Turkish export rebar and wire rod prices strengthened in the week to Thursday October 22 amid limited material supply and higher scrap costs, sources have told Fastmarkets."Mills sold quite a lot of rebar for export in earlier weeks so, when you ask, the earliest date they give you [for delivery] is January," one source said.A 50,000-tonne rebar cargo scheduled for shipment in January was reported...Read More

Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday October 22 that are worth another look....Read More

The three-month price of zinc on the London Metal Exchange was the standout performer at the close of trading on Thursday October 22, making a steady approach toward resistance at the $2,600-per-tonne threshold.Copper futures were the laggard over the day, in spite of Wednesday's upsurge.Zinc's underlying price on the LME closed at $2,578.50 per tonne on Thursday afternoon, climbing from an intrad...Read More

The London Metal Exchange will launch a lithium contract based on the monthly average of Fastmarkets' price assessment for lithium hydroxide monohydrate, it said during an online briefing on Thursday October 22 as part of the annual LME Week event.The contract will use the assessment for lithium hydroxide monohydrate, min 56.5% LiOH.H2O, battery grade, spot price, cif China, Japan & Korea. It is p...Read More

Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were collectively lower during morning trading on Thursday October 22, with the LME nickel price notching the biggest decline, while a continued impasse over a US coronavirus fiscal stimulus package cooled rallies seen earlier in the week. Nickel's outright price on the LME was recently trading at $15,730 per tonne on Thursday morning, fa...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.US ERW OCTG edges higher, seamless could followRising substrate costs helped support US ERW OCTG prices this month, especially at the upper end of the range of offers. Seamless OCTG and linepipe prices, meanwhile, held firm compared with September prices. The fundamentals remain weak, with rig counts going up...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Iron ore remains the most bullish commodity of the year, with prices fuelled by Chinese demand and supply disruptions in Brazil, along with bullish sentiment. But prices are expected to come down because Brazilian exports have begun to recover, and have reached their highest level since the Brumadinho dam disaster in 2019. W...Read More

Access our research platformsSign-in to our platforms to access our extensive research, our latest insight, data and analytics and to connect to our industry experts.Fuelled by public policy and declining battery costs, global electric bus adoption is set to triple by 2025. The Chinese market - the most promising in this sector - will surpass the 1 million e-bus mark by 2023 and reach 1.3 million...Read More

Access our research platformsSign-in to our platforms to access our extensive research, our latest insight, data and analytics and to connect to our industry experts.As we look to 2020, copper is faced with a finely balanced market. For now, positive investor sentiment around copper’s fundamentals is supporting higher prices. Stronger demand growth is underpinned by new semis capacity, while...Read More

Domestic prices for hot-dipped galvanized coil (HDG) steel in Northern Europe increased in the week to Wednesday October 21, supported by reduced availability of the material in the spot market, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel HDG, domestic, exw Northern Europe was ?,?595-615 ($702-726) per tonne ex-works on October 21, up by ?,?5-15 per tonne from ?,?590-60...Read More

Sentiment improving as holiday orders and shortages support polished prices. Cutters planning brief Diwali break amid rise in production. US holiday shoppers expected to keep spending in line with last year at average of $998, says NRF. Jewelers with strong digital presence doing well. Fewer 3Q bankruptcies than expected as JBT reports US industry decline of 3% to 24,258 businesses. China strong....Read More

RAPAPORT... De Beers' sales and production rebounded in the third quarter as the impending holiday season revitalized the diamond market following months of slow sales.Rough sales totaled 6.6 million carats during the three months ending September 30, a sharp increase from 300,000 carats in the second quarter, parent company Anglo American reported Thursday.Though sales volume was down 11% ye...Read More

RAPAPORT... US spending on holiday gifts will be similar to last year as consumers look to celebrate after the uncertainty and stress of the pandemic, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF)."Consumers have demonstrated their resilience and adaptability throughout these extraordinary times," NRF CEO Matthew Shay said Wednesday. Americans said they would shell out approximately $998 on se...Read More

RAPAPORT... Indian diamond manufacturers are planning a curtailed Diwali break as they scramble to fulfill US holiday orders amid a shortage of polished.Factories will shut for five to 12 days instead of the usual two to three weeks, aiming to offset months of inactivity due to Covid-19, manufacturing executives said this week. Demand is growing ahead of the Christmas and Chinese New Year sea...Read More

RAPAPORT... Gemological Science International (GSI) has launched a new online educational course dedicated to lab-grown diamonds, it said Tuesday.The Laboratory-Grown Diamond Essentials class was created in response to the rapid rise in the number of companies active in the sector, as well as increased consumer demand for synthetics, GSI noted. "It is imperative that the jewelry industry has the a...Read More

A large cargo of Ukraine-origin steel billet was heard sold into the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region in the week to Thursday October 22, while other regions were waiting to see how the market would move.A 50,000-tonne batch of Ukrainian billet was reported sold to Saudi Arabia at a price close to $440 per tonne cfr, according to estimates by market participants. This would be equivalent to s...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Petra is to sell a unique collection of blue diamonds, recovered within a week at its iconic Cullinan mine, in South Africa.The Type IIb diamonds, weighing between 9.61 carats and 25.75 carats, are all described as being of significant color, clarity, size. They contain a small amount of boron, which determines their blue color.They've been named Letlapa Tala, which means "blu...Read More

(IDEX Online) - An extremely rare 74.48-carat fancy yellow diamond is to headline a sale of rough by Rio Tinto from its mines in Canada and Australia.The diamond (pictured) has been named the Diavik Helios, after the Canadian mine where it was found, and the pure yellow sunlight emitted by the mythical Greek god of the Sun.The Specials Tender of stones over 10.8 carats also includes 28,399 carats...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Veteran diamond industry journalist Rob Bates is making his debut as an author - with the release of a murder mystery set in New York's Diamond District.After 25 years' writing about real-life intrigue in the world of gems, he's penned A Murder is Forever, a fictional account of conspiracy, death, secrets and a $4m pink diamond.Mimi Rosen, the central character, does...Read More

Multiple battery chemistry offerings will continue to co-exist in the marketplace, according to Ernie Ortiz, president and managing director at Lithium Royalty Corporation."The future will be balanced and diversified across battery chemistry. [Original equipment manufacturers] acknowledge that battery chemistry is not a one-size-fits-all approach," Ortiz said during the Focus Day on electric vehic...Read More