U.S. manufacturing activity eased to the lowest level in nearly two years this month, according to a private reading published Friday, pulling Wall Street lower and piling more pressure on the Treasury yield curve, which inverted for the first since in more than ten years. IHS Markit's flash reading of overall activity in the world's biggest economy was pegged at 54.3 points, well above the 50 m...Read More

An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Read More

An overview of the minor metals markets andthe reasons for any price moves.An overview of...Read More

Global scrap prices have gone up slightly except in Vietnam during the working week from Monday March 18 to Friday March 22, with demand being seen in Turkey only later in the week. Turkish steel producers returned to the market at the end of the week US ferrous scrap export prices up Vietnam ferrous scrap prices fall on weak demand Taiwanese prices rise on higher offers India on holidayTurkey imp...Read More

Austenitic alloy steel scrap prices edged higher in Europe this week in reaction to more stable nickel costs. The three-month official bid/offer spread for nickel on the London Metal Exchange was $13,010/13,020 per tonne on Friday March 22, compared with $12,945/12,960 per tonne on March 15.This...Read More

Prices for light iron steel scrap in the United Kingdom have been rolled over this week amid steady trading while regular inter-merchant business and firm demand from major shredders support the market, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday March 22.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for UK grade-5C ferrous scrap on an inter-merchant basis was ?90-110 ($118-145) per tonne on March 22. The current...Read More

The Friday Market Minute Stocks slide after European manufacturing PMI falls to lowest level since 2013, while a new orders index hits a 2012 trough, as trade disputes hammer exports in the world's biggest economic bloc.US Treasury Department sanctions on two Chinese shipping firms accused of helping North Korea evade restrictions on its nuclear weapons program rattle nerves ahead of next week's...Read More

With three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange having come off their weekly highs, most metals remained under selling pressure and have continued to consolidate this morning, Friday March 22.The initial weakness seen in the dollar index following the surprisingly dovish tone struck by the US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) at the conclusion of their meeting on Wednesday prov...Read More

An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Read More

China's domestic lithium spot market stabilized in the week ended Thursday March 21 after price dips a week ago, while assessments in the seaborne markets weakened on low demand and thin trading activity. China's battery-grade lithium carbonate and hydroxide prices were steady after slight price decreases last week. Lithium prices in China remain under downward pressure due to continued low d...Read More

Trade log for battery-grade lithium carbonate in China including trades, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets. Unless otherwise stated, all prices are per tonne on an ex-works China basis. Delivered prices are netted back. Fastmarkets prices Click here for Fastmarkets price assessment for lithium carbonate min 99.5% Li2CO3 battery grade, spot price range, ex-works China, yuan per tonne.Fastmark...Read More

Indian mills were keeping domestic HRC prices high in the week ended Friday March 22, even though cheaper imported coil products have beaten down spot prices for the commodity, Fastmarkets has heard.Indian domestic HRC prices were assessed by Fastmarkets at 41,500-42,000 rupees ($604-612) per tonne ex-mill on Friday, unchanged since last week.Indian importers and traders, meanwhile, were offering...Read More

Prices for coated steel products in Turkey fell again in the seven days to Friday March 22, with demand weak in both the domestic and export markets.Sources told Fastmarkets that demand is unlikely to improve in March because of market uncertainty ahead of the mayoral elections being held across the country on the last day of the month.The export market was also poor because of weak demand in Euro...Read More

Domestic hot-rolled coil prices in China retreated on Friday March 22 amid declining trading activity, weighing on sentiment in the export market.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,850-3,870 yuan ($575-578) per tonne, down 20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,800-3,810 yuan per tonne, down 30-40 yuan per tonneTrading activity continued to drop during the day, with demand becoming less rob...Read More

Domestic prices for rebar in Poland have been largely stable over the past week, supported by strong demand in the construction industry, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday March 22.Fastmarkets' price assessment for domestic 12mm B500B-grade rebar in Poland was 2,220-2,320 zloty ($590-617) per tonne ex-works on March 22, compared with 2,200-2,320 zloty per tonne ex-works last week.The assessment r...Read More

Prices in the domestic rebar market in Egypt decreased in the week ended Thursday March 21 on a lack of trading activity, Fastmarkets has heard."There is a feeling that prices will drop further so everyone is in wait-and-see mode," a local source told Fastmarkets."Besides," he added, "the government has begun big projects and, although...Read More

Import prices for ferrous scrap in Asia moved in different directions this week amid mixed market fundamentals, participants told Fastmarkets on Friday March 22.VietnamThe uptrend in Vietnam's scrap import prices came to a halt this week, amid a slowdown in procurement activity and falling bid levels, market sources said.Fastmarkets' weekly import price assessment for HMS 1&2 (80:20) sol...Read More

Buyers in the United States continued to book pig iron during the week ended Friday March 22 at prices higher than those heard in February, due to a stronger scrap market and lower material availability, Fastmarkest has learned.Fastmarkets' import price assessment for pig iron in the US was unchanged week on week at $365-370 per tonne cfr on March 22.Several cargoes were heard to have been booked...Read More

Global scrap prices have gone up slightly except in Vietnam during the working week from Monday March 18 to Friday March 22, with demand being seen in Turkey only later in the week. Turkish steel producers returned to the market at the end of the week US ferrous scrap export prices up Vietnam ferrous scrap prices fall on weak demand Taiwanese prices rise on higher offers India on holidayTurkey imp...Read More

Austenitic alloy steel scrap prices edged higher in Europe this week in reaction to more stable nickel costs. The three-month official bid/offer spread for nickel on the London Metal Exchange was $13,010/13,020 per tonne on Friday March 22, compared with $12,945/12,960 per tonne on March 15.This...Read More