With the calendar having shifted to 2020, opportunities and threats abound for steel and steelmaking raw materials markets across the world.In this special report, we take you around the globe to provide you with a...Read More

Domestic prices for rebar and wire rod in Turkey have gone down over the past week amid lower imported scrap values and limited winter demand, sources said on Thursday January 23.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, exw Turkey, was 2,975-3,030 Turkish lira ($501-511) per tonne, including 18% VAT, on January 23. This was down from the 3,050-3,060 lira pe...Read More

Diversified miner Anglo American delivered on its production targets across the business for the year ended December 31, CEO Mark Cutifani said on Thursday with the release of the group’s unaudited production results for the fourth quarter and the full-year.Production was up 4% for the fourth quarter, led by the continued successful ramp-up at the Minas-Rio iron-ore mine, in Brazil.Advertise...Read More

RAPAPORT... The US jewelry industry contracted in 2019 as the number of businesses closing shop continued to exceed new entrants.The sector shrank 3.3% to 24,565 companies active in the fourth quarter, compared with 25,400 a year earlier, according to data the Jewelers Board of Trade (JBT) released Thursday. While 900 businesses left the industry during the year, only 228 joined.However, the...Read More

Turkish long steel export prices have continued to fall over the past week in line with softening scrap costs and limited demand, sources said on Thursday January 23.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), export, fob main port Turkey, was $425-430 per tonne on an actual weight basis on January 23, down from the $435-440 per tonne fob of last week.The mills in the c...Read More

RAPAPORT... The Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) has presented Gemological Institute of America (GIA) CEO Susan Jacques with the Stanley Schechter Award.The accolade, which was established in 2002, recognizes industry leaders who have raised the jewelry community's reputation through their dedication, ethics and integrity, JVC said last week."Susan is a true industry treasure who deeply emb...Read More

MOSCOW – The government of Russia's Yakutia region, which has a stake in diamond producer Alrosa, has proposed the company sell rough diamonds worth $0.5-billion to $1-billion to the precious metals and gems repository Gokhran in 2020, Interfax news agency reported.Diamond miners are battling falling demand, as well as competition from diamonds manufactured in laboratories. Alrosa is the...Read More

Prices for steel billet imported into Egypt decreased again in the week to Thursday January 23 amid weak demand, sources told Fastmarkets.Egyptian rebar producers were offering rebar at E ?9,650-10,000 ($610-632) per tonne ex-works including 14% VAT, down from last week's E ?9,650-10,120 per tonne ex-works. ...Read More

Seaborne iron ore prices dropped significantly on Thursday January 23 in the lull ahead of the week-long Chinese New Year holiday, amid rising concerns over the potential impact of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $93.44 per tonne, down $3.24 per tonne.62% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, cfr Qingdao: $92.48 per tonne, down $3.24 per tonne.6...Read More

Cardinal heading down familiar gold roadSPONSOREDcardinal resourcesSarama right in the middle of big exploration, corporate build-upSPONSOREDsarama resources Exore excels in Cote d'IvoireSPONSOREDexore resourcesCase study: platform financeSPONSOREDminexiaMacquarie Capital has been appointed to manage the process after Orion received expressions of interest relating to the potential acquisition...Read More

The seaborne coking coal market was quiet on Thursday January 23 with many participants in China already away for the Chinese New Year, though a mysterious respiratory virus that is spreading across the country is clouding the outlook for prices.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $152.29 per tonne, unchangedPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $162.73 per tonne, unchangedHar...Read More

Hebei Iron and Steel Group (HBIS), also known as Hesteel Group, has secured a yuan-denominated contract to buy iron ore from Vale, China's second-biggest steelmaker said this week.The contract was signed on Monday January 20 according to an announcement on the HBIS website on Thursday, and is worth around 200 million yuan ($29 million).The...Read More

Cardinal heading down familiar gold roadSPONSOREDcardinal resourcesSarama right in the middle of big exploration, corporate build-upSPONSOREDsarama resources Exore excels in Cote d'IvoireSPONSOREDexore resourcesCase study: platform financeSPONSOREDminexiaThe company produced 451,963 tonnes of copper and 253,520t of zinc, in line with guidance of 450,000-455,000t of copper and 250,000-270,000t...Read More

Prices in Southeast Asia's steel billet market were stable on Thursday January 23 amid a bearish outlook for the ferrous scrap market and the absence of market participants in China ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. Fastmarkets' daily price assessment for steel billet, import, cfr Southeast Asia, which mainly looks at 120-150mm 5sp grade billet sold into Manila, was $442-443 per tonne on Januar...Read More

The digitalization of global trade received another push this week, with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the government of Singapore and industry participants signing an agreement to facilitate and accelerate the adoption of technologies in commerce at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "Digital platforms will lower existing barriers to international trade in the coming y...Read More

The three-month aluminium price on the London Metal Exchange dipped below nearby support levels during morning trading on Thursday January 23 on a rewarranting of 68,875 tonnes, while copper's price struggles continued. Aluminium's outright price on the LME was recently at $1,797 per tonne, 0.7% below Wednesday's closing price of $1,811 per tonne and sinking below the key threshold. Turnover in a...Read More

U.S. equity index futures were lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 5 points in pre-opening trade. Index futures responded to concerns about spread of a corona virus in China. The Shanghai Composite Index plunged 84.23 to 2,976.53.Index futures were virtually unchanged following release of the Weekly Jobless Claims report at 8:30 AM EST. Consensus was an increase to 212,000 from 204,0...Read More

China's rebar market remained quiet on Thursday January 23 with most participants already on holiday for the Chinese New Year, though the emergence of a mysterious respiratory virus in the country has resulted in a bearish outlook for prices after the break.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,640-3,670 yuan ($527-531) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Beijing): 3,540-3,560 yuan per tonne, unchan...Read More

Pre-Lunar New Year re-stocking abated in the week to Thursday January 23 with all Shanghai Futures Exchange base metals' deliverable stocks, bar lead, subject to increases while the growing Coronavirus outbreak pressures demand for material. Analysts expect demand to continue to wane throughout January while restrictions put on travel in an effort to contain the virus, which has killed 17 people a...Read More

China's hot-rolled coil market remained quiet on Thursday January 23 with most participants already on vacation for the Chinese New Year, though many of them are concerned about prices falling due to the outbreak of a mysterious respiratory virus in the country.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,860-3,880 yuan ($559-562) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,590 yuan per tonne, unchang...Read More