The US copper market was little changed in early morning trading on Wednesday March 6 with market participants still digesting the trade talks between the United States and China. The copper price for May settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange dipped 0.05 cents to $2.933 per lb. Amid positive trade sentiment surrounding the US-China, an uptick in the dollar index has...Read More

The three-month nickel price trading on the London Metal Exchange continued its upward momentum on Wednesday March 6, while the other base metals prices were mostly lower with continued strength in the dollar index limiting price rallies. Nickel's three-month price has recorded a weekly incline of more than 5% and is keeping above $13,600 per tonne, while open interest on the exchange has pushed h...Read More

Steel beam prices in the domestic Northern European market have narrowed while prices in Southern Europe moved upward this week on higher offers and improved demand, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday March 6.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic S235-grade, 200x200mm, category-2 H-beam in Northern Europe narrowed by ?,?10 per tonne to ?,?610-635 ($690-719) per tonne delivered on Ma...Read More

Dampened demand for nickel briquette for stainless steel in Europe put downward pressure on the top end of the premium on Tuesday March 5, while nickel premiums in the United States and China traded flat week on week despite similarly weak demand. The top end of the premium came off for European briquette after supply outstripped demand  Briquette demand also weaker in US, but market diverge...Read More

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday March 6 that are worth another look.The availability of a high-grade iron ore derivative has brought a "whole new dimension" to the market, with the development of a forward curve being a key benefit, Andrew Glass, head of ferrous trading at Anglo American, said last week at Fastmarkets MB's China Iron Ore conference in B...Read More

The US copper market was little changed in early morning trading on Wednesday March 6 with market participants still digesting the trade talks between the United States and China. The copper price for May settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange dipped 0.05 cents to $2.933 per lb. Amid positive trade sentiment surrounding the US-China, an uptick in the dollar index has...Read More

Higher freight rates and continued fears of political uncertainty in the United States deterred aluminium participants from shipping metal from warehouses in Asia to the US in February. The reluctance from market participants to take advantage of a slightly wider month-on-month arbitrage from London Metal Exchange warehouses in Asia to the US comes despite an increase of the P1020 US Midwest deliv...Read More

Tin premiums were flat everywhere on Tuesday March 5, with news of Indonesian export relief yet to have any tangible effect on the European markets, while market participants in the United States sought rumored discounts and Chinese premiums remained static due to a closed import window. European market awaits Indonesian supply flows US buyers seek discounted material Chinese demand falters.Europe...Read More

The three-month nickel price trading on the London Metal Exchange continued its upward momentum on Wednesday March 6, while the other base metals prices were mostly lower with continued strength in the dollar index limiting price rallies. Nickel's three-month price has recorded a weekly incline of more than 5% and is keeping above $13,600 per tonne, while open interest on the exchange has pushed h...Read More

Prices for flat-rolled steel imports have moved higher than those for domestic goods in the United States, in a rare inversion of the typical pricing dynamic.That development means imports are not attractive to US buyers, especially those uncertain of whether higher domestic prices seen over the past month are sustainable.US prices are expected to recover, given higher steel prices abroad, ri...Read More

European prices for mesh-quality wire rod stayed flat again across the continent in Fastmarkets' price assessments on Wednesday March 6, with levels of demand continuing to disappoint and with almost no business of significant volume reported in the first quarter of the year so far.Fastmarkets' weekly domestic price assessments for mesh-quality wire rod for both Northern and Southern Europe stayed...Read More

The price range for rebar produced and delivered in Northern Europe narrowed upward on Wednesday March 6 with pressure from producers being evident in the market, but very poor overall demand kept a cap on the high end of the range.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic rebar in Northern Europe edged up to ?,?540-550 ($611-623) per tonne delivered on Wednesday, from ?,?535-550 per tonne...Read More

Iranian export slab prices dropped in the week ended Wednesday March 6 with bookings done at lower values, Fastmarkets has heard, despite a positive mood in the CIS export slab market due to reduced availability of the material.Offers of Iranian slab were reported at $365-370 per tonne fob Iranian ports. And a 30,000-tonne cargo was sold to a customer in China at $360 per tonne fob, Fastmarkets ha...Read More

The price for rebar produced and delivered in Southern Europe remained flat again on Wednesday March 6, with producers' efforts to pass on higher raw material costs continuing to flounder in the face of poor demand from end-users.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic rebar in Southern Europe stayed at ?,?510-520 ($577-589) per tonne delivered on Wednesday, unchanged since mid-January.L...Read More

Demand for flat steel in Turkey failed to improve in February although prices increased, but no further price rises were expected, market participants told Fastmarkets on Wednesday March 6.Local producers have filled their order books until May, they added.The price rises in February resulted from increasing prices for raw materials after the rupture of a tailings dam at Vale's Feij??o iron ore mi...Read More

The West Coast continues to be the most active US export market for ferrous scrap, with container prices rebounding and rumors surfacing that the docks will be raising prices soon.On the West Coast, the containerized price for an 80:20 mix of No1 and No2 heavy melting scrap (HMS) rebounded to $280 per tonne fas Los Angeles after falling to $275 per tonne previously, defying last week's expectation...Read More

The regulations that govern the Brazilian mining industry are tightening after the recent major accident at one of miner Vale's units, and iron ore producers are slowly adjusting their operations in the country to move toward dry stacking of waste material.This is considered to be safer than the use of traditional tailings dams, such as the one operated by Vale that collapsed on January 25.CSN Min...Read More

Turkish steel producers have continued to book deep-sea scrap to replenish their stock levels despite poor sales of finished and semi-finished steel products, sources said on Wednesday March 6.A steel mill in Northern Turkey booked a Baltic Sea cargo, comprising 9,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $319 per tonne, 11,000 tonnes of shredded at $324 per tonne and 9,000 tonnes of bonus at $329 per tonn...Read More

Iron ore prices were mixed on Wednesday March 6, with still-sluggish profitability among Chinese steelmakers giving few clues as to the future direction of the market.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $87.05 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $0.02 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $86.45 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $0.02 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $89.08 per tonne cfr Qingdao, do...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 oreVale, Beijing Iron Ore Trading Center (Corex), 170,000 tonnes of...Read More