Gold futures settled slightly higher Monday as a key midweek policy decision by the Federal Reserve loomed. August gold on Comex GCQ19, -0.01% added $1.10, or 0.1%, to end $1,420.40 an ounce, after the metal shed 0.5% last week based on the settlement for the most-active. It was the metal's first weekly loss in the past three weeks. Meanwhile, September silver SIU19, -0.17% gained 4.3 cents, or...Read More

French multi-metals miner Eramet's Weda Bay Indonesian nickel pig iron (NPI) project, which houses an estimated 10,000-tonne deposit of laterite nickel ore, will come online in the second half of 2020.The project is being developed with Chinese stainless steel producer Tsinghan, which is undertaking all construction costs and will hold a subsequent 43% stake in the venture, and will focus on NPI p...Read More

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Tuesday July 30 that are worth another look.Charge chrome prices have held at a 25-month low throughout July, highlighting the challenges South African producers are facing with rising production costs. A slump in global automotive sales in the first half of the year continues to put pressure on tungsten prices, with ammonium parat...Read More

A summary of base metals premiums from across the globe for the week to Tuesday July 30.Please click...Read More

The accelerated ramp-up of the new Cobre Panama copper mine in the central American country has brought the start of its commercial production forward by several months to before the end of the third quarter, according to owner First Quantum Minerals.The company had previously expected to begin commercial production at the mine in Panama, which is the industry's only major greenfield project and w...Read More

The London Metal Exchange three-month zinc price increased during morning trading on Tuesday July 30, making a steady approach toward $2,500 per tonne amid broadly low turnover and continued US dollar strength. Volumes traded in the galvanizing metal were moderate as of 8:55am, but led a broadly lackluster complex with 2,200 lots exchanged. Reaching an intra-morning high of $2,488 per tonne,...Read More

In the absence of fresh economic news on Monday July 29, the early weakness in metals prices ran into dip-buying. While the base metals have not followed equities to fresh highs, far from it, the underlying supply fundamentals do seem to be providing support. While wider markets may be waiting for Wednesday's US interest rate decision, the metals are likely to wait for news on US-China trade talks...Read More

Barring those for tin, base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were all up during the morning trading session on Tuesday July 30, with the complex benefiting from rising hope amid continuing US-China trade talks. Although it is unlikely that a deal will be struck in the near term, the fact that China and the United States are looking to prevent tensions from escalating further by retur...Read More

The United States Department of Commerce has calculated average dumping margins for imports of Mexico-origin steel reinforcing bar (rebar) at 3.65%, while leaving Deacero out of the final results, the US Federal Register showed on Wednesday July 24.The announcement followed a preliminary result published on December 11, 2018, after Commerce carried out a probe that was begun on January 11 that yea...Read More

Prices paid for flat steel imports into the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia decreased in the week ended Tuesday July 30, with demand improving in the latest deals heard.Buying was strong this week in the UAE, with several new orders being placed.UAEOffers of hot-rolled coil (HRC) imports from China to the UAE came in at $500-505 per tonne cfr, but no major deals were heard.Ukraine offered si...Read More

RAPAPORT... Newfield Resources will start construction at the Tongo mine in Sierra Leone in the coming weeks, after its board approved final funding for the project. The first diamond production from the mine is expected 12 months after underground blasting begins, the company said last week. "We are delighted to have agreed a funding package that allows us to commence construction of the company'...Read More

Buyers of CIS-origin steel billet were in pessimistic mood in the last week of July because of the lack of activity in the finished steel sector during the mid-summer lull.Customers' bids fell to less than $410 per tonne fob on Tuesday July 30, varying within the range of $405-408 per tonne fob Black Sea, market sources told Fastmarkets.But mills continued to offer material within the range of $42...Read More

RAPAPORT... Sarine Technologies expects to report a loss for the second quarter, ascontinued market uncertainties led to lower demand for its diamond-manufacturing equipment. The net loss will be approximately $1 million, the companycautioned earlier this month, compared with a profit of $4.1 million for the same periodlast year. Sarine also predicted revenue of approximately $11.5 million, a...Read More

RAPAPORT... Two companies dealing in pre-owned luxury jewelry and watches have merged, aiming to tap into what they claim is a $1 trillion market. Circa and Mondiamo will continue to operate under two separate names and logos, but will combine their resources, they said Monday."We are miners - we mine above ground," said OrenSchneider, CEO of Mondiamo parent company Adama Partners, which will...Read More

China's hot-rolled coil prices dropped on Tuesday July 30 after authorities in Tangshan, the steelmaking hub in the northern region, drafted a plan to ease steelmaking curbs in August.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,810-3,820 yuan ($554-555) per tonne, down 20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,810 yuan per tonne, down 10 yuan per tonneSpot prices dropped after several domestic media o...Read More

RAPAPORT...De Beers' rough-diamond sales plummeted 53% this month ascustomers accepted the miner's offer to defer purchases until the marketimproves.Weak polished demand and excess supply in the manufacturingand trading sectors have hurt sightholders' appetite for rough goods, sourcesexplained. As a result, revenues fell to$250 million at De Beers' sixth sales cycle, the company reported Tuesday&n...Read More

De Beers Group published the results of what it calls its "sixth sales cycle" of 2019. The value of this month's sight stood at $250 million, a drop of more than 60 percent compared to the sixth sight of 2018 ($533). The miner reported that its fifth sight, of last month, had generated $391 million, compared to $581 million in June 2018. To date, De Beers' rough sales in 2019 reached $2....Read More

Alrosa, the world's largest national diamond miner, and the Federal Agency for Nationality Affairs (FADN of Russia) signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of preserving the traditional lifestyle of the indigenous minorities of the Russian North, Siberia and the Far East. The agreement was signed by Igor Barinov, head of the FADN of Russia, and Sergey Ivanov, CEO of Alrosa. The main s...Read More

Tangshan, China's steelmaking hub in the northern region, is reportedly loosening up restrictions on the steel sector in August, which resulted in sentiment deteriorating in the market on Tuesday July 30.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,920-3,940 yuan ($569-572) per tonne, narrowing downward by 10 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,830-3,850 yuan per tonne, down 10-20 yuan per tonneChin...Read More

Bulawayo 24 News, a leading online Zimbabwean news provider, reported earlier tis month that Vice President, Retired General Constantino Chiwenga, is looking to engage China, help in the removal of President Emmerson Mnangagwa from office. Mnangagwa's tenure in office is reportedly already hanging by a thread, as a faction in the military close to, wants him to voluntarily resign and make way...Read More