ArcelorMittal has added a further ?,?30 ($34) per tonne to its European coil steel prices, the world's largest steelmaker told Fastmarkets on Tuesday February 19.The second increase in offer prices in less than a month follows the company's announcement that it would be adding ?,?30 per tonne to the price of European coil products on January 31.The latest price increase will be...Read More
Export prices for Chinese cold-rolled coil (CRC) and hot-dipped galvanized coil (HDG) increased further over the past week, amid an uptick in spot trading and higher offers from mills, although the price uptrend appears to be slowing down.A handful of deals were done for both products during the week ended Tuesday February 19, in contrast to the previous week when none were reported.Yet, some trad...Read More
Rebar suppliers to Russia's Central federal district, the major steel-consuming region in the country, have increased their offer prices on expectations of a seasonal rebound in secondary market demand in March.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic 12mm A500C rebar in Russia, including 20% VAT, was 36,000-38,500 roubles ($543-581) per tonne cpt Moscow on Monday February 18, up from 33,...Read More
The price for steel rebar imported into the United Arab Emirates decreased this week in the latest deals, despite demand being stronger than in previous weeks, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday February 19.The reason for the fall in the rebar import price was that producers in Oman, currently the main exporter of rebar to the UAE, could not raise their prices for rebar as much as they had for bi...Read More
Hot metal remains the principal method of choice for Chinese steelmakers despite the recent surges in the price of iron ore, according to data from Fastmarkets research this week.The use of hot metal allows Chinese steelmakers to continue to enjoy cost savings in comparison with the use of ferrous scrap, even though production costs have increased following the rises in iron ore prices.The price r...Read More
The Turkish scrap import market continued to be quiet on Tuesday February 19 because of the slow rebar and billet sales in the country, sources told Fastmarkets.The mills in the country were still struggling to sell rebar and billet in both the domestic and export markets, so they were delaying their raw material purchases, Fastmarkets heard."Turkish producers were expecting to sell some rebar to...Read More
Iron ore prices in China were up by 7% in a monthly comparison in January on restocking ahead of the Lunar New Year and the Vale dam failure that boosted seaborne prices.Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices were mixed on Tuesday February 19, with the MB 65% Fe Iron Ore Index dipping slightly while the MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index saw an uptick after a trade was heard done at a higher price.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $89.21 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $0.89 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $88.61 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $0.90 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low A...Read More
The price trend in the CIS export billet market reversed at the beginning of this week, going downward with buying activity in the major outlets turning sluggish, Fastmarkets heard on Tuesday February 19.This was partially due to the massive volumes of bookings done in recent weeks. Another reason, howover, was the weakening of the import scrap market in Turkey as well as lower billet prices in Ch...Read More
The price for steel rebar imported into the United Arab Emirates decreased this week in the latest deals, despite demand being stronger than in previous weeks, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday February 19.The reason for the fall in the rebar import price was that producers in Oman, currently the main exporter of rebar to the UAE, could not raise their prices for rebar as much as they had for bi...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices were mixed on Tuesday February 19 amid some fluctuation in the futures market, with those in the eastern region holding steady while prices in the north fell.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,700-3,750 yuan ($547-554) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Beijing): 3,750-3,780 yuan per tonne, down 40-50 yuan per tonneTraders in eastern China kept prices unchanged to...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Tuesday February 19 that are worth another look.The London Metal Exchange has released the fees for its new cash-settled futures contracts to be launched on March 11, three of which - an aluminium premium contract, an alumina futures contract and a cobalt contract - are settled against Fastmarkets MB price benchmarks. Hot metal rem...Read More
Mining companies in Brazil that operate 'upstream' tailings dams will have to completely decommission them by August 15, 2023, according to a new resolution issued by the country's mining agency ANM on Friday February 15.The document, published in the Brazilian official gazette on Monday February 18, showed that 84 dams currently operate through the upstream method, or an 'unidentified' one, and a...Read More
Brazilian miner Vale has pre-emptively evacuated about 200 people living close to another of its iron ore tailings dams after reviewing an independent report, the company said on Sunday February 17.The people were taken from Nova Lima, close to the Mar Azul mine in the south-eastern state of Minas Gerais. Level 2 of the country's emergency action plan for tailings dams was triggered by Vale a...Read More
Chinese exporters were seen raising vanadium offer prices amid stronger sentiment following the market's return from the Chinese New Year holidays, sources told Fastmarkets.Chinese vanadium export offers tick up European ferro-vanadium market flat on inactivity European vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) prices firm following stronger Chinese sentiment US ferro-vanadium prices widen amid activity incr...Read More
Wide contangoes on the London Metal Exchange were supporting global aluminium premiums on Tuesday February 19, with premiums in Europe, the United States and Japan all rising. Contango on LME offsets slow demand for duty-unpaid metal in Europe.Market participants in Asia expect higher premiums on wide spreads.US Midwest premium increases week-on-week in liquid market.Brazil aluminium premiums mixe...Read More
A summary of base metals premiums from across the globe for the week to Tuesday February 19.Please click...Read More
A consortium of metals and mining industry participants has teamed up with a blockchain technology firm to develop a platform to improve supply chain management and create efficiencies in the sector.Following its series on the role of blockchain in commodities trade finance, Fastmarkets looks next at the digitization of supply chain management.A consortium of metals and mining industry participant...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Tuesday February 19 that are worth another look.The London Metal Exchange has released the fees for its new cash-settled futures contracts to be launched on March 11, three of which - an aluminium premium contract, an alumina futures contract and a cobalt contract - are settled against Fastmarkets MB price benchmarks. Hot metal rem...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mostly higher at the close of trading on Tuesday February 19, with a new round of trade talks between the United States and China improving market sentiment amid a slight softening of the US dollar index.Volumes traded over the day were moderate, with copper's 19,500 lots leading the complex.The metal's three-month price continued to trade on an...Read More