Fastmarkets proposes to discontinue the publication of the following premiums, on a $/lb basis: MB-AL-0232 - Aluminium P1020A premium, ddp Midwest US, $/lb (twice weekly) and the associated aluminium P1020A premium, ddp Midwest US, $/lb monthly average MB-PB-0057 - Lead 99.97% ingot premium, ddp Midwest US, $/lb (weekly) and the associated lead 99.97% ingot premium, ddp Mi...Read More

Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in Northern Europe have increased day on day due to mills' good order books and a lack of competitive imports, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday January 31.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, ex-works Northern Europe was ?,?474.02 ($522.46) per tonne on Friday January 31, up by ?,?6.45 per tonne day on day from ?,?467.57 per tonne on Janua...Read More

Indian steel producers were likely to increase their prices for hot-rolled coil by at least 1,000 rupees ($14) per tonne for February sales to take account of rises in the costs of raw materials such as iron ore, Fastmarkets has heard.HRC prices for the current week, however, remained unchanged on Friday January 31 because February prices were likely to be announced early next week.The price of st...Read More

Just as China and the United States started to reach a deal and trade tensions eased, providing some longed-for certainty, the novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) has again increased fear and uncertainty in the steel and feedstock markets.Although there may be no impact of the coronavirus on China's GDP in the long run, we have already passed the point of "no effect" on the market, as raw material price...Read More

Polish domestic rebar prices moved up over the week due to improved demand, market sources told Fastmarkets on Friday, January 31.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar) domestic, ex-works Poland, rose to 2,150-2,200 zloty ($553-563) per tonne on Friday January 31 from 2,050-2,200 zloty...Read More

Turkish export prices for hot-dipped galvanized coil (HDG) decreased in the week to Friday January 31, amid moderate demand, while domestic prices were stable, sources said.Demand was moderate on expectations that prices would fall due to the decline in scrap prices.Fastmarkets' daily index for steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), Northern Europe origin, cfr Turkey, was $264.42 per tonne on January 3...Read More

Some Turkish flat steel prices fell in the week to Friday January 31, in response to weakening scrap prices.Buyers expected prices to fall after Fastmarkets' daily index for steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), Northern Europe origin, cfr Turkey, continued to slide, falling to $264.42 per tonne on January 30, down from $274.25 per tonne on January 24.HRC exportsFastmarkets' weekly pric...Read More

European steel association Eurofer forecasts a modest recovery in apparent steel consumption in 2020, with risks relating to import volumes, Eurofer said on January 30."2019 was another challenging year for the steel sector, with declines in steel consumption and import levels, which - while down compared to 2018 - were still very high compared to historical levels," director general of Eurofer, A...Read More

Aim-listed Sylvania Platinum reached a new record interim production of 40 003 oz of platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold (4E) platinum group metals (PGMs) for the six months ended December 31, despite power disruptions and downtime during the last quarter of the interim period. The company’s production for the quarter ended December 31 was 19 206 4E PGM ounces.AdvertisementT...Read More

MOSCOW - The world's biggest diamond producing company, Russia's Alrosa, will restart production at Mir, a mine in the Yakutia region of the far east, shut since a deadly 2017 flood, the region's governor Aysen Nikolaev said in an interview.Yakutia, the world's biggest province by area, comprising half of Russia's vast far east, derives much of its revenue from a 33% stake in A...Read More

The price of ferrous scrap imported into India dropped again in the week ended Friday January 31, while trading activity paused following a mid-week drop in international scrap prices, sources have told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' calculation of the steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Nhava Sheva, India, was $291.99 per tonne on Friday, down from $296.51 per tonne on January 24, marking the thi...Read More

Turkish deep-sea scrap import markets were quiet at the end of the week, with mills seeking lower prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday January 31.The daily scrap indices went down by almost $10 per tonne on Wednesday, when a US cargo was heard sold at $275 per tonne cfr for HMS 1&2 (90:10).This has been the only cargo sold so far this week, as mills push for even lower prices as they struggl...Read More

The price paid for pig iron exported from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) declined during the week to Thursday January 30 due to pressure from falling steel scrap market prices."The falling market price of scrap [the relative pig iron substitute in steel making] is always a strong argument for buyers, who start to insist on lower pig iron prices once scrap goes down," one exporter sai...Read More

Seaborne iron ore prices were flat on Friday January 31 while the widespread coronavirus has cast a bearish outlook into the market.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $84.94 per tonne, unchanged.62% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, cfr Qingdao: $83.98 per tonne, unchanged.62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $86.55 per tonne, unchanged.58% Fe fines high-premium, cfr Qingdao: $71.60 pe...Read More

Seaborne coking coal prices ended the week flat on a muted market due to the absence of participants in China, though concerns over a possible tightening of Australian and Chinese supply have emerged.Fastmarkets' indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $152.29 per tonne, unchanged Premium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $162.73 per tonne, unchanged Hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $127.01 per tonne,...Read More

Artemis all set thanks to unique approachSPONSOREDartemis resourcesWhile admitting the past year was challenging, the company's gold production of 470,601 ounces was smack in the middle of its revised guidance, reduced from 500,000-550,000oz to 460,000-480,000oz.Read More

The three-month lead price on the London Metal Exchange was higher during morning trading on Friday January 31, climbing by more than 1% to show signs of improvement after slipping through key support levels over January, while zinc futures failed to push above nearby resistance. Lead's outright price on the LME was recently seen at $1,845 per tonne, up from Thursday's closing price of $1,825 per...Read More

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

Mr. Vialoux is scheduled to appear by conference call on Michael Campbell's radio show broadcast this Saturday, February 1st at approximately 9:00 AM Vancouver time (Noon Toronto time). Contact through the internet is  www.CKNW.comPre-opening Comments for Friday January 31stU.S. equity index futures were lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 14 points in pre-opening trade.Index fu...Read More

Monthly European alloy steel surcharges have increased slightly in January but there were already expectations in the market for decreases in March because of falling nickel costs, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday January 31.Fastmarkets' calculation on Friday of the stainless steel cold-rolled sheet, 2mm, grade 304, alloy surcharge, domestic, Europe, was ?,?1,434-1,448 ($1,581-1,596) per tonne f...Read More