20 per ton) on F...Read More

South American flat steel import prices did not show a clear trend in the week to Friday August 6, with some products being offered higher - especially due to tax rebate cuts in China - while others were down due to discounts or the absence of more expensive material in the market.Demand also took a hit during the period. Some customers were concerned that a Chinese export tax for hot-rolled produ...Read More

Cold-rolled and galvanized steel sheet prices in the United States set fresh records this past week, and all indications point to further gains in the coming weeks.Some mills were offering sporadic spot material at levels much higher that those recorded previously, and while some buyers have been pushing back those in dire need of material were paying the premium price.Fastmarkets' weekly price as...Read More

(Updates prices, recasts) Aug 6 (Reuters) - Copper prices fell on Friday as solid U.S.jobs data pushed the dollar sharply higher, making metals moreexpensive for buyers with other currencies.Copper had been trading higher after news that a union atthe world's biggest copper mine, Chile's Escondida, told workersto prepare for a strike that would reduce supply.But by 1605 GMT, benchmark copper on th...Read More

German industrial group Thyssenkrupp has agreed the sale of its Infrastructure business to compatriot company FMC Beteiligungs KG, an entrepreneur-led investment firm, Thyssenkrupp said on Thursday August 5.The deal was expected to be closed later this year but will be subject to approval from merger control authorities as well as Thyssenkrupp's own supervisory board. The financial details of the...Read More

Indian hot-rolled coil export prices rose by $25-40 per tonne in the week to Friday August 6 due to mills expanding their markets to the Gulf region, North Africa, Central and South America.Fastmarkets assessed steel hot-rolled coil (commodity) export, fob main port India at $920-950 per tonne on Friday, an increase of $25-40 per tonne from $895-910 per tonne last week."Indian mills are...Read More

The import pig iron market in the United States declined during the week ended Friday August 6 due to a new booking from Brazil.Fastmarkets' price assessment for pig iron, import, cfr Gulf of Mexico, US was at $585-600 per tonne on Friday, down from $620-635 per tonne a week earlier.One large buyer purchased a cargo from the south of Brazil at $585-587 per tonne cfr for...Read More

A question:Why do the health authorities refuse to acknowledge the possibility of severe vaccination side effects? Here is the likely answer:The "Noble Lie." Details to follow.As we maintained yesterday - in grim detail - the COVID-19 vaccines are likely not so safe as health authorities claim.Jabbings have likely accounted for thousands of deaths - perhaps tens of thousands - and at least hundred...Read More