Contango has returned to the price of tin, but the spot markets have remained quiet on muted demand and uncertainty about the implications of the outbreak in China of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).London Metal Exchange tin price still down from earlier in the year, with coronavirus spreading.Tin imports to China largely halted; premiums flat in Taiwan, too.United States sees modest spot trade over...Read More

Nickel premiums in all regions held steady in the week to Tuesday February 11. European nickel premiums hold in illiquid spot market.  The US nickel briquette premium could rise further, though it was flat this week.  China nickel premiums were unchanged amid spot illiquidity on a closed arbitrage import window. Rotterdam nickel premiums stabilize in illiquid spot market Premiums for a...Read More

US Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell told the US Senate yesterday the country's economic expansion was well into its 11th year and the longest on record, appearing resilient to global headwinds but said the bank was closely monitoring the emergence of the coronavirus, which could lead to disruptions in China which could spill over to the rest of the global economy.In London, miners were three...Read More

"We think it is still early days for this virus and the potential implications," RBC said overnight.Read More

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday February 12 that are worth another look.China may not be the big steady steel rebar buyer that most of us in the market thought it was, the International Rebar Producers & Exporters Association (Irepas) said on February 5 with regards the impact of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).Major Chinese copper smelter Daye Nonferrous,...Read More

Craig Hemke, TF MetalsAs you know, we've been following the palladium story for over two years now. It is very important to understand that this is NOT a speculative, COMEX story. Instead, this is a physical supply story that emanates from London. To that end, today let's review the COMEX data to see how The Banks are responding in this futures-only market.Let's begin with the chart below. This...Read More

By: Ira EpsteinGold has a lower highs and lower lows over the short-term. Choppy action. We are at the 18-dma, the battleground..Read More

Global manufacturers are waiting till end February to decide on their outsourcing strategy. If there is supply disruptions from China from March onwards then they will look to India and other Asian nations for their supplies. US economic numbers are not affecting gold price. Trend of all metals and energies on or after 18th February will be the key. China will fully reopen by then. There will be...Read More

Major Chinese copper smelter Daye Nonferrous, at the heart of the region affected by the coronavirus outbreak, is managing to continue its copper production activities by destocking the sulfuric acid byproduct at a discount, Fastmarkets has learnt."We have no plans to declare force majeure so far," a source with direct knowledge of the matter said. "We are still receiving overseas shipments of cop...Read More

China's alumina price is on an upward trend after many alumina refineries reduced production following transportation difficulties since the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak restricted their coal and bauxite supply, several sources told Fastmarkets on Monday February 10.Despite a bullish sentiment in the market, some alumina analysts think the uptrend may not last long because China still has a lot of a...Read More

An overview of the minor metals markets and the reasons for their latest price moves.Read More

Chinese battery materials producer GEM will prioritize delivering cargoes to overseas buyers in February amid the large-scale lockdown in Hubei province following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), a company source told Fastmarkets. GEM's Jingmen plant is located in Jingmen city, Hubei province, which has been heavily affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The plant is unable to res...Read More

Turkish deep-sea scrap import prices have increased sharply with improving demand from the country's steel mills, sources said on Wednesday February 12.A steel mill in the Izmir region has booked a US cargo, comprising 24,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $268 per tonne, 12,000 tonnes of shredded at $273 per tonne and 4,000 tonnes of bonus at $278 per tonne cfr. It was not clear whether this deal w...Read More

Demand for aluminium and steel coil in China has come under strain while the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) crisis has allowed the gears of the country's automotive sector to grind to a halt.Many manufacturing plants across China - including those in the automotive segment - have paused operations in the past two weeks to February 12 after the government extended workers' Lunar New Year holiday to...Read More

THUNDER BAY - The Ontario government is providing more travel options for passengers in the northwest with the launch of a new bus route between White River and Thunder Bay, offering riders easier, more convenient connections and direct stops at hospitals, post-secondary schools and other community hubs.Greg Rickford, Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, was at Lakehead University t...Read More

Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday February 12.Key drivers The price range for ferro-titanium has been stable over the past week, with suppliers holding their offer prices against steady but low-key demand from consumers. No deals were reported, apart from in the scrap market where there were reports of almost 40 tonnes bought in the UK at the top end of the latest a...Read More

Share this articleTORONTO - The formation of the Nevada Gold Mines joint venture last year, along with strong performances from Latin American, Asia Pacific and Africa/Middle East operations, helped Barrick Gold Corp. beat analyst expectations in the fourth quarter.The Toronto-based miner reported Wednesday gold production of 5.465 million ounces in 2019, at the top end of its guidance range, w...Read More

Share this articleVANCOUVER, GREAT ATLANTIC RESOURCES CORP. [TSXV.GR] is pleased to announce it has received analytical results for the fourth drill hole (GP19-140) completed during the 2019 Phase 1 diamond drilling program at its Golden Promise Gold Property, located within the central Newfoundland gold belt. The drilling program was conducted at the Jaclyn Main Zone. GP19-140 intersected a near...Read More

Share this articleTORONTO - Barrick Gold Corp. raised its dividend as it reported a fourth-quarter profit of nearly US$1.39 billion.The gold miner, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, says it will now pay a quarterly dividend of seven cents per share, up from a nickel per share.The increased payment to shareholders came as Barrick earned 78 cents per share in the quarter ended Dec. 31 compar...Read More

While equity markets remain buoyant on optimism that the spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) may be slowing, the base metals seemed more circumspect on Wednesday February 12 as they wait to see what the fallout from the virus will be in terms of how much disruption the manufacturing sector is suffering.LME base metals prices were up by an average of 0.2%; SHFE base metals prices were mixed...Read More