Lifelong commodities trader Scott Evans has joined forces with a technology guru and a physical logistics specialist to co-found Cmdty, with the aim of creating a digital marketplace for physical commodities.Cmdty, which has already raised $10 million in its series A financing, plans to launch its pilot program in the first half of 2020. The goal is to use technology to streamline the physical com...Read More

The three-month nickel price on the London Metal Exchange continued to fall during morning trading on Tuesday November 12, with dip-buying yet to emerge against broadly high turnover across the complex. Nickel's outright price was recently at $15,410 per tonne, losing around 1% of Monday's closing price of $15,565 per tonne. Volumes traded in nickel were high over the morning, with some 4,300 lots...Read More

While investors and traders are still waiting for direction on China-United States trade talks, markets are reviewing their individual situations and adjusting accordingly.The two big movers have been the precious metals and nickel, both correcting lower as profit-taking and, or short-selling, set in, while the rest of the markets seem to be consolidating.With US President Donald Trump addressing...Read More

Base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange gave a subdued performance during morning trading on Tuesday November 12, with the complex awaiting the next development in United States-China trade talks.Trade uncertainty reemerged after US President Donald Trump said over the weekend that while that trade negotiations with China are progressing well, there was not yet an agreement to roll bac...Read More

ArcelorMittal has decided to temporarily idle operations of its blast furnace (BF) and steel plant in Krakow, Poland, from November 23 this year, the company said on Tuesday November 12.The steelmaker will restart the BF and other equipment in Krakow "as soon as market conditions improve [enough] to justify a restart leading to economically viable operations," it said.Earlier this year, the compan...Read More

Prices for import billet and rebar, and domestic rebar in the United Arab Emirates have increased over the past week on improving demand, market sources said on Tuesday November 12.Some market participants believe prices will increase further due to the global rise in production costs, while others argue that demand is not strong enough to support such increases.Billet importsBillet was offered fr...Read More

Offer prices on flat steel imports into the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have increased over the past week, but buyers have not accepted the new prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday November 12.Buyers were still reluctant to book large tonnages because of the weak end-user demand, they said.UAEOffer prices for hot-rolled coil (HRC) from Japan were heard in the UAE at $450-460 per t...Read More

Rebar contracts on the Shanghai Futures Exchange increased on Tuesday November 12 following two notices about winter production restrictions in the Fenwei Plain and Yangtze River Delta regions, but spot prices were unchanged. Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,700-3,740 yuan ($528-534) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Beijing): 3,630-3,650 yuan per tonne, unchangedRestrictions on production have been...Read More

Export prices for Chinese cold-rolled coil and hot-dipped galvanized coil climbed during the week to Tuesday November 12 because of higher prices in the upstream hot-rolled coil market, sources said. HRC prices were boosted by strong domestic demand and production restrictions imposed by China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment on cities in the Yangtze River Delta to reduce air pollution.Cold r...Read More

China's hot-rolled coil producers raised their export offers on Tuesday November 12 amid a relatively stable domestic market.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,510-3,520 yuan ($501-502) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,530 yuan per tonne, up 20 yuan per tonneWhile prices for mainstream sizes of HRC in eastern China were stable, those for many other specifications rose to as high a...Read More

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Tuesday November 12 that are worth another look.Brazil's Vale expects to produce 70-75 million tonnes of iron ore fines and pellets in the first three months of 2020, compared with 72.9 million tonnes in the same quarter of this year.European manganese alloys prices are extending their losses in the spot market in line with weaker...Read More

Access our research platformsSign-in to our platforms to access our extensive research, our latest insight, data and analytics and to connect to our industry experts.Genscape is now part of Wood Mackenzie. As we combine their commodity intelligence and proprietary short-term data sets with Wood Mackenzie’s world-class long-term analysis, we will be able to offer you unparalleled depth and br...Read More

RAPAPORT... Singles' Day has continued to grow as a major onlineshopping occasion in China, with Alibaba Group reporting record sales through itse-commerce sites. The total value of transactions on the Chinese retailgiant's platforms rose 26% to CNY 268.4 billion ($38.4 billion) on Monday,the company said. More than 200,000 brands participated in the 24-hour shoppingfestival, it added. "Today...Read More

Access our research platformsSign-in to our platforms to access our extensive research, our latest insight, data and analytics and to connect to our industry experts.What does tight oil have in common with Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Alphabet's Google stocks (known as FAANG stocks)? Answer: tight oil is arguably the upstream equivalent of these tech sector leaders. It's the hot investment...Read More

Prices for ferrous scrap remained stable in Mexico's central Baj?-o region and moved slightly lower in the northern region of Monterrey during the week to Tuesday November 12, but market participants were optimistic about price increases to come.Fastmarkets' weekly assessment for steel scrap No1 busheling, consumer buying price, delivered mill Monterrey declined by 50 pesos to 4,400 pesos ($2...Read More

RAPAPORT... An aquamarine and diamond necklace by Cartier will lead thesale of a selection of Art Deco jewels at Bonhams next month.The piece, dated from 1940, is set to go under the hammerestimated at GBP 100,000 to GBP 150,000 ($128,290 to $192,435), along with a pair ofmatching earrings created by the jeweler in 1935. That set is expected to fetchGBP 40,000 to GBP 60,000 ($51,343 to $77,01...Read More

RAPAPORT... A rare fancy-deep-grayish-blue diamond ring with a highestimate of $8 million is set to lead Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels sale in NewYork next month.The cushion-cut, 7.55-carat, type IIb, SI2-clarity stone,called the Indian Blue, is valued at $6 million to $8 million, and displays ared phosphorescence typically found in diamonds from the Golconda mine inIndia, or from South Africa...Read More

RAPAPORT... Few in the diamond industry were surprised by the news that Rosy Blue chief Dilip Mehta had launched an independentlab-grown business. It's been an open secret for months that majormanufacturers of natural diamonds have been exploring the sector, Rosy Bluebeing just one of them.A significant number of De Beers' approximately 80 sightholdersare already trading in synthetics or cons...Read More

RAPAPORT... The parent company of Bailey Banks & Biddle, whichclaims to be the US's oldest nationwide jeweler, has filed for Chapter 11bankruptcy in Texas, according to a court document. Houston-based BBB Group estimated both assets andliabilities of up to $50,000 in the November 6 voluntary petition. Joseph Trowbridge Bailey and Andrew Kitchen founded thecompany in 1832 as Bailey & Kitch...Read More

Seaborne iron ore prices rose above $80 per tonne cfr on Tuesday November 12 amid advances in the derivatives markets following news on production restrictions in China and Vale's lower sales target.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $81.48 per tonne, up $2.50 per tonne.62% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, cfr Qingdao: $81.51 per tonne, up $2.50 per tonne.62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Q...Read More