Prices in the United States for domestic and imported carbon steel wire rod rose by $40 per ton in July, nearing an all-time high for domestic product and a record for imports.Fastmarkets' monthly assessment for steel wire rod (low carbon) industrial quality, fob mill US was $55-57 per hundredweight ($1,100-1,140 per short ton) on Tuesday July 20, up by 3.70% from 53-55 per cwt on June 1...Read More

Belgian flat steel re-roller NLMK La Louviere has declared force majeure after a fire at its rolling mill, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday July 21.The fire at La Louviere's hot-rolling mill occurred on July 17. It was extinguished within about 30 minutes and there were no injures, according to a company spokesperson."The equipment installed during the [recent] modernization of the mill was n...Read More

U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 8 point in pre-opening trade. Chipotle advanced $68.86 to $1,641.21 after reporting higher than consensus second quarter revenues and earnings. Netflix added $2.15 to $533.20 after the company announced plans to enter the gaming industry.Canadian National Railway slipped $0.40 to US$101.90 after reporting slightly less...Read More

The stock market bounced back today after yesterday's major losses. "Buy the dip" is alive and well.But today, I want to revisit a topic I haven't addressed much lately due to the pandemic, the inflation debate, and many other topics that have taken center stage.I'm talking about the war on cash.I've warned for a long time that governments are forcing citizens into digital forms of money so that t...Read More

A weaker United States ferrous scrap export market is stoking fears that prices could retreat in the August domestic trade after recyclers on the East Coast lowered their selling prices by $10-25 per gross ton in a tell-tale sign.International steel mills have lowered their import prices for US ferrous scrap grades - including heavy melt - this week, citing inflation, higher oil prices and th...Read More

Stainless steel scrap prices in the United States have continued to post slight gains, but the uptrend has begun to show signs of slowing down."Pittsburgh processors are sort of holding back on going higher [with prices], but I know higher is out there," one dealer said, adding that "immediate future demand is hot" and he thinks supply is not going to keep up.As of Tuesday July 20, the London...Read More

Iron ore prices fell on Wednesday July 21 due to steel production cuts in some Chinese provinces for the second half of 2021, sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $214.79 per tonne,down $6.25 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $216.17 per tonne,down $6.85 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $176.44 per tonne,down $5.83 per tonne65% Fe...Read More

Import prices for high-grade ferrous scrap HRS101 into China were stable on Wednesday July 21 amid limited spot trading activity, sources told Fastmarkets.Major steel mills continued to view offers for imported cargoes as excessively high and unreflective of market fundamentals in China, especially with steel production cuts dampening spot demand."Now is not a good time to do scrap imports because...Read More

Seaborne coking coal prices stayed large stable in both the cfr and fob market on Wednesday July 21 because buying interest is weak facing the elevated offers, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $211.08 per tonne, down $0.19 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $309.31 per tonne, up $0.20 per tonne Hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $178.42 pe...Read More

BHP produced 41 million tonnes of metallurgical coal at its Queensland operations in Australia in its 2021 financial year ended June 30, according to its latest production report published on Tuesday July 20.The total is down by 1% year on year and within its guidance of 39-41 million tonnes. The miner said it produced 11.82 million tonnes of the steelmaking raw material in the April-June period,...Read More

China's domestic hot-rolled coil prices largely softened on Wednesday July 21 amid a fluctuating futures market, with participants weighing the possible effects of expected production cuts against an ongoing summer lull. DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,860-5,880 yuan ($905-908) per tonne, narrowing by 10-50 yuan per tonne from 5,850-5,930 yuan per tonneThe most-traded October HRC contract ende...Read More

China's domestic rebar prices picked up slightly on Wednesday July 21 following major mills raising ex works prices.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,230-5,250 yuan ($808-811) per tonne, up by 10 yuan per tonneEastern China major rebar producer, Shagang, raised their ex works price by 250 yuan per tonne to 5,550 yuan...Read More

Base metal futures dipped in morning trading on the London Metal Exchange on Wednesday July 21, as markets globally took pause after a whipsaw start to the week.Nickel three-month futures led the pack down, dropping 1.31% against Tuesday's 5pm close to $18,420 per tonne.Three-month zinc was the second-biggest faller, down 0.83% at $2,938 per tonne.Overall volume was muted, with copper three-month...Read More

Global zinc premiums remained steady in the week to Tuesday July 20, while United States lead premiums surged on tight supply, sources told Fastmarkets.Northern European premiums stable despite demand concernFloods in Europe discourage local downstream consumers and US lead supplyUS lead up again on supply shortage, zinc holdsChinese market quiet during renewed power cut policy in YunnanUS lead pr...Read More

An overview of the consumer electronics markets and their latest price moves.Janie Davies, Cristina Belda and...Read More

An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price moves.Janie Davies, Declan...Read More

Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday July 21.Key drivers The ferro-titanium price range widened higher in the week to July 21 on new deals against renewed demand from buyers ahead of new export duties from Russia which begin on August 31. The major consumers in the steel sector, however, have yet to emerge for longer term contracted deliveries and one steelmaker said t...Read More

The Cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets...Read More

The Cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lbtrade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Read More

The Cobalt hydroxide payable indicator, min 30% Co, cif China, % payable of Fastmarkets' standard-grade cobalt price (low-end) trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets assessed Cobalt...Read More