Leo Prichard has joined warehouse and logistics firm Istim Metals in a global operations role.He will report to Istim Metals president Chris Wibbelman and will provide support to the operations team.The move reunites Prichard with Michael Whelan, chief executive officer of Istim Metals, along with other current Istim Metals executives and former...Read More

Soci?(C)t?(C) le Nickel will halt operations at its Thio nickel mine in New Caledonia to protect the site and its employees while fresh industrial action continues to jeopardise already-embattled operations, the company said on Thursday March 5."Following a series of blockades over the past month and a half, I can confirm that all activities at Thio mine will be suspended to protect both our emplo...Read More

China Zhongwang holdings - the largest aluminium extrusion company in Asia - has announced it sold 100% equity interests of its direct wholly-owned subsidy Zhongwang Aluminum Material to Yidian Luoyang, according to a document found by Fastmarkets in Hong Kong Exchanges' website earlier in the week starting March 2.Yidian Luoyang procured the aluminium business at a consideration of 4.6 billion yu...Read More

The three-month zinc price on the London Metal Exchange was higher during morning trading on Thursday March 5, recovering losses made earlier in the week against high turnover, while nickel futures breached resistance at $12,800 per tonne. Zinc's outright price on the LME was recently seen at $2,023 per tonne, up by some 1.8% against Wednesday's closing price of $1,982 per tonne. Turnover in zinc...Read More

Broad-based government action to lower interest rates and make money available to the markets have helped underpin the financial system and confidence, and that has led to some risk-on in some sectors this morning, Thursday March 5. Following on from the United States Federal Reserve's emergency 50-basis-point rate cut on Tuesday, Wednesday saw the US House of Representatives approve an emergency...Read More

China's domestic and export prices for stainless steel dropped over the past week due to a delayed resumption of downstream industries.Some stainless steel mills have resorted to cutting production due to the weak demand after an extended Chinese New Year break as a result of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak in China, but market inventory levels continued to rise gradually. This weighs o...Read More

Spot prices for steel reinforcing bar in the United States have softened on reports of lower transaction prices while market sentiment has shifted into more neutral territory, Fastmarkets has learned. Fastmarkets assessed the price for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), fob mill US at $30.50-31.50 per hundredweight ($610-630 per short ton) on Wednesday March 4, down by 1.6% from $31-32 per cwt in the...Read More

The recent weakening of the Brazilian currency, the Real, and more expensive Chinese steel have made room for further price increases in the South American country's domestic market, producer Companhia Sider??rgica Nacional (CSN) said on Thursday March 5.Longer-term contracts with carmakers and other industrial clients also required revision, commercial director Luis Martinez said during the compa...Read More

Ukrainian steelmaker Metinvest will increase its hot-rolled coil output once it finishes testing a new rolling line at its Ilyich Iron & Steel Works at Mariupol, chief executive officer Yuriy Ryzhenkov told Fastmarkets this week. "Currently, we produce 4,500-4,800 tonnes of HRC per day [on the] new rolling line. Once we finish testing, we will increase production to 7,500-8,000 tonnes pe...Read More

Sharp decline in diamond trading amid fears coronavirus will lead to global slowdown. Midstream inventory losing value as manufacturers consider deeper discounts to raise liquidity. Polished prices falling due to China shutdown, with 1 ct. RAPI -1.6% in Feb. De Beers allows deferral of Chinese goods as sales -28% to $355M at Feb. sight. De Beers to customize sightholder supply for dealers, manufac...Read More

Liquidity tight as companies prepare accounts ahead of March 31 financial year-end. Coronavirus affecting cash flow, with Chinese clients delaying payments or returning unsold goods. Travel restrictions reducing presence of foreign buyers in Mumbai. Strict customs controls and volatile rupee (-2.6% since February 1 to INR 73.4 / $1) creating challenges for cross-border trade. Steady supply of new...Read More

The Turkish long steel export markets have been almost silent over the past week with limited demand in the major outlets, sources said on Thursday March 5.The steel mills in Turkey offered rebar for export at $435-445 per tonne fob on an actual weight basis, while bids for material were heard around $430 per tonne.There were no significant export sales heard.The Turkish market was slow because ma...Read More

RAPAPORT... The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has canceled next week's career event in New York due to the coronavirus.The GIA Jewelry Career Fair was due to take place on March 13. It targets job seekers in the greater New York City area, and is open to the public. The organization plans to find a new date for the event. "We believe this is in the best interest of all participants'...Read More

RAPAPORT... Tiffany and Co. veteran Victoria Wirth Reynolds will become the company's first female chief gemologist, it said Tuesday. Reynold joined Tiffany in 1987, working in the custom-design department before moving to the diamond office, where she worked as a grader. She held a variety of other positions, before being promoted to vice president of global merchandising for high jewel...Read More

Turkish steel billet import prices have decreased over the past week while demand has been low, sources said on Thursday March 5.The Turkish market was slow because market participants wanted to see the outcome of a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on March 5.This meeting comes after at least 33 Turkish soldiers were killed on Fe...Read More

RAPAPORT... Reforms to Angola's diamond industry have boosted the country's tax revenue by 42% over the past two years, according to national diamond-trading company Sodiam.While the previous method required all miners to sell rough to only eight "preferred customers" chosen by the government, the new policy instituted in 2018 enables them to sell to a wider range of buyers. This eliminated t...Read More

RAPAPORT... Pandora is embarking on a major streamlining process aimed at speeding up its ability to act on customer feedback, the jeweler said Wednesday.The Danish company will close its three regional offices - management centers that oversee stores in specific parts of the world - to eliminate a layer between upper management and customers, it noted. It will cut 180 workers as a result."[T...Read More

(IDEX Online)  - More than 500,000 diamond workers are threatening strike action in Surat, India, to demand an end to "unfair" taxation.They're planning three days of walkouts and closures from 15 March in the world's cutting and polishing capital, according to the Times of India.Last year 13,000 diamond workers in the city were laid off because of weak market conditions.The Surat R...Read More

Diamond miner De Beers earned $355-million from the sale of rough diamonds in its second sales cycle of this year.CEO Bruce Cleaver on Wednesday noted that, in response to improved demand for rough diamonds during the first sales cycle, the company, recognised the impact of the Covid-19, or coronavirus, outbreak on customers focused on supplying the Chinese market and put in place additional targe...Read More

(IDEX Online) - The Danish jewelry retailer Pandora is to axe 180 office jobs, in a bid to reduce "organisational complexity".The company, which has 22,000 employees, started as a family-run shop in Copenhagen, and is known for its customizable charm bracelets, designer rings and necklaces.It says it will close its three regional offices in April, in a move that will cost $30m, to streamline its g...Read More