Domestic prices for steel wire rod in Northern Europe have widened downward in the past seven days on weak market fundamentals, despite higher Turkish scrap prices this month, Fastmarkets heard on Wednesday October 23.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh-quality), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?430-450 ($490-497) per tonne on October 23, widening downward by ?...Read More
Export billet and slab prices in Iran moved in different directions in the week ended Wednesday October 23 with trends in the global markets showing a similar divergence.The Iranian export billet price inched upward following price rises in Asia, the CIS and the Middle East. Large-volume billet sales to China and Southeast Asia in recent weeks supported the efforts of Iranian billet producers.A ca...Read More
RAPAPORT... Signet Jewelers has takenfurther steps into the synthetics market, launching lab-grown diamonds at itsKay and Jared brands. The move has commenced witha trial in five Kay stores.In addition, Signet has started selling loose lab-grown diamonds at its upper-mid-market Jared brand. The stones will be available as part of Jared's Chosen program,David Bouffard, Signet's vice president...Read More
RAPAPORT... South Africa-based diamond miner Trans Hex has been forcedto liquidate its failing West Coast Resources (WCR) subsidiary after apotential sale of the business fell through. Takeover negotiations with Kernel Resources have terminated,leaving Trans Hex unable to run the unit, the miner reported last week. As aresult, "WCR is not in a position to meet its working capital requirements...Read More
RAPAPORT... Petra Diamonds' revenue fell in the first fiscal quarteramid a drop in the average price and a weaker product mix at three of itsmines. Revenue dropped 23% year on year to $61.6 million for thethree months ending September 30, the miner reported Monday. Sales volumeslipped 4% to 603,626 carats, with the average selling price down 20% to $102per carat. The sales product mix was we...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday October 23 that are worth another look.Taseko Mines Limited is in the process of seeking a listing on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange (LSE), with approval anticipated prior to the end of 2019.Chilean iron ore and long steel producer Compa???-a de Acero de Pac?-fico (CAP) was forced to reduce production from some o...Read More
(IDEX Online) - DelGatto Diamond Finance has received a $100 million facility from Crestline Investors, Inc., a credit focused institutional alternative asset manager. The finance provider said the investment increases its ability to meet growing financing demand across all major diamond and jewelry markets. "We are delighted for our partnership with Crestline as we continue to finance the mi...Read More
(IDEX Online) - The World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) has produced a special Gemmological Commission report ahead of its annual congress in Bahrain next month. This is the seventh in a series of reports prepared for the congress.Separating science from commercial interests and empirical facts from opinions addresses the measures necessary to ensure that anyone reading a laboratory report under...Read More
Expectations of growth in aluminium demand are deteriorating, particularly in Europe and North America, and coupled with higher supply from China they will lead to a metal surplus in 2020, Norsk Hydro chief executive officer Hilde Merete Aasheim said on Wednesday October 23.The Norwegian company estimated that production will outstrip demand by as much as 500,000 tonnes for the year. The combined...Read More
RAPAPORT... Jewelry sales declined at Indian retailer TitanCompany after a hike in gold prices dampened consumer appetite. Revenue for the category dropped 2% year onyear in the second fiscal quarter ending September 30, Titan reported in arecent trading update. Salesslumped in July, before picking up in August and September as the companyintroduced promotions to attract customers. "The divisionwi...Read More
(IDEX Online) - JVC has unveiled a kit to help jewelry retailers protect their natural and lab-grown diamond supply chains. The Diamond Supply Chain Protection Kit is designed to give clarity on the diamond-related directives of the Federal Trade Commission's revised Jewelry Guidelines and encourages best practices.The kid includes a handout that breaks down the exact wording that can and can...Read More
RAPAPORT... Swiss watchexports jumped 10% to CHF 1.82 billion ($1.84 billion) in September, as orders from the UScontinued to grow.Shipments to the US rose 15% year onyear to CHF 214.8 million ($217.4 million), making it Switzerland's largest export market for timepieces for the third month this year, the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry said last week. Exports to China jumped 26% toCHF...Read More
RAPAPORT... The US jewelry trade contracted in the third quarter, withthe rate of downsizing gaining speed after a slowdown over the past few months,data from the Jewelers Board of Trade (JBT) revealed. In the three months ending September 30, 286 jewelrybusinesses exited the market, a 27% jump versus the same period a year ago.Retailers constituted 229 of those - 19% more than last year, whi...Read More
China's non-ferrous scrap imports will come to a standstill in the next four months, because major buyers have used up their 2019 import quotas and new quotas are unlikely to be granted before the lunar new year in late January, industry sources have said.Major Chinese non-ferrous importers have delayed further purchases of copper and aluminium scrap to February next year because they were worried...Read More
Operations at the Pe??asquito lead-zinc-gold mine in Mexico should return to full capacity in the next 10 days following the resumption of production there.With the support of the state and federal governments as well as a continued police presence, owner Newmont Gold Corp has safely started up output at the mine following the lifting of the illegal blockade on October 8, it said.The blockade - th...Read More
Diamond miner De Beers has maintained its full-year production guidance at about 31-million carats, despite subdued demand for rough diamonds.The company on Tuesday reported that it had sold 7.1-million carats of rough diamonds on a consolidated basis in the third quarter of this year, compared with the five-million carats sold in the third quarter of 2018.AdvertisementIt pointed out, however, tha...Read More
RAPAPORT... The Gemological Institute ofAmerica (GIA) has committed $1.3 million to deploying its free gemology guidefor artisanal miners across multiple countries in Africa. The kit will be available to 10,000 miners over four years inMadagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda and Zambia, GIApresident and CEO Susan Jacques said Tuesday. It follows a successful pilot project in Tanzania, which the institute comm...Read More
The three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange rose to its highest level in more than a month at the close of trading on Wednesday October 23 amid positive forward spreads, while tin futures underperformed in a 2% decline over the afternoon. Copper's three-month price closed at $5,881 per tonne this afternoon, its highest level since September 13, with just over 16,000 lots of metal exc...Read More
Buyers in all regions stayed on the sidelines in the week to Tuesday October 22 amid London Metal Exchange nickel price and spread volatility. European market sees little spot trade on weak demand. US nickel premiums flat, with scrap substitution dampening primary metal demand. Asian nickel remains at a discount versus a premium. Brief contango fails to tempt European buyers Rotterdam...Read More
The Southeast Asian lead premium rose by 4.2% week on week on increased spot interest, with market participants suggesting an uptick in automotive sales as a key tailwind; meanwhile, global zinc premiums were unchanged amid stagnant spot demand and tight forward spreads. Southeast Asian lead premium rises on renewed buyer interest US, Asian zinc premiums flat on low spot interests Eur...Read More