Turkish steel producers have resumed their deep-sea scrap purchases at firm prices after a week-long break, market sources said on Wednesday November 4.A steel mill in the Iskenderun region of the country booked a US cargo comprising 18,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $296.50 per tonne, 10,000 tonnes of shredded at $301.50 per tonne and 2,000 tonnes of bonus at $306.50 per tonne cfr.Another steel...Read More

U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 59 points in pre-opening trade. U.S. election results for the Presidency and Senate are too close to call.Index futures were virtually unchanged following release of the U.S. October Trade Deficit at 8:30 AM EDT. Consensus was a deficit of $66.10 billion versus $67.10 billion in September. Actual was a deficit of $63.9...Read More

Iron ore prices in the futures and seaborne markets were relatively stable on Wednesday November 4, despite new restrictions on sintering and blast furnace stoppages, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $116.91 per tonne, down $0.18 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $117.00 per tonne, down $0.63 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade...Read More

Seaborne coking coal prices were mixed between the fob Australia and cfr China markets on Wednesday November 4, with the market largely muted awaiting the result of the presidential election in the United States.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $106.80 per tonne, down $0.96 per tonne Premium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $137.02 per tonne, up $2.08 per tonneHard c...Read More

Asian commodity markets are on the edge with market participants keenly watching the outcome of the United States' presidential election.Democratic Party candidate Joe Biden has garnered 223 electoral votes as at 2pm Singapore time, compared with Republican candidate Donald Trump's 174 votes, according to the Associated Press."It's not a sure-win for Biden now, especially since there are still som...Read More

China's semi-finished steel and pig iron imports surged year on year in September, with quantities growing by up to eight times as much as the same period a year earlier.These were attributed to steady demand from steelmakers and high domestic prices in China.Vietnam was the biggest supplier of billet to...Read More

Zinc premiums in the United States and Taiwan rose over the week to Tuesday November 3 while in Northern Europe spot zinc premiums dropped amid a dampened outlook and new regional lockdowns, sources said.US, EU zinc premiums diverge with appetite for units stronger in the former and weaker in the latter regionTaiwanese zinc premiums hit multi-month high amid demand uptick while China zinc premiums...Read More

China's hot-rolled coil market experienced active trading on Wednesday November 4 amid price gains.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,980-4,020 yuan ($595-601) per tonne, widening upward by 30 yuan per tonneA source at a mill in eastern China said that demand had been rebounding recently amid continual price gains, with downstream buyers rushing to restock on fears of more increases.He said that...Read More

Prices for base metals dropped in morning trading on Wednesday November 4, after Donald Trump said he plans to contest the result of the incomplete and already uncertain presidential election in the United States.Aluminium, nickel and copper had all dropped by 1% or more as of 8:20 UK time with votes still being counted in a US presidential race that looks set to go down to the wire and in which a...Read More

Aluminium premiums in Southern Europe, the United States and Japan rose on Tuesday November 3, while demand outpaced squeezed supply in those regions, overriding the backwardation in London Metal Exchange spreads.Duty-unpaid Rotterdam premium down; Spain, Italy upUS Midwest premium up as Canadian flows slowStronger demand boosts MJP premiumSlower activity pressures Brazilian premiums downSouth Eur...Read More

An overview of the consumers electronics markets and their latest price moves.Read More

Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday November 4.Key driversThe ferro-titanium spot price in Europe increased over the week amid steady business in a market rally that started on August 19 against persistent demand and tightening feedstock supplies. The top of the current price range is at a level last seen on June 10.Around 85 tonnes of deals were reportedly sold in Eu...Read More

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

The cobalt alloy 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 assessed cobalt...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 assessed cobalt...Read More

Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in China on Wednesday November 4. Key driversChina's domestic gallium price narrowed upward after finding further support from continued firm offers.Several suppliers raised their offers further while some producers held back from offering in anticipation of higher prices in...Read More

Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in China on Wednesday November 4. Key driversPrice declined following lower offers in response to weak buying appetite.Traders remain cautious about building positions in the face of volatile changes on the Wuxi Stainless Steel Exchange.The December indium contract...Read More

A summary of stainless steel producer Aperam's results for the third quarter of 2020.In brief Aperam managed to increase shipments for the period driven by flexible multi-product business in Brazil and the demand recovery in Europe after Covid-19-related lockdowns earlier in the year were eased. Sales, however, were still down year-on-year due to weaker prices. The automotive industry, one of the...Read More

Brazilian ferro-alloys producer Ferbasa has reported a fire at its plant in the country that it warned may affect ferro-silicon production for about eight days, the company said on its website on Tuesday November 3.Ferbasa has the capacity to produce around 120,000 tonnes per year of ferro-silicon and sells its product domestically, while exporting alloy to the United States and Europe. The compan...Read More

China has stepped up trade restrictions against Australia, with at least one clearinghouse suspending imports of a range of agricultural and mineral products, Hong Kong's daily English-language newspaper, the South China Morning Post, reported on Nov. 3.That same day, Bloomberg News also reported that the Chinese government had ordered commodity traders to stop purchasing products, including coal,...Read More