(IDEX Online) - The president of the the world's largest diamond exchange is calling for urgent government help. Yoram Dvash appealed for targeted assistance to the 1,500 businesses that operate from the Israel Diamond Exchange - or Bursa - in Ramat Gan. The vast majority of workers are on unpaid leave, he said, as coronavirus brings trading to a virtual standstill at the Bursa, on which 15,0...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Two more high-profile Las Vegas shows have been canceled, in response to the Covid-19 crisis. The Couture 2020 and the Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show had both been due to take place in June. Organizers of both events, Emerald Expositions, said in a statement that it was cancelling or postponing all planned shows through June. Last month JCK Las Vegas, the biggest j...Read More

RAPAPORT... The Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) will implement a support package for its trade members amid the coronavirus pandemic, including discounts and fee waivers."In these uncertain times, we have a duty to share the responsibility and support the UAE [United Arab Emirates] government in its response to ensure our national economy remains resilient in the current circumstances,"...Read More

RAPAPORT... De Beers has called off this week's sight in Botswana, citing restrictions resulting from measures to contain the coronavirus.Lockdowns in Botswana, South Africa and India are prohibiting sightholders from traveling and preventing the shipment of merchandise to clients' international operations, De Beers said in a statement Monday. The company is letting sightholders defer 100% of...Read More

Artemis all set thanks to unique approachSPONSOREDartemis resourcesThe estimate is a slight increase from the $5-5.2 billion prior estimate with cost escalation partially offset by the impact of a weaker Chilean peso. Teck approved the $4.Read More

Iron ore export volumes from Brazil fell by 2.13% year on year in March, with the daily average falling by 15.48% in the same comparison, Fastmarkets understands.The country exported 21.71 million tonnes of iron ore last month, compared with 22.18 million tonnes the year before, according to figures released by the country's Ministry of Economy on Wednesday April 1.A higher number of working days...Read More

The Turkish steel producers have continued to stay away from the deep-sea scrap market, while suppliers were raising their offer prices because of tightening supplies, sources said on Thursday April 2.The most recent deep-sea deals had put prices at $206-207 per tonne cfr for HMS 1&2 (80:20) and mills' expectations since then have been around $200-205 per tonne for similar material.But suppliers w...Read More

The seaborne iron ore market maintained its momentum in March, even with the Covid-19 pandemic causing turmoil for the global economic outlook and leading to steel production cuts and weakening demand outside of China.The monthly average price for 62% Fe iron ore was largely stable at $88.58 per tonne cfr China in March, while that for 65% Fe iron ore was at $103.45 per tonne. The price spread bet...Read More

Seaborne iron ore prices were stable on Thursday April 2, with futures prices on the Dalian Commodity Exchange and Singapore Exchange registering gains, and active physical trading in the Chinese port market.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $83.72 per tonne, up $1.23 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $84.63 per tonne, up $0.83 per tone58% Fe fines high-grade pre...Read More

The Italian government has announced it will extend the lockdown in the country to manage the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak in the country, keeping already closed steel assets shuttered. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced on April 1 that he had signed a new decree extending the lockdown in the country until April 13, discarding the original end date of April 3. "We are not in the condition,...Read More

Steelmakers in Bangladesh continued to book ferrous scrap imports over the week ended Thursday April 2 despite the country's nationwide lockdown, which has forced some mills to reduce output, market sources have told Fastmarkets.Prices fell sharply last week, with some traders expecting that Bangladesh's mills had completed their scrap bookings for the next month, because of high stock levels and...Read More

Markets seem to be in the calm before the United States employment data storm this morning, Thursday April 2, with metals prices mixed, trading volume low and not much movement on equity indices for a change. * Asian-Pacific equity indices were mixed this morning, but pre-market western futures were firmer with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up by 1.2% as at 7 am London time. * Stocks in Asia in...Read More

Trading activity in China's domestic hot-rolled coil market rose on Thursday April 2 amid falling prices, but the export market remained quiet despite lower offers.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,150-3,190 yuan ($444-450) per tonne, down 50-70 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,160-3,200 yuan per tonne, down 10-40 yuan per tonneSellers in Shanghai started the day with offers of around...Read More

China's domestic rebar prices were flat on Thursday April 2, amid rising futures and a tumbling billet market. Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,390-3,420 yuan ($478-482) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Beijing): 3,330-3,370 yuan per tonne, unchanged Rebar prices dropped in the early hours after the billet market tumbled late on Wednesday.But prices recovered in the afternoon on higher sales vo...Read More

Markets seem to be in the calm before the United States employment data storm this morning, Thursday April 2, with metals prices mixed, trading volume low and not much movement on equity indices for a change. Asian-Pacific equity indices were mixed this morning, but pre-market western futures were firmer with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up by 1.2% as at 7 am London time. Stocks in Asia initia...Read More

Stainless steel prices in China kept dropping over the past week because sellers sought to generate more sales to draw down their inventories amid a bearish outlook caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.Nickel prices on the London Metal Exchange edged on but are still around their lowest in the past year-and-a-half, which put additional pressure on stainless steel prices.The three-month nickel contract...Read More

Base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were mixed during the morning trading session on Thursday April 2, with the complex pressured by rising risk-off sentiment due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic."Selling returned to commodity markets as investors grappled with the long-term economic implications of the pandemic," Daniel Been, head of foreign exchange strategy at ANZ Bank, said in...Read More

U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 36 points in pre-opening trade.Index futures were virtually unchanged following release of economic news at 8:30 AM EDT. Consensus for Weekly Jobless Claims was a slip to 3.000 million from 3.283 million last week. Actual was 6.65 million. Consensus for the February U.S. Trade Deficit was $43 billion versus $45.30 bill...Read More

Cobalt trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets. Unless otherwise stated, all prices are per lb on an in-warehouse (in-whs) basis. Delivered prices are netted back. Fastmarkets prices Click here for Fastmarkets' price assessment for standard-grade cobalt, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb. Click here for Fastmarkets' price assessment for alloy-grade cobalt, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb...Read More

Minor metals and ores and alloys producers that rely on shipping routes out of South Africa are warning that practical barriers to producing and transporting material outweigh any technical green light to export, amid conflicting instructions from the country's authorities. A notice from South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) caused widespread confusion on Tuesday by saying mineral export...Read More