With the exception of nickel, base metals stocks in Shanghai Futures Exchange-approved warehouses rose in the week to Friday January 3.Copper registered the joint largest week-on-week rise in deliverable stocks, with an increase of 17,670 tonnes - or 14.3% - to 141,317 tonnes.SIPG Logistics in Shanghai reported the largest inflow of 8,197 tonnes, bringing stocks there up to 48,065 tonnes....Read More

An already-volatile nickel market will continue to face uncertainty in 2020 while demand wanes and stocks rise amid slowed growth expectations from both the stainless steel and electric battery sectors, market participants predicted.It is widely acknowledged that nickel demand will be driven by the stainless steel and electric vehicle (EV) battery markets, but many analysts expect stainless steel...Read More

With the exception of tin and zinc that were little changed, base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were down at the close of the morning trading session on Friday January 3.Nickel was the worst performer of the complex, with its most-traded March contract sliding to 109,310 yuan ($15,688) per tonne, down by 2,000 yuan per tonne - or 1.8% - from Thursday's close of 111,310 yuan per to...Read More

The Polish domestic rebar price was unchanged in the week to Friday January 3 due to a lack of market activity after holidays across Europe, market sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar) domestic, ex-works Poland remained at 2,000-2,030 zloty ($527-534) per tonne on Friday.The...Read More

The domestic price for hot-rolled coil in Northern Europe was largely stable on Friday January 3, due to limited trading activity after holidays in the European Union, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index domestic, exw Northern Europe inched up to ?,?439.38 ($489.38) per tonne on January 3, compared with ?,?439.17 per tonne a day earlier.Read More

Fastmarkets takes a look at what to watch out for in the hot-rolled coil market in the United States in 2020 after another year of volatility and surprises in 2019.After a generally profitable 2018 for the US steel industry, 2019 proved more challenging, with major domestic steel producers posting significant year-on-year losses amid atypical buying and holding patterns."I think 2019 is a hangover...Read More

Flat steel trading was weak again in Turkey during the week ended Friday January 3, with prices remaining stable.Announcements of new import offer prices were expected next week.HRC exportsFastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel hot-rolled coil, export, fob main port Turkey, was $500-510 per tonne on January 3, unchanged since December 2.Turkish HRC was heard to be on offer...Read More

Turkish prices for hot-dipped galvanized coil (HDG) and color-coated coil, or pre-painted galvanized iron (PPGI), were stable in the week to Friday January 3, with demand soft, sources told Fastmarkets.Demand was reduced because of year-end holidays, sources said.Domestic pricesLocal producers were offering 0.5mm HDG at $640-680 per tonne ex-works.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel...Read More

Prices in Southeast Asia's steel billet market declined during the week to Friday January 3 because of bearish market sentiment for ferrous scrap prices in the bellwether Turkish market. "Billet prices are likely to face pressure from declining ferrous scrap prices in Turkey because the Turkish mills have not been able to achieve higher prices for finished long steel products," a trader in th...Read More

The inter-merchant spot price for light iron scrap in the United Kingdom was unchanged on Friday January 3 because many traders have not yet returned to work after the year-end holiday period, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel scrap 5C, loose old light, domestic, delivered inter-merchant UK, was ?90-105 ($119-138) per tonne on Friday, unchanged since mid-Dece...Read More

The price of ferrous scrap imported into India rose this week in response to positive sentiment on the return of traders to the market after the Christmas and New Year holidays, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Nhava Sheva was $312.17 per tonne on Friday January 3, up from $307.54 per tonne on Friday December 27. Deals were heard for shredded scrap at...Read More

The Turkish steel producers have now seen a second week with no deep-sea scrap import bookings because of the year-end holiday periods, which traditionally slow down market activity, sources said on Friday January 3.The Turkish mills have been quiet since December 20, when a Baltic Sea cargo was booked at $303 per tonne cfr.Sentiment turned negative late in the week because of the downturn in the...Read More

Brazilian iron ore export volumes were down by 25.7% year on year in December 2019, with some of major miner Vale's operations still halted following a tailings dam rupture in January.The country exported 24.67 million tonnes of iron ore in the last month of the year, down from 33.19 million tonnes in an annual comparison, the ministry of economy said on Thursday January 2. But the average value w...Read More

Seaborne coking coal prices were resilient on Friday January 3, with the cfr China premium hard coking coal index passing $150 per tonne and a premium mid-vol cargo changing hands at just under $140 per tonne fob Australia.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $140.06 per tonne, down $0.63 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $151.85 per tonne, up $3.08 per t...Read More

Seaborne iron ore prices advanced toward $95 per tonne cfr China on Friday January 3, with several deals concluded amid concerns over potential shipment disruptions in Australia as a result of a potential cyclone near the west coast.62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $94.60 per tonne, up $0.55 per tonne.62% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, cfr Qingdao: $93.69 per tonne, up $0.55 per tonne.62% Fe low-alum...Read More

(Updates with closing prices) By Peter Hobson LONDON, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Copper and most other industrialmetals fell on Friday as the killing of a top Iranian commanderby the United States sent shockwaves through markets, pushingoil prices sharply higher.Investors rushed to safe-haven assets such as gold and stockmarkets fell as Iran said it would seek revenge. Benchmark copper on the London Metal...Read More

China's domestic hot-rolled coil prices were largely steady on Friday January 3 amid an inactive market.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,900-3,910 yuan ($559-561) per tonne, narrowed downward by 10 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,640 yuan per tonne, unchangedMost sellers kept their prices unchanged, though a few of them lowered them slightly to generate sales.But buyers kept their pr...Read More

China's domestic rebar market was mixed on Friday January 3, with prices in the eastern region falling on supply pressure while those in the northern gained some strength in the absence of that factor.Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,690-3,720 yuan ($530-534) per tonne, down 10-20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,550-3,580 yuan per tonne, up 20-30 yuan per tonneSustained deliveries to the spot...Read More

U.S. equity index futures were lower this morning following news that a U.S. airstrike killed an Iranian general and a top Iraqi commander. S&P 500 futures were down 36 points to 3,222.75.Iran warned retaliation for the U.S. airstrike. Commodity markets responded. WTI Crude Oil jumped $2.27 to $63.45 per barrel. Energy stocks are expected to open higher. . Gold jumped $36.00 to $1,548.30 per o...Read More

The latest selenium transactions, bids, offers and assessments in Europe reported to Fastmarkets.Unless otherwise stated, all prices are per lb and on an in-warehouse Rotterdam basis. Delivered prices are netted back.To view the latest price assessment for selenium, 99.5% Se min, in-whs Rotterdam, click...Read More