Key data from the Wednesday March 13 pricing session in Europe. Key drivers The recent rally in the European ferro-titanium price shows no sign of ending, with buying inquiries reported from within Europe and beyond, such as the United States. Renewed consumer demand for second-quarter delivery settlements has combined with short covering for both prompt and longer term demand amid a potenti...Read More
Prices for hollow steel sections in the domestic Northern European market were stable on Wednesday March 13, while prices in Southern Europe edged up for the second consecutive week, market sources have told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' domestic price assessment for commodity-size, grade-S235 square hollow sections made in Northern Europe was unchanged week on week on Wednesday at ?,?630-650 ($710-733...Read More
Turkish pipe export prices have fallen in March in line with strong competition in the market, with new trade-protection factors likely to add further uncertainty, sources said on Wednesday March 13.Fastmarkets' monthly export price assessment for EN10219-standard, grade-S235 tube, with 2mm wall thickness, fell to $590-600 per tonne fob on Wednesday, from $630-640 per tonne in February.The mills i...Read More
Aluminium was one the best performers on the London Metal Exchange on Wednesday March 13, because of stock outflows from LME sheds.The price of the three-month aluminium contract was up by $28 per tonne to $1,905 per tonne at the close of trading on Wednesday.Around 7,425 tonnes of aluminium left LME warehouses on Wednesday, with most of the outflows from Port Klang, Singapore and Rotterdam. Overa...Read More
An overview of the noble alloys markets and the reasons for any price moves.Read More
Iranian billet exporters increased prices for foreign customers in the week ended Wednesday March 13, following improved demand in the major outlets.Several cargoes of billet scheduled for shipment in April were reported sold to Asia around $395 per tonne fob.But there were also several cargoes on the same delivery terms sold to North Africa and Asia within the range of $400-405 per tonne fob.In s...Read More
Prices for hollow steel sections in the domestic Northern European market were stable on Wednesday March 13, while prices in Southern Europe edged up for the second consecutive week, market sources have told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' domestic price assessment for commodity-size, grade-S235 square hollow sections made in Northern Europe was unchanged week on week on Wednesday at ?,?630-650 ($710-733...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday March 13 that are worth another look.Moves to enhance electronic trading on the London Metal Exchange are not a back-door attempt to close the ring, Europe's last open outcry trading floor, the exchange's chief executive officer said. The Singapore Exchange has seen a "tremendous uptick" in iron ore futures trading a...Read More
Aluminium was one the best performers on the London Metal Exchange on Wednesday March 13, because of stock outflows from LME sheds.The price of the three-month aluminium contract was up by $28 per tonne to $1,905 per tonne at the close of trading on Wednesday.Around 7,425 tonnes of aluminium left LME warehouses on Wednesday, with most of the outflows from Port Klang, Singapore and Rotterdam. Overa...Read More
The Comex copper price continued to push higher in the midweek session on Wednesday March 12 with potential supply disruptions supporting the market. The copper price for May settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange inched up 0.55 cents to $2.9340 per lb. Codelco faces further delays in bringing back refined copper smelting at its Chuquicamata plant, which is now...Read More
Copper's three-month price on the London Metal Exchange could hit as high as $8,000 per tonne this year, Marex Spectron's head of market analytics Guy Wolf told delegates at Fastmarkets' International Copper Conference in Amsterdam on Wednesday March 13."My view is that we could see copper's three-month price on the LME move past $7,500 per tonne and reach $8,000 per tonne this year," Wolf said."I...Read More
Investing.com - Gold prices rose on Wednesday in Asia as traders opted for the safe-haven metal after U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal suffered another defeat in the British Parliament.Parliament rejected May’s withdrawal deal for the second time on Tuesday, raising concerns of a “hard-Brexit” scenario before the planned departure date on March 29.May would hol...Read More
Skorpion Zinc's refinery in Namibia has to suspend its operations for five weeks on a lack of raw material feed following a mine strike, while the delivery of certain exports will have to be delayed, Fastmarkets has learned.The Namibian operation, Africa's largest integrated zinc operation, has run out of zinc oxide ore as a result of a strike at its mine that started on February 22, parent compan...Read More
The European price of mesh-quality wire rod narrowed at the low end of the range on Wednesday March 13, reflecting the market's sound fundamentals starting to re-emerge in a murky political environment.Fastmarkets MB's weekly domestic price assessment of mesh-quality wire rod for both Northern and Southern Europe edged up to ?,?535-550 ($603-620) per tonne delivered on Wednesday from ?,?530-550 pe...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday March 13 that are worth another look.Moves to enhance electronic trading on the London Metal Exchange are not a back-door attempt to close the ring, Europe's last open outcry trading floor, the exchange's chief executive officer said. The Singapore Exchange has seen a "tremendous uptick" in iron ore futures trading a...Read More
The three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange is forecast to continue its uptrend in 2019, according to the copper analysts sitting on a panel at Fastmarkets' International Copper conference in Amsterdam on Wednesday March 13. The three-month copper price has recently continued to trade just below $6,500 per tonne, up by more than 6% since the start of the year. And copper's incline wi...Read More
Chinese and European zinc premiums fell over the past week amid lackluster demand and disappointing spread structures between the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange, while the Indian lead premium slid after increased availability of Iranian units in the spot market. The zinc premium in China moved down amid muted import demand in line with worsening import conditions and an oversu...Read More
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrants premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday March 13. This is Fastmarkets' first warrants report following the amendment of...Read More
Tight tin supply in Europe has market participants looking to Indonesia's elections next month for guidance on renewed supply from the major tin exporter; meanwhile, the United States has adequate stock but new suppliers are looking to edge into the market and China has a quiet week. Europe awaits inflow as Indonesian export ban is lifted US sees new players, though some suppliers are offer...Read More
The Comex copper price continued to push higher in the midweek session on Wednesday March 12 with potential supply disruptions supporting the market. The copper price for May settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange inched up 0.55 cents to $2.9340 per lb. Codelco faces further delays in bringing back refined copper smelting at its Chuquicamata plant, which is now...Read More