Prices for long and flat stainless steel products in Europe were stable this week, but higher prices were beginning to emerge in the market following the increase in monthly surcharges, market participants told Fastmarkets on Friday March 8.The March surcharges for grade-304 cold-rolled (CR) stainless sheets increased to ?,?1,308-1,351 ($1,474-1,522) per tonne on March 1, according to data release...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
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
Latin America's export prices of hot-rolled coil increased this week, while heavy plate and cold-rolled coil remained stable amid a rise in export offers from Brazilian producers, although few deals were reported.Offers of Brazil-origin HRC were at around $555-560 per tonne fob, with at least one deal being closed to South American countries.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for Latin America's...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
There were widespread rises in global ferrous scrap prices in the week ended Friday March 8, due to stable demand from end-users in key importing markets, Fastmarkets heard.Turkish steelmakers were buying imported materials to shore up their inventories, while buyers in Asia were purchasing spot cargoes to hedge against future price increases.TurkeyScrap prices in the Turkish import market began t...Read More
UK prices for alloy steel scrap have moved up over the past week due to higher costs for nickel, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday March 8.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic UK 18/8 stainless steel scrap solids was ?830-870 ($1,090-1,143) per tonne delivered on March 8. This was up from ?800-840 per tonne delivered a week earlier, reflecting transactions heard in the market."Nick...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were collectively lower at the close of trading on Friday March 8, with most metals ending the week down despite strong fundamentals across the complex and continued market optimism over US-China trade resolution. Losing momentum over the afternoon, the three-month nickel price fell to just over $13,000 per tonne amid continued selling pressure. ...Read More
Engelhart Commodities Trading Partners (ECTP), formerly known as BTG Pactual Commodities, has exited London Metal Exchange warehouse operations in Malaysia, according to an LME notice published on Friday March 8. The London-based commodity trader has been reducing its physical base metals trading operations since November 2018, liquidating aluminium stocks and cutting down its team of physical tra...Read More
Base metal stocks at Shanghai Futures Exchange-approved warehouses were mostly down week on week on Friday March 8, with lead leading the descent in percentage terms, while copper stocks registered a 4% gain. Deliverable lead stocks at SHFE-approved warehouses have fallen by 928 tonnes or 3.2% since March 1 to 28,427 tonnes as of March 8. Over the week to Friday, warehouse company Guochutianwei in...Read More
Aluminium foundry premiums in Europe and the United States remain under pressure this month due to continuing weak demand in the automotive industry. Foundry premiums in Germany fell 5% month on month and are down more than 16% from the start of 2019. In Germany, the premium for silicon 7 aluminium wheel alloys over London Metal Exchange cash prices delivered to the Ruhr region with 30-day payment...Read More
Prices for long and flat stainless steel products in Europe were stable this week, but higher prices were beginning to emerge in the market following the increase in monthly surcharges, market participants told Fastmarkets on Friday March 8.The March surcharges for grade-304 cold-rolled (CR) stainless sheets increased to ?,?1,308-1,351 ($1,474-1,522) per tonne on March 1, according to data release...Read More
The US copper rod premium has again held steady, although market participants noted pressure from solid demand and tightening supply, citing reported output issues at copper rod producer Asarco.Fastmarkets AMM's assessment of the US copper rod premium was unchanged at 15-17 cents per lb delivered to the Midwest on Thursday March 7; the premium has remained at that level since January 3. "Demand is...Read More
The aluminium scrap market in the United States was largely unmoved over the past week, but with expectations of warmer weather to come - and uncertainty regarding the robustness of secondary aluminium alloy demand - some scrap prices came under pressure."Some suppliers are still trying to eke out a little push in terms of price from previous weather delays, but with warmer weather coming now and...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were collectively lower at the close of trading on Friday March 8, with most metals ending the week down despite strong fundamentals across the complex and continued market optimism over US-China trade resolution. Losing momentum over the afternoon, the three-month nickel price fell to just over $13,000 per tonne amid continued selling pressure. ...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Read More
Engelhart Commodities Trading Partners (ECTP), formerly known as BTG Pactual Commodities, has exited London Metal Exchange warehouse operations in Malaysia, according to an LME notice published on Friday March 8. The London-based commodity trader has been reducing its physical base metals trading operations since November 2018, liquidating aluminium stocks and cutting down its team of physical tra...Read More
Base metal stocks at Shanghai Futures Exchange-approved warehouses were mostly down week on week on Friday March 8, with lead leading the descent in percentage terms, while copper stocks registered a 4% gain. Deliverable lead stocks at SHFE-approved warehouses have fallen by 928 tonnes or 3.2% since March 1 to 28,427 tonnes as of March 8. Over the week to Friday, warehouse company Guochutianwei in...Read More