Coated steel base prices firmed in the United States this past week due to steady demand, while cold-rolled coil was steady compared with the previous week, market participants said.Fastmarkets AMM's weekly assessment for the domestic hot-dipped galvanized steel base price moved to $41.50 per cwt ($830 per short ton) on Thursday March 7 from $41 per cwt a week earlier, and the all-i...Read More

Prices for coated steel products in Turkey decreased in the seven days to Friday March 8, with demand weak in both the domestic and export markets.Demand was unlikely to improve in March, sources told Fastmarkets, because of market uncertainty in the period before mayoral elections to be held across the country on March 31.Buyers want to see if end-user demand improves after the elections and have...Read More

Some steel coil prices in Turkey decreased again in the week ended Friday March 8, with buying activity remaining subdued.The market is unlikely to improve in March because of the uncertainty in the build-up to Turkey's mayoral elections held on the last day of the month, sources told Fastmarkets. Market participants want to wait and see if end-user demand improves after elections are over.Additio...Read More

China's export hot-rolled coil (HRC)trading was thin this week, with sellers still insisting on prices too high for most overseas buyers to accept on Friday March 8.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,820-3,830 yuan ($569-571) per tonne, narrowing downward 10 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,770-3,780 yuan per tonne, up 10-20 yuan per tonneTrading was thinner in Shanghai compare...Read More

Import prices for steel billet in Southeast Asia were up slightly on Friday March 8 amid pressure from elevated offer levels, although some buyers were still unwilling to increase their bids this week, market participants said. Fastmarkets' daily import price assessment for billet in Southeast Asia was $480-490 per tonne cfr Manila on Friday, widening upward by $5 per tonne from $480-485 per...Read More

The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for hot-rolled coil, cold-rolled coil, hot-dipped galvanized coil, pre-painted galvanized iron, steel plate, steel sheet and other flat steel products. Latest transactions: Hot-rolled coilHot-rolled coilEast China, domestic, commercial-grade...Read More

China's rebar prices were flat amid active trading on Friday March 8, although billet prices in Tangshan dropped after local authorities imposed new production restrictions earlier this week aimed at improving air quality in the city in northeastern China. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,780-3,810 yuan ($563-568) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Beijing): 3,750-3,800 yuan per tonne, u...Read More

Prices for light iron steel scrap in the United Kingdom broke a five-week spell of stability and fell by ?5 ($7) per tonne this week, with inter-merchant prices tracking a drop in the consumer market, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday March 8.The inter-merchant market was responding to a drop of about ?10 per tonne in the consumer price in late February, sources said.Even though there has been...Read More

The Turkish steel producers skipped the last working day of the week with no deep-sea scrap bookings amid rising offer prices, sources said on Friday March 8.The most recent deal was done on Thursday March 7 from the United States at $322 per tonne cfr for HMS 1&2 (80:20).However, market participants said offer prices for similar material were already above that US transaction price, with sev...Read More

The price of shredded ferrous scrap recovered this week following a drop of more than $11 last week, sources said on Friday March 8.Fastmarkets MB's weekly index for containerized imports of shredded scrap into India was $331.38 per tonne cfr on March 8, up from $328.33 per tonne cfr on March 1.The index had fallen by $11.11 per tonne from $339.44 per tonne cfr on February 22 because of a correcti...Read More

Physical iron ore prices retreated on Friday March 8 following declines in the futures market.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $85.77 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $1.84 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $85.17 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $1.84 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $88.25 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $1.76 per tonne. MB 58% Fe Premium Index: $75.88 per tonne cfr Qin...Read More

The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for iron ore, pig iron, direct-reduced iron and other steelmaking raw materials. Latest transaction: iron oreIron oreBHP, tender 90,000 tonnes of 57% Fe Yandi fines, traded at the April average of two 62% Fe indices, adjusted for Fe content, plus a discount of...Read More

Seaborne coking coal prices cfr China and fob Australia ended the week in opposite directions even as Chinese participants remained unsure about the future of port restrictions pertaining to imported coal cargoes.An April laycan, 85,000-tonne premium low-vol cargo changed hands at $213.52 per tonne cfr China, while a 35,000-tonne mid-vol cargo changed hands at $217 per tonne fob Australia.A cargo...Read More

The Comex copper price fell in US morning trading on Friday March 8 following the release of disappointing data from the world's two largest economies, the United States and China.The copper price for May settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange declined 2.30 cents to $2.8875 per lb. Market participants pointed to waning investor appetite for metals amid weaker than exp...Read More

Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mostly lower during morning trading on Friday March 8, with Asian buying subdued due to weaker Chinese trade data while continued strength in the dollar index deterred commodity investment. Over the morning, both copper and nickel futures - which have largely traded in tandem over February and March - edged lower despite both metals exhibiting t...Read More

Arbitrage for copper, aluminium, zinc and nickel imported into China on Friday March 8 *Copper -$169.53 (-1,142.09 yuan) Aluminium -$281.84 (-1,898.68 yuan) Zinc -$142.16 (-957.72 yuan) Nickel -$43.14 (-290.65 yuan) *Fastmarkets calculates the physical arbitrage for import into China daily by using SHFE...Read More

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

The following Fastmarkets minor metals prices changed on Friday March 8:Minor metalsBismuth MB China domestic, yuan/tonne: 47,000-49,000 yuan per tonne from 47,500-49,500 yuanChromium MB free market alumino-thermic, $/tonne: $8,635-9,400 per tonne from $8,650-9,400Cobalt MB free market alloy grade, $/lb: $14.60-15.75 per lb from $14.85-16.00Cobalt MB free market standard...Read More

Fastmarkets proposes to change the calculation basis for the China cobalt sulfate, Co 20.5% min, ex-works adjustment to the standard-grade cobalt low-end price to 100% Co basis from the current Co 20.5% basis. As part of the consultation, Fastmarkets also proposes to change the name of this assessment to China cobalt sulfate, Co 20.5% min, ex-works, adjustment to standard-grade cobalt low-end pric...Read More

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