The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This year has come with several unexpected events which increased the bullish case for iron ore prices, while the Chinese government's spending on infrastructure is likely to boost iron ore demand and add upside support to prices. But supply disruptions and a demand surge which caused price spikes are now easing. We do not e...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' teamof analysts are ready to view.Chinese crude steel production outperformed our expectations with its recovery since the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. Crude steel output was up by 2.3% year-on-year in the first half of 2020 to 503 million tonnes, and we have revised upward what was initially a more bearish forecast for this year. We now estimate that product...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Prolonged flooding in China could limit the use of construction steel and drag down demand for steel rebar in the short term, which in turn could damp the demand for iron ore. So far, it has been reported that steel mills in the affected regions have continued to operate as normal. The floods have, however, caused a few days...Read More

The latest forecast from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.As we enter the summer season across the northern hemisphere, almost half a year has passed since the Covid-19 pandemic began to seriously affect Europe and the United States.One would not really be able to tell that such a dramatic event had occurred by looking at stainless steel prices, however, because they are more or less...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices are relatively stable this month, showing little change since our previous tracker. Such stability masks growing issues for stainless steelmakers, however, who are increasingly unable to pass on rising costs to consumers and are, thus, facing cuts to their margins.In general, this is due to an excess of...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices are on the increase in June. As far as this market is concerned, it appears as though the Covid-19 pandemic has had little impact so far, with prices on the most common grades of stainless steel just 2-4% lower than they were at the turn of the year in most markets.Even in Asia, a region often talked ab...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices have fared relatively well over the past couple of months in the face of the threat from the Covid-19 pandemic.In grade-304 material, the most common grade of stainless steel, prices were down by about 5-7% since the turn of the year - not bad, when compared with the falls in prices of other assets so f...Read More

The Europe hollow steel sections market was quiet this week due to the traditional summer break, but participants said mills have already announced their intention to target higher prices when market activity resumes, Fastmarkets heard on Wednesday August 12. Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe was ?,?540-560 ($635-658) per tonne on W...Read More

Steel producers in Turkey continued to stay away from the deep-sea scrap market and maintained their focus on the finished long steel markets, sources said on Wednesday August 12.Turkish steelmakers have booked a number of cargoes in recent weeks, with the latest transactions for HMS 1&2 (80:20) from the US and Baltic Sea done at $285 per tonne cfr.But the mills went quiet in the deep-sea markets...Read More

A spike in ammunition sales amid concerns over civil unrest in the United States in the wake of the death of George Floyd has boosted lead scrap prices, with increased demand for firearms putting domestic supplies under pressure.A lead and zinc scrap dealer told Fastmarkets that physical demand for lead scrap was being underpinned by robust buying activity from ammunition manufactures amid a rise...Read More

RAPAPORT... De Beers will launch its Forevermark diamond brand in New Zealand in partnership with local retailer Partridge Jewellers.Forevermark's high-end Black Label collection will be available at three Partridge stores in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, De Beers said Wednesday. Forevermark will also run an advertising campaign alongside the launch, which will include print, digital and...Read More

Stainless steel scrap prices in the United States diverged this week, with the 300-series grades inching higher - supported by rising nickel prices - while the 400-series grades lost ground."I would call this market stable. Supply and demand appear to be in balance, and the London Metal Exchange is supporting pricing for the 300 stainless grades despite the mills operating at less than stellar cap...Read More

RAPAPORT... Tiffany & Co. has retained a spot on the National Retail Federation's (NRF) list of the fastest-growing US retailers.The New York-based company came in at number 95, the only jewelry specialist to make the cut this year, slipping from 68th in 2019. Grocery chain Lidl nabbed the first position, with Wayfair, Build.com, Don Quijote and Amazon rounding out the top five.The NRF publish...Read More

RAPAPORT... Titan Company, India's largest jewelry retailer, recorded heavy losses in the first fiscal quarter as the coronavirus forced it to close stores for most of the period.The company reported a net loss of INR 2.97 billion ($39.7 million) for the three months ending June 30, compared to a profit of INR 3.64 ($48.6 million) during the same period a year ago. Revenue plunged 61% to INR 20.2...Read More

RAPAPORT... The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is launching a new digital report for lab-grown diamonds that will feature specific color and clarity grades. The organization, which currently only offers loose descriptions and grade ranges for synthetics, will introduce the new reports early in the fourth quarter, it said Tuesday.The service will incorporate the GIA's two existing lab-...Read More

The publication of Fastmarkets' UK aluminium scrap price assessments for August 12 will be delayed because of a technical issue. Fastmarkets' pricing database, MInD, will be updated later in the day at around 10:45pm London time to reflect the price changes for the following prices: MB-AL-0011 Aluminium scrap commercial pure cuttings, delivered consumer UK, ?/tonne August 5 price: ?750-800...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Fewer than a third of Surat's diamond factories have returned to work despite Unlock 3.0, an easing of restrictions by authorities in India. Owners have to cover the costs of mandatory COVID-19 rapid antigen tests for all workers and say they simply can't afford it. In addition, many artisans have returned to their rural villages in Saurashtra, and are afraid to return be...Read More

Tin premiums around the world were unchanged over the past fortnight, with a downtrend in LME futures prices failing to kickstart purchases from consumers, Fastmarkets heard. European and Shanghai tin premiums flat LME price drops to $17,660 per tonne from one-year highs in July Spread tightness eases in the tin cash/three-month chart Stagnant demand leaves European tin premiums steady In Europe...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Botswana, the world's top diamond-producing country by value, saw Q2 sales fall by almost two-thirds because of coronavirus.   Pandemic-related travel bans and reduced outputs resulted in sales of just $294m, down 64 per cent from $807m for the same period in 2019, according to Bank of Botswana data.   First quarter sales for 2020, before the full impact of the pande...Read More

Premiums for grade A copper cathodes in Asia declined in the week ended Tuesday August 11, with buying activity diminished against reduced demand, and a closed import arbitrage window similarly hampering business, while seasonal maintenance closures across Europe kept premiums steady.Asian market participants expect weaker demand Business still hand-to-mouth across Taiwan, Vietnam European sellers...Read More