China's domestic hot-rolled coil prices mixed on Thursday March 14 with those in the eastern region slipping while the northern market held steady. The export market strengthened with deals being concluded at higher prices. DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,830-3,850 yuan ($571-574) per tonne, down 10 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,760-3,780 yuan per tonne, unchanged Sellers in easter...Read More

Prices in the local market for Turkish rebar and wire rod have continued to increase, influenced by the weakening of the value of the country's lira and rising costs for imported scrap raw material, sources said on Thursday March 14.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic rebar was TRY3,180-3,215 ($582-589) per tonne ex-works on March 14, including 18% VAT, up from last week's TRY3,100-3...Read More

Turkish rebar and wire rod prices have increased over the past week in line with the latest uptick in the cost of imported scrap, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday March 14.Demand for rebar was still sluggish in the country's export markets, however, although the wire rod market was comparatively better due to demand from the machinery industry.Turkish steel producers were trying to keep their...Read More

Steel billet import prices in Egypt have increased over the past seven days with higher offers being heard, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday March 14.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel billet imported into Egypt was $475-480 per tonne cfr on Thursday, rising from $470-475 per tonne cfr last week.CIS-origin billet was offered to the country at $480 per tonne cfr, but no major bookin...Read More

UK ferrous scrap prices for deliveries in March have been settled at values unchanged from the month before, with higher export prices and steady domestic British demand supporting the move, trade sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday March 14.The sideways moves in UK prices consolidate a jump of ?20 per tonne in February. This came after European export prices to key destination Turkey rallied by...Read More

Turkish steel producers have continued their bookings of deep-sea scrap cargoes with prices remaining stable, sources said on Thursday March 14.A steel mill in the Marmara region booked a European cargo, comprising 25,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (75:25) at $317 per tonne and 5,000 tonnes of bonus at $331 per tonne cfr.The same mill...Read More

Iron ore prices jumped on Thursday March 14 amid a positive destocking of steel products in China and signs of loosening restrictions on steelmaking operations.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $87.26 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $2.48 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $86.38 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $2.48 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $89.50 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $2.80...Read More

Turkish billet prices have continued to rise due to improved demand in the export and domestic markets in addition to the latest growth in imported scrap costs, sources said on Thursday March 14.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic billet was $460-470 per tonne ex-works on March 14, up from the $450-460 per tonne of last week.Long steel producer Kardemir opened its local billet sales...Read More

Steel billet import prices in Egypt have increased over the past seven days with higher offers being heard, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday March 14.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel billet imported into Egypt was $475-480 per tonne cfr on Thursday, rising from $470-475 per tonne cfr last week.CIS-origin billet was offered to the country at $480 per tonne cfr, but no major bookin...Read More

China's domestic rebar prices were flat amid lower trading activity on Thursday March 14, though bullish sentiment propped up the export market slightly.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,810-3,850 yuan ($568-574) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Beijing): 3,790-3,830 yuan per tonne, unchangedRebar futures were lower than Wednesday's settlement price of 3,817 yuan per tonne during most of the...Read More

South African state power utility Eskom has implemented load shedding for the first time this month amid lingering power constraints, sparking predictions of ferro-chrome price spikes if the situation deteriorates. Load shedding - controlled power outages - were last implemented in mid-February and were reported to have affected large industrial power users, including ferro-chrome smelters. After...Read More

JFE Meranti is a newcomer to the coated steel coil sector, and it expects its first years to be challenging while it works to achieve the lion's share of Myanmar's up-and-coming market for coated steel products, chief executive and managing director Sebastian Langendorf has told Fastmarkets.Langendorf was speaking in an exclusive interview at JFE Meranti's Singapore headquarters in the Marina Bay...Read More

Import prices for steel billet in Southeast Asia moved up on Thursday March 14, amid an uptick in trading activity and higher scrap values, market participants said.Fastmarkets' daily import price assessment for billet in Southeast Asia was $485-495 per tonne cfr Manila on Thursday, up $5 per tonne from $480-490 per tonne cfr on Wednesday. Numerous deals involving Malaysian billet were concluded i...Read More

Fastmarkets AMM attended the annual convention of the National Association of Steel Pipe Distributors (NASPD) on Thursday March 7 and Friday March 8 in New Orleans. Here are five themes gleaned in the sessions, on the sidelines and at the soirees.The US Gulf Coast is excited about China LNG import rumors. Reports that China may agree to buy an immense amount of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exp...Read More

Chinese finished steel exports decreased in February on both a yearly and a month-on-month basis amid uncompetitive prices and fewer working days as a result of the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday.The country shipped 4.51 million tonnes of finished steel out of the country last month, down 7% from the 4.85 million tonnes exported in February 2018, according to preliminary Chinese customs data...Read More

China's major mills continued to raise their daily output rates for crude steel in mid-February, while their finished steel inventories also rose.Members of the China Iron & Steel Association (Cisa) produced crude steel at an average rate of 1.95 million tonnes per day during the second 10 days of February, up 1.6% from 1.92 million tpd in early February, according to data released by the industry...Read More

The prices for nickel and copper were the poorest performers in trading on the London Metal Exchange on Thursday March 14, Fastmarkets has heard.Weaker data on China's industry drove the LME three-month nickel price down by 2.2% to $13,185 per tonne at the close of trading."The January-February combined data on Chinese industrial production, retail sales and fixed asset investment failed to provid...Read More

BCS Global Markets, one of Russia's largest securities brokers, believes that Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich's newly-acquired shareholding in Russia's largest miner Nornickel may lose value.Abramovich's investment firm Crispian Investments acquired the 2.5% stake for $551 million on Wednesday March 13.But the oligarch's share may depreciate in value in line with expectations that nickel prices...Read More

UK ferrous scrap prices for deliveries in March have been settled at values unchanged from the month before, with higher export prices and steady domestic British demand supporting the move, trade sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday March 14.The sideways moves in UK prices consolidate a jump of ?20 per tonne in February. This came after European export prices to key destination Turkey rallied by...Read More

Fastmarkets' alumina index fob Australia moved above $400 per tonne and to its highest since mid-December 2018 following increased buying demand in the market and continued tight supply. The daily fob Australia alumina index rose to $402.70 per tonne on Thursday March 14, up from $396.92 per tonne the previous day and 3.5% higher week on week. Key drivers  Renewed bullish sentiment in th...Read More